Like most people in the music industry, Cheryl Pawelski took a risk. Twelve years ago, she moved from Milwaukee to L.A. without a job or a place to live, but with a strong love for music and the desire to work in the field.
Eventually, Pawelski found work as a temporary employee at EMI Records, and by the time of her departure in May 2002, had climbed her way to Senior Director in the major label's marketing department. Over the years, she has produced hundreds of albums for bands ranging from The Beach Boys to The Band.
Today, the Marquette graduate owns her own business, Filthy Mouth Music, and represents independent artists in television, radio and advertising, including, Martha Davis from the Motels and Jim Babjak and Dennis Dieken of The Smithereens.
"I go out on the artist's behalf, because they might not have the time, connections, know-how, etc. and try to make deals for them to further their careers," says Pawelski, who is also a consultant for Rhino Records' Handmade imprint.
Pawelski has lived in L.A. for more than a decade, but remains connected to the Midwest. Still following the Packers and Milwaukee bands, Pawelski keeps one eye on the city where, it seems, her heart resides as well.
OMC: Were you born in Milwaukee? Go to high school here? College?
CP: Yes. I went to Pius XI high school and graduated in '84. I went to UWM for two years and then transferred to Marquette where I graduated in '89.
OMC: When and why did you leave Milwaukee?
CP: I think it was 1990 when I left Milwaukee. I interviewed at Narada, and they wouldn't have me, so I figured I needed to go where the music business was concentrated. The choices were London, New York and Los Angeles. We (my friend and I) figured that Los Angeles was probably the easiest to be poor in and we had a few friends already living there. So, even though we had no money and no jobs, we had a roof over our heads.
OMC: Why did you go into the music industry?
CP: I went into the music industry because I had to. I was compelled to do anything with, in and around music that I could -- much the way musicians and artists have no choice really. Unless one wants to live a half-satisfying life, one must do what one loves right? I never want to have to ask myself the question, "what if?" So, so far, I haven't.
OMC: Were you always a musician, or a music supporter who later became a musician?
CP: I was sort of a music junkie from the word go. My dad's a musician and my mom was always dancing around the house to something, so music was always there. Early on though, I did have a bizarre addiction to the actual physical documents of music -- I loved and still love 45s and LPs. My house is teeming with every kind of recorded music you can find. The first thing I ever did with money of my own (well, it was my grandma's kind offer to buy something) was buy records. I used to waitress at Mr. Steak on Layton and after every Friday and Saturday night (good tip nights), I'd go off the next day and blow it all on music. My mom thought I was nuts. I like to remind her of that now.
I've played guitar since I was very young. My dad used to teach music lessons at Lincoln Music House so naturally, I got walked straight over there with my first cruddy guitar. At some point it occurred to me that "if so and so can write a song, well, so can I." So I started writing. The abridged version of my recording career is I had a pretty bad band back in Milwaukee, when we moved to L.A. we developed a second band which made some records (one released in Europe) and once we disbanded we started recording children's records which we still do to this day. So far there have been around nine or 10 of them. I lost count.
OMC: What was the first album you purchased?
CP: I think I bought a bunch of albums at once. I can tell you exactly the first two 45s that I bought with my grandma's money (this was under the guise that they belonged to her and I would keep them for her), they were Anne Murray's "Snowbird" and "Put Your Hand In The Hand" and Sammy Davis, Jr.'s, "The Candy Man" and "I Want To Be Happy" on the MGM label with the lion -- for some reason I was fascinated by that. So there you have it. Go ahead, laugh if you must.
OMC: Considering my first album was one of Shaun Cassidy's, I'm going to refrain from laughing. So what was the last record you bought?
CP: Sheeesh, I guess the last record I bought was yesterday and that was the Jeff Buckley/Gary Lucas collaboration that happened before Jeff signed to Columbia and made the "Grace" album. It's demo-y but a nice window into his earlier material.
OMC: What exactly does it mean to "represent" an artist?
CP: I operate as a conduit between artists that may not have exposure to people in the industry and those people in the industry. I'm making available to other industry people an artists' repertoire, on the artists' behalf.
OMC: Given the chance, who would you like to represent?
CP: Now that's a question. I hate to not include any juicy names of people that I'd like to represent, but I'm really happy with the artists that I have and the ones that I'll pursue. I've gotten the opportunity over the past 10 years to work with so many great artists -- Richard Thompson, Robbie Robertson, Brian Wilson, Nils Lofgren, Dave lvin, Martha Davis/The Motels, The Smithereens -- and many have become my friends. Some I do represent, while others have really got their own organization of people. Let's see, I guess I can't adequately answer this one because it all happens in some mysterious way and I'm open to whatever comes next. Sorry.
