Today we’d like to introduce you to Christon Dilworth.
Hi Christon, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The story so far is brief, yet, I’ve seen many miniature successes over the course of time that compounded into larger ones, helping me to innovate and apply my process for a sustainable future for my company.
I started college here at UTK, never saw myself tackling so many interconnected industries like music and art all at once but with a lot of the beginning stages spent researching and experimenting with ways to not only build but also to include an audience, it became something I couldn’t get enough of putting my time toward.
It’s only been a year and for us to have weathered the brunt of a pandemic, I’d say we’re in a great place.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The waters are never calm all the time; the majority of hiccups came from time, you know? That’s a big factor for a startup that was taken for granted even with all the consideration that was put toward it. Tech struggles like storage malfunctions were the primary killers of productivity. Apart from the rare incidents like that things have gone surprisingly smooth, thankfully – much to my anxious suspicions.
A lot of what we do is fueled by our creative capacity; finding that can be difficult given the chaos inside and around us.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our main body of work is the creation of art and entertainment with a heavy focus on music and audio production such as our podcast network dedicated to independents, creators, and entrepreneurs alike. We have a roster of flagship recording artists & musicians that we are helping to reach a higher platform and publish for, so everything gets done in-house.
We just started a music publishing division – Universe Valley – that allows us to retain full control over our clients’ rights and creative IP while having the added benefit of direct partnerships with other majors and independents in the industry. We also give this knowledge to our artists and collaborators to empower creatives in general. This is what sets us apart because it isn’t about exclusion but being able to bring like-minded individuals together to their full potential in pursuit of creating something legendary for the world.
Locally we have events to connect with the underground hub of creators to fund artists through concerts where they get the experience of how to sell and promote tickets, negotiate, and build with their audience. I’m proud to say the Blank States has raised a good portion of capital for itself and partners of the company within its short lifespan.
We have also had the pleasure of representing our artists well enough that their work is gaining international interest.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I have mixed feelings for the city after being here for going on 4 years. Knoxville has everything you could ask for all in one place. Its best trait is the city’s beauty to the naked eye; sublimity at its finest. It’s virtually impossible to walk somewhere without multiple uphill hikes.
Pricing:
- We offer ad space campaigns for as low as $75.
- Exclusive copies of the latest release by Black Fuchsia (local American Hip-hop Duo) are on sale for $20
- Label Services $450
- Studio Time $80/hr
Contact Info:
- Email: bxs@blankxstates.com
- Website: www.blankxstates.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/blankxstates
- Twitter: twitter.com/blankxstates
- SoundCloud: blankxstates.com/discog
Image Credits
Elijah Jackson, Christon Dilworth, Dalton J. Bradley, and Tyler Sivels
