Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammis Richdale.
Sammis, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story begins right as I was leaving college. I went to a private art school called the Columbus College of Art & Design, majoring in Industrial Design. Like most kids in college, the local nightlife really sucked me in. I was stoked to find a job as the social media director and eventually head creative for five of the largest nightclubs in the downtown area. I did everything from creative social strategy (in 2009!), to eventually designing the layouts of the clubs, utilizing those CAD and design skills from college. Back then, I was even booking talent like Paris Hilton, Snooki, Black Eyed Peas, and Mark Wahlberg to name a few.
One day, my mom sent me a job opening for a designer at a large promotions company. On their website they listed artists like Skrillex and Tiësto; and I knew I had to work there. My mom knew it too, since she raised me on electronic music… happy hardcore to be exact, for the EDM fans reading this. So, I immediately walked right into their offices and told them there wasn’t anyone better for the position than me. I was amped when I got a call an hour later telling me they wanted me on the team and my life was never the same after that.
My first few months working for them I went on tour with Steve Aoki. I got to know and see the rise of major artists like Avicii. I traveled the world throwing major festivals with 20k people that I designed and created from scratch. They allowed and funded every creative idea I ever had. I built stages, websites, all the branding, took photos, videos, ran media, credentialing, and created national TV spots, despite the fact I’d never animated in my life. This role gave me experience in various facets of the industry, from working directly with Mac Miller on an album to creative directing part-time for Interscope Records. I did this for 5 years. I was in heaven. Working in the music world I loved so much, in the way I was best utilized: creatively. Because this was the time when EDM was coming back at full force, I feel that we played a huge part in paving the way for promoters even now. I feel so lucky to have been with the right people at the right time back then. They are still clients of mine as well as lifelong friends.
The last couple of years I have been an Associate Creative Director/Director for Dell, which has amplified my creative and technical skills 1000x more than I ever expected. I basically work in the same space as I did when I worked in music full-time: events, social media and creative.
During the pandemic in 2020, I decided to go all in and legitimize an idea I’ve had since 2014. Merging all my music background and professional experience, CHROMA (or CHROMA KNOWS) started up full force. CHROMA is an artist management and music marketing company. On top of the traditional role of management, we provide everything creative in house to our artists. We are working with several large music clients and the two pillars really work hand in hand. With the need for consistent content, top of the line design, and creative strategy, we’re able to deliver every aspect.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s fairly known that many corners of the music industry harbor politics and have shifting levels of professionalism. The biggest ongoing struggle for CHROMA is trying to break down those barriers with our mission and vision, which we take very seriously; it’s not just pretty words on the internet.
We want to fast-track our artists into success by providing quality marketing and management on a level that isn’t fully understood by a majority of the music community. An unproportionate amount of time is spent with who you know and “pay-for-plays” instead of having top-notch marketing and letting talent speak for itself. It seems only top industry-runners see quality marketing as valuable when in reality, these services are vital and should be accessible to everyone.
It’s become clear to me that who you know defines an artist’s success tenfold, over their marketing quality and talent. This is incredibly unfortunate because there’s plenty of artists just waiting to shake up the industry, but they never get seen or heard because of these political barriers. CHROMA seeks to spark change and set new standards in an industry that’s in considerable need of professional guidance. When more forward-thinking management and marketing strategies are adopted, it will actually make everyone’s jobs a lot easier.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
CHROMA specializes in almost every segment of the music industry, with a focus on marketing and management services. Our work includes festival branding, live stage design, artist and event branding, album covers, tour design, social media assets, and more. We’ve also created custom motion graphics and CGI animations, as well as NFTs. It’s taken many years and a lot of trial and error to be able to specialize in such a wide range of services and that’s really what I’m most proud of. CHROMA’s versatility came from my ability to tackle any and every design or marketing opportunity that came my way in music and in corporate.
Back in 2010, the electronic music industry was re-gaining traction and making its way back into the mainstream, some would argue for the first time. There was little to no marketing or design across the board, and I immediately saw the need. CHROMA’s original concept was just going to be asset management but I continued to meet so many incredibly talented artists that were lacking one thing or another, keeping them at a standstill. That’s when the idea shifted, for artist management to be strengthened by all these services. I’ve really pushed to build a company that can support artists from all angles with a level of professional quality that’s not fully grasped by the industry. I believe that’s what sets us apart from others.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Everything I do is for the love of music and to find ways to truly help kind, hard-working people reach their potential. I’ve reached the perfect place in my life where my talents can amplify that of others and I’m really excited about it. I have even released a 10-part video series for free on our website, ChromaKnows.com, focusing on the basics of marketing and design.
Lastly, support artists by buying merch, favoriting songs, adding their tracks to playlists, etc. Repost their socials, push the music, and tell them that you want more. Every artist I have ever known lives, eats, and breathes music. Taking a little time out of your day to actually hit the “follow” button Spotify makes a big difference.
CHROMA Artists to follow:
Mr. Kristopher: itsmrkristopher.com / Spotify
LERRUIQ: lerruiq.com / Spotify
Contant Info:
- Website: https://www.chromaknows.com/
- Email: media@chromaknows.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chromaknows/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChromaKnows
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chromaknows
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLq_5DCvrJH2p6ZzFUJEjbg