OMC: In your opinion, how will mainstream music change in the next decade?
CP: I think that mainstream music may just go on like it is. It's pretty wrapped up actually. I think that the fringes are the places that are going to see the change. I also think that perhaps we'll finally see some effective means of utilizing the internet technology. Bands like Wilco already have made use of the Internet in a really positive way for the band and their fans. I personally hope to see a lot of smaller labels find a way to reach an audience that are just waiting for something good.
OMC: What bands did you like when you lived in Milwaukee?
CP: Ah, an easy one. I loved The Wigs, Pat McCurdy's various incarnations (Mankind, Men About Town, The Confidentials), The Squares, Mrs. Fun, Mighty Deer Lick, Paul Cebar, John Kruth, that guy named Ward was cool, and of course, The Violent Femmes and The BoDeans. I think there were others but those are the ones that I'd go out and see a lot.
OMC: Any Milwaukee bands you are still into today?
CP: Sure -- there's still the brilliant Paul Cebar and Mrs. Fun. I love the factions that split off from The Squares (The Yell Leaders and The Wooldridge Brothers but I don't think they're still in town). There's a band called Childhood that I think needs a break cause they write really catchy, cool songs. I try to stay dialed in as much as I can and when I come home swoop through the record stores looking for new Milwaukee and Wisconsin stuff.
OMC: Could you do your job from Milwaukee?
CP: Well, now that I'm building this business on my own, I'm hoping to do just that. I don't know how long it will take to get things to the point where I can leave L.A. -- I just bought a house last year -- but it's a goal.
OMC: Why did you decide to leave EMI?
CP: They left me. There were massive lay-offs and I think I finally bubbled up above the visibility line where they let you go.
OMC: Any regrets?
CP: Not at all . I'm hoping that in the long run, it will prove to be one of the best catalysts for my career. I was burning out, very frustrated and tired. I didn't have the energy to implement ideas that I've been kicking around for years. To try to start my own business with the responsibilities and frustrations of that environment was simply too much and my inability to see a way out was making me miserable -- so it was time.
OMC: How did you come up with the name "Filthy Mouth Music?"
CP: I wrote a really weird and terrible song a long time ago and it had a line in it about someone with a filthy mouth. I pulled the line and chucked the song and used Filthy Mouth Music as my publishing company name. Since essentially with the film and television representation, I'm still a consultant of sorts, I decided to use the name for the film and TV venture.
OMC: Does the music industry anger you, or do you accept it for what it is?
CP: The music industry makes me sad actually. I've always understood the music business to have been founded by thieves and criminals so the usual "what goes on" doesn't surprise me -- the ugliness has just gone from being renegade and crazy to corporate. It makes me sad that there is so much tremendous artistry and artists with no where to go, but with an audience that would love to hear them. It makes me sad that music is being sold like soap. I understand that this is a business, but all music and all artists are different, therefore the product/commodity is different, that's what makes our business interesting, challenging and exciting. To make it all the same takes what's most important about the music away. That's when you lose the relationship of the fan to the music.
{INSERT_RELATED}OMC: What does Milwaukee have that L.A. doesn't?
CP: Another easy one: 1) The Great Green Bay Packers Ladies & Gentlemen. 2) weather. 3) nice people. 4) old buildings instead of mini malls and parking lots. 5) parks. 6) a lake. 7) peace and quiet. 8) the ability to drive out of town 20 minutes and pet a cow with no one around. 9) a lot of musical people just cause it's part of their family. 10) really good beer at a reasonable price.
OMC: How did you get into making children's albums?
CP: When my friend and I disbanded our band, we wanted to keep performing. At the same time, I was working at EMI-Capitol Special Markets and noticed that our catalog only had children's recordings from the '50's that were no longer entertaining nor relevant to kids. I suggested that we might make some kids records to update our catalog. The powers that be said yes and we were off to the studio.
OMC: How is making music for kids different than for adults?
CP: It's not really. Kids are just little people. Kind of into the same things. It may be slightly less sophisticated musically and lyrically so they can understand but certainly not vocally. Kids respond really well to lots of vocals and harmonies. I think that's why The Beach Boys stuff is always good for kids. They start bouncing around right away. Oh yeah, so do the adults.
OMC: Anything else you'd like to say to Milwaukee?
CP: To the whole entire city? Well, first of all, go out and brave the weather and support your local musicians. They need it and you'll have a good time. Second, will someone please save me a seat sometime at Lambeau? It's hard for an out of town kid to find a ticket! See you at the holidays!
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
