Interview with Steve Martin, President of Nasty Little Man

By Dustin Herlich

Jewish Mayhem had the opportunity to chat a bit with the Beastie Boys recently before their concert in Brooklyn, New York. The press conference was organized by Nasty Little Man. Nasty Little Man is a New York based public relations firm that represents a pretty impressive set of clients. From Jimmy Eat World to Beck, The Foo Fighters and of course, the Beastie Boys, musical acts big and small know they can turn to Nasty Little Man.

Steve Martin is the founder and president of Nasty Little Man and guess what, he’s Jewish too! Jewish Mayhem was lucky enough to secure a little of Steve’s time for an interview. You can read it all right here.

Jewish Mayhem: For the record how about your name and position at Nasty Little Man?

Steve Martin: Steve Martin. I started and own the company. Not really big on titles but I guess that makes me president.

JM: Can you tell us a little bit about what you do there, and what your company does overall?

SM: I run the place basically. I sign the clients, come up with the strategies and targets for the campaigns. As for what we do overall, my company’s function is to look after the media profile of my clients. This means pitching and/or deciding what they do in the magazines, newspapers, weeklies, zines, blogs and late night tv shows.
JM: Nasty Little Man is an interesting name for a PR firm. How did you come up with that?

SM: It was something really ridiculous that someone said to me at the first and only record label job I ever had. The company had been purchased by Sony and was starting to put out a lot of crappy music. I was getting grilled about why the crap wasn’t getting as much positive press coverage as the good stuff that I’d been working on before. I told them in all honesty: because it was shit. Someone said “you don’t like anything! You’re just a nasty little man!” Which I thought was hilarious because I knew for a fact that I had a bigger and more diverse knowledge and collection of music than anyone in the room. So I quit really soon after that, sort of drifted a little, played some music for money here, did a bit of writing there and ultimately started getting excited about a few artists who were up and coming–this was pre-Nevermind, mind you–like Helmet, Ween, Smashing Pumpkins and Guided By Voices. I incorporated under the name nasty little man when the company became a full time thing.
JM: Your client list is fairly impressive. Beastie Boys, Rammstein, Beck, Radiohead… why do you think such big ticket names turn to you for your services?

SM: Some turn to me, some I chase. Honestly I never go after the biggest flavor of the month or whatever. You mention Rammstein. I went after them in 1997. I had no idea their first U.S. record would sell so much.

I think at this point whenever I sign a new client, which isn’t that often, it’s because they know that they’re one of a kind on my roster. Know what I mean? They also know that my firm does really quality work for a select few clients. It might sound elitist but I only want the best. I’m honored to work with Radiohead, Beck, Beastie Boys and all my clients. That has a lot to do with why I have no interest in working with the “next” Radiohead, Beck or Beastie Boys when people try to pitch me clients as such.
JM: Can you tell us a little bit more about how you got involved with the Beastie Boys in particular? I understand they were with you from very early on.

SM: I would say beastie boys were the pivotal client that turned Nasty Little Man into a full time enterprise for me. I knew those guys in a couple of different contexts. I would see them around when I used to play music back in the New York hardcore days. Then, when I was writing, I did a few major pieces on them. Finally, in the Check Your Head days, Mike D just called me at home one day and asked if I was still doing the PR thing. They were looking for an indie firm. The company that had been repping them was run by a mutual friend who was folding her company. So anyway, we met up during that tour, like ’92-93 and before I knew it, things were in full swing. Working the set-up for the ill communication record, Luscious Jackson, Ben lee, the whole grand royal label and magazine. Crazy busy times…
JM: What’s the best part of what you do? What keeps you doing it day in and day out? Is it still fun?

SM: The best part of what I do is achieving the biggest goals. Getting a client their first major feature or magazine cover, or TV show. Saturday Night Live in particular. Growing up watching that show and being turned on to so much great music by it, there’s a magic about seeing my people up on that stage in that studio that never goes away.
JM: I understand that you yourself are of Jewish heritage (which is a big reason for this interview in particular). Do you feel that this has factored into your success in any way? Some of the people claim that having Jewish heritage is part of the “required street cred” for your side of the business. Some joke that if you’re a star and you’re not Jewish yourself, your agent has to be.

SM: [[laughing]] that’s something of a cliché’ I’m afraid. Sure there are plenty of Jewish people in high places in the entertainment business. But, in my experience, it hasn’t really been a factor. The majority of the members and managers of Radiohead, Foo Fighters, AFI, Spoon, The Strokes aren’t Jewish, neither are Ryan Adams, Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, The Good The Bad & The Queen). So honestly that stereotype has never held true in my professional experience.
JM: Any other thoughts on your heritage, or how it affects your life? I hear a lot that growing up immersed in Jewish culture taught them the values of hard work, learning, etc. Any thoughts on that?

SM: I can relate to that. There was definitely a big sense of Jewish work ethic in my family, emphasis on education and so forth.

I’d say the biggest impact it had on what I wound up doing with my life was the sense of being the underdog. Maybe some of that came from just being an outsider altogether, which I definitely was in my musical tastes. I think the Jewish experience played into that as well–like being in Hebrew school on Saturday mornings when the goyim were watching cartoons! Whatever the case, I’ve always felt most comfortable on the fringe; doing my own thing, not working for anyone else’s corporation, not letting anyone tell me what music I have to work.
JM: You’re probably saturated with music day in and day out, do you ever actually listen to music any more?

