My name is Cary Baker and I operate the music PR firm conqueroo. I have worked in the music publicity field for 30 years and am proud to say that Conqueroo is a no-compromise company: I have to feel passionate about every artist we represent. When I am passionate about music, great things have a way of happening.
Conqueroo clients past, present and recurrent: The Band of Heathens, Richard Barone, Big Sandy, Elvin Bishop, Blues Traveler, Paul Brady, David Bromberg, Stephen Bruton, J.J. Cale, John Cale, Caitlin Cary, Marshall Chapman, Ray Charles catalog, Collectors’ Choice Music, Susan Cowsill, Robert Cray, Marshall Crenshaw, Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere, Rodney Crowell, Chris Darrow, The dB's, Dennis Diken with Bell Sound, Gabe Dixon Band, Thomas Dolby, Eddie Floyd, Andy Friedman, Kinky Friedman, Ruby Friedman Orchestra, Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, Jon Dee Graham, Great American Taxi, The Greencards, Sid Griffin / Coal Porters, Murry Hammond (Old 97's), Hank III, Hacienda Brothers, Richard X Heyman, Peter Himmelman, Hobart Brothers, Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey, Honeydripper (John Sayles), Hoodoo Gurus, Hot Club of Cowtown, Ray Wylie Hubbard, I See Hawks in L.A., Kate Jacobs, Freedy Johnston, Diana Jones, Ivan Julian, Keb' Mo', Scott Kempner, Hal Ketchum, Tommy Keene, Bill Kirchen, Jake La Botz, Sonny Landreth, Long Beach Blues Festival, Los Cenzontles, Raul Malo, Eleni Mandell, Marley's Ghost, Anne McCue, James McMurtry, Memphis Music Foundation, Scott Miller, Ryan Montbleau Band, Ian Moore, Gurf Morlix, Shawn Mullins, Tracy Nelson, Gary Nicholson, Willie Nile, NRBQ, Christine Ohlman, David Olney, Over The Rhine, Patrolled by Radar, Lucky Peterson, Ed Pettersen, Pine Leaf Boys, Steve Poltz, Ponderosa Stomp, Vernon Reid, Stan Ridgway, Arlen Roth, Martin Sexton, Billy Joe Shaver, Michelle Shocked, Shout! Factory (selected reissues), Chris Smither, South Memphis String Band, Amy Speace, Chris Stamey, Stax Records catalog, Stew & the Negro Problem, Chris Stills, Stone River Boys, Sugar Blue, Otis Taylor, Tea Leaf Green, Pam Tillis, Tres Chicas, Trombone Shorty, Uncle Monk (Tommy Ramone), The Undertones, Loudon Wainwright III, Wagons, Was (Not Was), Randy Weeks, Adrienne Young.
Before I launched Conqueroo, I worked as VP of Publicity (department head) at Capitol Records, I.R.S. Records, Discovery Records and Morgan Creek Records. Over the years, I have spearheaded publicity campaigns for R.E.M., The Finn Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Shelby Lynne, the Beastie Boys, Delbert McClinton, Cheap Trick, Loudon Wainwright III, Alex Chilton, Susan Tedeschi, Tina Turner, Steve Vai, Concrete Blonde, Frank Zappa, Tom Verlaine, Motown reissues and more.
Prior to becoming a publicist, I worked as a music journalist for publications such as the Chicago Reader, Creem, Billboard, Mix and Trouser Press. I compiled and wrote liner notes for reissues on Universal Music Group/Chess, EMI and Motown. I have been a voting member of the Recording Academy (NARAS) since 1979 and served on the organization’s Board of Governors both in my native Chicago and in my present home of Los Angeles. I have also served on the Board of Directors of the Americana Music Association and the Music Industry Executive Steering Committee of City of Hope. I have attended SXSW for 24 consecutive years and the Americana Music Festival and Conference for ten — which means at least a full week of business in both Austin and Nashville each year. At SXSW, we co-sponsor the prestigious Guitartown/Conqueroo Kickoff Party.
These days, publicity for my clients takes 110% of my time, but in my “vast spare time” I run an occasional indie reissue label called Conjuroo Recordings, distributed by RED. Doing this gives me valuable perspective in areas of sales, marketing, distribution, retail, airplay, A&R and new media, all of which I apply to my overview of publicity. I instructed a UCLA Extension class called “Publicity in the Music Industry” from 1987-2007 – 20 years.
I personally work all projects that conqueroo takes on – so your project is represented by a veteran who has longstanding relationships with media tastemakers, not by a junior publicist. We are joined now by two experienced tour publicists who help bring value to artists while on the road.
We begin work most days at 7 a.m. Pacific Time as we feel it’s important for a West Coast-based PR firm to work in real time with East Coast media. If you visited our offices, you’d note that NPR is on. We recognize the value of this powerful media outlet for our artists. We read and note the bylines in all major music and mass-circ journals — we’ve known some of them for more than two decades and make the effort to meet new ones every day. We work all the online music ‘zines and blogs. We also have longtime relationships with TV talent executives. Your project is worked from every angle.
If you’re looking to enlist an indie music publicity for your project, I hope you’ll consider us. Check what some of our clients have said about us on the Testimonials page at conqueroo.com. We look forward to talking with you.
