Member Spotlight: Kyle Wilson

Kyle Wilson is a creative freelancer with experience in podcasts, radio, communications, touring, programming and much more - talk about a wearer of many hats!

We checked in with Kyle to find out more about his creative practice in Edinburgh. Check out his work at Flow State Music.

Tell us about yourself and your creative background?

I have been lucky enough to work in the Creative Industries since I was 14 years old, by working with the legendary Jesse Rae (Parliament Funkadelic, Odyssey, Bernie Worrell) at his community radio station in the Scottish Borders.

Since then I have have run numerous projects before working as a freelancer under 'Flow State Music', including a community radio station under 'Generate Radio C.I.C.' and more recently, Vault Radio, based in Edinburgh.

My background is primarily in podcasting and radio broadcasting but over the last 14 years have branched out into promoting live music at festivals and venues, doing tour logistics for DJs and bands and music programming for various clients throughout Europe.

Can you give us an insight into your practice and what you do?

- Podcast & Radio Production
- Digital Communications
- Consultancy
- Artist Advancing & Liaison
- Artist & Tour Management
- Music Programming & Recruitment
- Event & Merch Rep
- Booking Agent Services

These days I focus on project management, live music booking and radio/podcast production.

For example I act as Music Officer for Kelburn Garden Party which entails looking after our headline acts by arranging logistics and working with local bands on the bill to enhance their experience at Kelburn before, during and after.

I'm also acting as the live music booker for Gilded Balloon at their run of live shows taking place in the Pitt called 'Leith Social'.

Do you have any exciting projects or events you’re proud of on the horizon?

Lots!

I'm working on a very interesting project with the Orkney Storytelling Centre at the moment called 'A Storytelling Landscape'. This is part of Visit Scotland's 'Year of Stories' and is bringing a blended digital approach to telling the tales of Orkney's residents, promoting the areas heritage and culture via live streams and podcasts. It's really exciting because I have a blank canvas to transport the listeners to Orkney via interviews and tales of folklore.

I'm very excited to continue my role with Kelburn Garden Party again for 2022. It will be the first event since 2019 and there are some great, forward-thinking changes happening behind the scenes. Especially with regards to how we work with local music artists.

My friend and I also voluntarily run a project called Vault Radio which is a 24/7 online radio station based in the city. It was set up to make getting into the creative industries much more accessible and we work with vulnerable groups affected by mental health, homelessness and those recovering from addiction. We will be launching live shows and workshops in 2022.

What makes Edinburgh a good base for creatives?
Edinburgh is an amazing base for Creatives. Personally, I'm tired of the Glasgow/Edinburgh comparison, but they're both great in their own right. Edinburgh, as a smaller city, has much more of a community feel to it. There are so many Creative projects happening throughout the city and most are run by inspiring humans who are always open for collaboration and letting new ideas flourish from that. We also have the benefit of being the Festival capital of the world!

What advice would you give to people thinking of pursuing a career in the creative industries?

Real talk. You need to be comfortable with uncertainty. That's not to put people off at all, but it's the reality for me and a lot of my peers, not all though. Also very important to check in with yourself, properly. Don't burn out, it's not fun! But with that said, working in the creative industries is the best job in the world. Use services like Creative Edinburgh's mentor scheme to find your feet and start making connections within the city. Go out to events that are specific to your industry and make new pals.

What made you want to join Creative Edinburgh as a member?

I was an mentee in the Creative Edinburgh mentor scheme in 2015 or 2016 and found the meetings with my mentor to be incredibly insightful (shout out to Jessica Armstrong). I became a member to keep up-to-date with the creative world in our city!