Older Advance Article on Broken Records Magazine

July 21 2010
http://www.silive.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2010/07/on_the_record-_with_broken_rec.html

On the Record With- Broken Records Magazine, founder Scott Vollweiler

Scott Vollweiler, fouder of Broken Records.

Four years ago, Scott Vollweiler decided to dream big.

The 26-year-old, a music teacher at Richmond Town’s Rustic Music Center for four years and the St. Mary’s School in Rosebank for a year and half, wanted to expand the borders of his music career. Vollweiler graduated from the College of Staten Island with a BA in music in 2008, but wanted to do more than teach.

After playing in a number of bands since his teens, the Oakwood resident began to make small but steady connections in the music industry. With his growing knowledge of the business and passion for all things musical, Vollweiler started his own company, Broken Records, in June 2006.


Initially it was a traveling recording studio
.

"Studios on the Island are all way too over priced. I wanted to start a studio that you could be comfortable recording in and be able to afford it," said Vollweiler.


From there, Vollweiler and a former partner decided they would like to grow from a recording company into an online magazine as well. Soon, he was dealing with some of the biggest publicists in the entire United States — simply because he made a few phone calls and e-mails.


"I used to lie and say I was with a magazine just to get a press pass for photography," Vollweiler said. "I learned who to talk to."


After building up a resume and stacking up stories, BrokenRecordsOnline.com launched in the spring of 2009, with then up and coming band Dragonforce featured on the cover.


"We’ve interviewed some of the newest bands, and then watched them blow up...like Pop Evil, Saving Abel and Dragonforce," said Vollweiler.


Vollweiler is the mag’s jack of all trades: Editor-in-chief, graphic layout designer, photographer, and press release junkie. He also works with his staff of freelance writers and photographers to make the publication come together. The end result is printed in house (literally, in his house), and can be purchased at BrokenRecordsOnline.com.


"I just want to make the best magazine possible," he says. "While Rolling Stone has big features with a lot of ads, I want a lot of features with fewer ads."

Some of the artists featured — to name a few, so far in Broken Records Magazine: Adam Lambert, David Cook, U2, the All American Rejects, Aerosmith, Staind, 3 Doors Down, and the late Les Paul, with the latter being his most memorable.

Vollweiler with group Staind.

"He was the father of the modern guitar, and created a new way to record," Vollweiler says. "Just listening to him tell me the story of how he created the electric guitar was the greatest moment of my life."

Paul died a few months after the interview, making it one of his last.


In addition to household names, Broken Records also has a place for Staten Island bands such as Dead Men Dreaming, Riot Control and Process of Fusion.


"I’ve pretty much accomplished everything I want to do," he said. "Although it would be nice to be popular in my hometown."