Why do you do it? I've always been involved in music in some capacity my entire life. Playing music, DJing, photographing bands, managing a record store, and working for record labels. I love being part of that world. I also had no desire to work a 'regular' job! I feel like everyone in the music industry is a bit of a misfit in some way.
What do you love about the city you live in? There is an energy to New York that is hard to find anywhere else. It really inspires me and pushes me forward.
It's not an easy place, but it's also never a boring one. I was a military kid growing up, so being in a place full of transplants and immigrants feels like home; and I've always been around strong personalities, and very honest and caring people, and there's a lot of that in native New Yorkers here, which I truly appreciate.
Where did you go for your last holiday? Last fall, I did a road trip through Ireland with a friend. Such a beautiful place. We included stops along the way to pay tribute at the graves of some of our favourite Irish artists: Sinead O'Connor, Dolores O'Riordan, Phil Lynott.
What's your favourite item of clothing? SHOES. All you need is a great pair of shoes to make an outfit pop.
What was your favourite TV show when you were a kid? They used to show reruns of the '80s British sitcom 'The Young Ones' on some American channel, maybe MTV?
It blew my mind as a kid – these weirdos living in a filthy house, getting in trouble, fighting with each other like siblings; and they would have bands on, like Motorhead and The Specials. It was a perfect combo of what ended up being my lifelong obsession with alternative music and comedy.
If you could travel back in time for a day, where would you go? Back to any day where I could go to a Prince concert. The biggest regret in life is never seeing him live.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook for us? Well, I always say I'm a cook, not a chef, so nothing fancy! I'm half Korean, and I like making this one-pot spicy chicken stew called Dakbokkeumtang.
What's the best lesson you've ever learned? As a constant mover, a great packing tip is that you can use your clothes, sheets and towels as packing material to wrap around your other stuff! More stuff in fewer boxes. It's a double win. Oh, and be yourself. The only thing that makes you different from everyone else is, literally, YOU. Lean into that.
Tell us one thing about yourself that nobody else knows... That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it? Where's the fun in not having that secret anymore?
Are you happy with your work/ life balance? For the most part, yes. I don't know if a lot of other people would be, though. Working in music can be A LOT. You spend all day in an office for the most part, and then many nights at events and concerts. It can also involve a lot of travelling (like Australia!), but I think these are all good problems to have.
How do you define success? When you can combine what brings you the most happiness with the least amount of stress.
What's your spirit animal? Hamster.
The US General Manager of Rough Trade Records, Melanie Sheehan will take part in The Back Catalog Blueprint: From Old Tracks to New Profits as part of Indie-Con Australia and A2IM's Indie Week Australian Edition, which takes place in Adelaide from 30 July to 1 August.