SM: Oh hell yeah, I listen to music all the time. Whether it’s discovering new stuff and rediscovering classic stuff, I’m always listening to music. I choose the clients I choose because I love their music so you’ll always catch me listening to them and going to their shows. As for what I’ve been listening to lately… Over the last few days, on these flights and at the hotel: Bob Dylan, Beatles, Ryan Adams, Steve Reich, Uncle Tupelo, e-40, Arcade Fire, Beck, Modeselektor, Blitz, Ulrich Schnauss, Spoon, Beastie Boys and advances of the new Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World and PJ Harvey, among other things I’m sure I’m forgetting. I guess I have musical ADD and I guess that’s a good thing.
JM: You’ve got your share of A-list clients, but what about the “little guy” do you still work with any lesser known bands? Do you still find it fun to work with them?

SM: Oh sure. One of the most gratifying parts of my job is that discovery process, then taking someone from total or relative obscurity to some kind of profile. There’s usually one a year, give or take. This year I’d say it was Andrew Bird. In the past it’s been Sigur Ros, Rammstein…
JM: Any words of advice for inspiring musicians out there?

SM: Just be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else or some hybrid of some other artists. Do what comes naturally. And do it for the love of music, do it because it’s all consuming and the only thing you can do. Otherwise you shouldn’t be doing it at all.
JM: Have any advice for those out there who’d like to get into the business side of music?

SM: Not really, other than that my advice to aspiring musicians goes for would-be businesspeople too. The business is changing, shrinking.  It can’t afford to support the number of fair-weather types it once did

Here are some select campaigns nasty little man has run:

1992-1993
Helmet: Meantime
Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream
Luscious Jackson: In Search of Manny
Guided By Voices: Propeller, Vampire On Titus
Jawbox: Novelty
Shudder To Think: Get Your Goat

1994-1995
Beastie Boys: Ill Communication
Foo Fighters
Helmet: Betty
Luscious Jackson: Natural Ingredients
Shudder To Think: Pony Express Record
Sick Of It All: Scratch The Surface

1996-1997
Foo Fighters: The Colour & The Shape
Beastie Boys: Aglio e Olio
Cibo Matto: Viva la Woman
Luscious Jackson: Fever In Fever Out
Sick Of It All: Built To Last
Atari Teenage Riot: Burn Berlin Burn
The Tibetan Freedom Concert

1998-1999
Beastie Boys: Hello Nasty
Foo Fighters: There Is Nothing Left To Lose
Rammstein: Sehnsucht
Rancid: Life Won’t Wait
DJ Shadow: Brain Freeze
Asian Dub Foundation: Rafi’s Revenge
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros: Rock, Art & The X-Ray Style
Rockstar Games
The Tibetan Freedom Concert

2000-2001
Radiohead: Kid A, Amnesiac, I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
Jimmy Eat World: Bleed American
Sigur Ros: Agaetis Byrjun
At The Drive-In: Relationship Of Command
Alkaline Trio: From Here To Infirmary
Rammstein: Mutter
Aphex Twin: Drukqs
Supergrass
BS 2000: Simply Mortified
Dark Days
The American Astronaut

2002-2003
AFI: Sing The Sorrow
Foo Fighters: One By One
Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
Coheed and Cambria: In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3
The Mars Volta: De-Loused In The Comatorium
Sigur Ros: ( )
DJ Shadow: The Private Press
Alkaline Trio: Good Mourning
Cursive: The Ugly Organ
Rancid: Indestructible
Sparta: Wiretap Scars
Supergrass: Life On Other Planets
The Directors Label: The Works of Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham
Andrew W.K.: I Get Wet (Island-Def Jam)

2004
Beastie Boys: To The 5 Boroughs
Jimmy Eat World: Futures
The Blood Brothers: Crimes
The Comas: Conductor
Junior Boys: Last Exit
Rammstein: Reise, Reise
Probot
DJ Shadow: In Tune & On Time Live
Sparta: Porcelain
The Good Life: Album of the Year
Now It’s Overhead: Fall Back Open
Beep Beep: Business Casual
Son, Ambulance: Key

2005-2006:
Foo Fighters: In Your Honor, Skin and Bones
Beck: Guero, Guerolito, The Information
Gorillaz: Demon Days, Demon Days Live shows and DVD, Slowboat to Hades DVD
AFI: Decemberunderground, I Heard A Voice DVD
The Strokes: First Impressions of Earth
Thom Yorke: The Eraser
The Mars Volta: Frances The Mute, scabdates, Amputecthure
Jimmy Eat World: Stay On My Side Tonight EP
Alkaline Trio: Crimson
Mates of State: Bring It Back
Bob Mould: Body of Song
At The Drive-in: This Station Is Non-Operational – Anthology
deadboy & the Elephantmen: We Are Night Sky
Shooter Jennings: Electric Rodeo
Alexi Murdoch: Time Without Consequence
Phoenix: It’s Never Been Like That
Peeping Tom
Blood Brothers: Young Machetes
Rammstein: Rosenrot
DJ Shadow: The Outsider
THE DIRECTORS LABEL (Series 2): The Work Of Directors ANTON CORBIJN, JONATHAN GLAZER, MARK ROMANEK & STÉPHANE SEDNAOUI
Beastie Boys: Awesome… I Fuckin’ Shot That
Cursive: Happy Hollow

CURRENT CAMPAIGNS 2007:
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger
Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha
Beastie Boys: The Mix-Up
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Albert Hammond, Jr.: Yours To Keep
Dax Riggs: We Sing of Only Blood or Love
Cortney Tidwell: Don’t Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
Rammstein: Volkerball

COMING 2007-2008:
Blaqk Audio
Foo Fighters
Jimmy Eat World
Radiohead