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Rock Royalty: Famous music producerÕs daughter leads BLACKHEART RECORDS
from: ameliasmagazine.com
by Stephanie Nolasco
Carianne Laguna may look like a fresh-faced intern entering a building standing among lofts owned by fashion models in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood. However, the 28-year-old is Vice President and General Manager of BLACKHEART RECORDS, a label that rock legend JOAN JETT helped create in 1980. Laguna, who resides in Brooklyn, tirelessly commutes to her office, where she signs new artists to the label, including punk acts like Girl in a Coma and The Cute Lepers. Not only does she spend days promoting artists, but she manages the "I Love Rock N' Roll" rebel. In the music industry - where few women take behind-the-scene roles in impacting listeners, Laguna does it all with a toothy grin. Yet, she wouldn't have been crowned queen of indie music management if it wasn't for her family.
Her father is KENNY LAGUNA, a music producer who, in 1980, began managing a 17-year-old Jett. Despite Jett joining a band when she was just 15 and befriending Sid Vicious, 23 music labels turned her down, causing her manager to sell demos from the trunk of his car. Consequently, the duo started BLACKHEART RECORDS, one of the first music labels owned by a woman. Jett would go on to sell millions of albums, becoming one of rock's top-charting females in history. Laguna, who grew up traveling around the world as Jett performed for thousands, would later carry on her father's legacy. She graduated from the University of Colorado in 2001, where she took several internships to fully understand the business of music. "When I got to BLACKHEART RECORDS, I said 'I'm going to do this, but I would like to sign a lot of new bands that are in it for the music and not the fame,'" she says.
Laguna did just that, all while proving herself. "People tend to dismiss you if you're a girl," she reveals before groaning at how few females are leaders in the music business. "People think it's just a fabulous thing to look as young as an intern, until you have to be taken seriously." After many frustrations from Devil Wears Prada archetypes, she chose to keep moving without ever looking back. She takes a deep breath before gushing about her love of finding overlooked musicians and giving them a chance. "It just makes me feel good that IÕm spreading their music. That beats out all those days when people would look down at you just because they had their own hang-ups."
Just like her father perfected, Laguna is still applying the DIY method. From designing all the artwork, to selling merchandise during Warp Tour, Laguna isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. At times, she would even pass out CDs in bars, restaurants, and any place that plays music. Yet, it's this technique that's going to help save the suffering music industry. "This is a great time for indie labels and artists to get their art out there," she explains. "A lot of people are discovering bands on the internet. You have to hit all the networking sites and play live as much as you can. There's just no better way of finding new music."
Speaking of upcoming hits, Laguna happily shared some exclusive news, including of Girl In A Coma and The Dollyrots going to the studio this fall. If that isn't enough, she also revealed that Lana Davies, daughter of The Kinks founding member Dave Davies, was recently signed to the label and will be recording soon. It's certain that as long as this bubbly brunette keeps challenging the all-male club known as the music industry, good music, with a woman's touch, will always prevail.
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