Wendy Rollins has spent almost six years in the City of Brotherly Love, as APD/afternoon host of Clear Channel Modern Rock WRFF (Radio 104.5)/Philadelphia. Rollins arrived in Philly after spending time in a number of markets around the country, and has gone on to become a radio fixture in the city, both on the air and at concert venues around town. An always-enthusiastic champion of new music, Rollins chatted with FMQB about some of her current favorites, as well as ‘RFF’s successful free outdoor shows, the renaissance of the Modern Rock format and even Courtney Love.

By Joey Odorisio

Wendy Rollins has spent almost six years in the City of Brotherly Love, as APD/afternoon host of Clear Channel Modern Rock WRFF (Radio 104.5). Rollins arrived in Philly after spending time in Atlanta, Reno, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and New Bern-Greenville-Jacksonville, among others. She has since become a radio fixture in Philadelphia, on the air and at concert venues around town, and an enthusiastic champion of many artists. In this interview with FMQB, Rollins talks about the station’s free outdoor concerts, the renaissance of the Modern Rock format, what she’s learned about Philadelphia and even Courtney Love.

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How did you end up in Philadelphia at Radio 104.5?
Believe it or not…MySpace. Radio 104.5 PD John Allers was given my name by some mutual friends (Chris Williams and James Howard, I salute you!). I had no idea the station was hiring even, and I had just fallen victim to a format flip weeks prior. When he approached me, I thought it was a joke!

Talk about the free Summer Block party shows, they’ve become Radio 104.5’s signature events over the past few years. And whose bright idea was it to also do one outdoors in the winter in Philly?!
The keyword is definitely free. We have been able to define “non traditional” with this one. Originally we just brought in local bands but it started to build and we have been able to expose some really great baby bands and snag some marquee artists. The venue itself is perfectly placed in one of our target zips and the surrounding bars and restaurants have been able to capitalize on it, so they welcome the business. Our sponsors are literally spilling out into the street at this point and last month we just threw our biggest Summer Block Party ever for over 9,000+! (A tip of the cap to Walk Off The Earth, Alt-J and Panic! At The Disco.)
When the shows are that big and the bands want to play…the question is why wouldn’t you do a winter show? Over 6,000+ showed up for Tegan and Sara, Matt and Kim, twenty one pilots and Walk The Moon last January and it was below 20 degrees! Time to layer up!

What are your thoughts on the Modern Rock format overall in 2013?
As many have said, I think we are seeing a real renaissance here. There are so many different sounds that have found a home in Alternative as of late. I remember when Alternative would play Tori Amos and Tool – now its The Black Keys and twenty one pilots. I really believe the key to keeping it fresh is keeping it diverse.

The station is primarily led by you and John, both on and off the air (with Mike Jones in nights). What are the pros and cons of this situation?
The pros of being a small team is that John and I know exactly what to expect from each other after six years. We know if one doesn’t get something done, the other has got to make it happen and we can depend on each other. I must reveal our secret weapon is Stephen Eckert. He was hired originally as part time promo crew, which evolved into running sound for our Studio Sessions, then he took on the role of staff photographer, and finally added daily music news reporter and all around web guru. [applause]
The cons are the hours, for sure. The burnout can be a bit intense on any given Friday. There are days I leave, get into my car, and just sit in the garage and wonder where all the time goes.

How much collaboration is there within in the Clear Channel-Philly cluster, in terms of promotions, off-air aspects, etc.?
Well with a full time staff of two, we rely pretty heavily on our promotions team to help us execute contests and events. They are rock solid and have been key to our Block Parties and Birthday Shows. There’s nothing quite like a show that runs right on time, backstage and onstage. When an event is run well, word gets around, and more artists are likely to throw their hat in the ring. Three cheers for Joe McCollum and Stacey Thomas! We also have a digital team that we share with the cluster that covers all our video.

After six years, what have you learned about Philadelphia, as both a radio market and a city?
Philadelphia is NYC’s obnoxious little brother. Philly definitely is a big city but has a lot of small town qualities. You will find you run into a lot of familiar faces and local is worth its weight in gold here. There is a lot of local pride in everything from the sports teams to the cheesesteak spots. The city has really embraced the station, and given the heritage of some of the other stations in the market that’s a real compliment. I have also found that there is a ton of local talent here and some very savvy musicians. We have made a point to give them a platform too with our Live At Five series where we have a different local band play live every Friday at 5pm. It’s been a great showcase!

Tell our readers about your ongoing interview “relationship” with Courtney Love…
When I interview artists, I always try to watch a few video interviews to learn their body language, so I can read them. Courtney is like watching someone with multiple personalities on a roid rage. Needless to say it’s intimidating but I think I get a pass because (a) I’m female and (b) I treat her with respect. Every topic that I was told not to bring up – she brought up. If you let her speak on her terms she will tell you some great stories. I truly believe underneath it all she is highly intelligent you just have to cut through the rainforest to get to it.  She will take the interview where she wants. The trick is to see how far you can follow her!

What are your musical favorites this year, personally and for the station?
The best record I have heard this year is Tom Odell, “Another Love.” I know he’s Triple A but this could go Alt – no doubt in my mind! WATCH THE VIDEO! I’m really excited about the new Cage The Elephant and AFI too. Imagine Dragons continues to dominate Radio 104.5. I saw them last year at SXSW and they are poised to be the next Coldplay…confident. Finally, I oweRoadrunner an apology for twenty one pilots. I fought that one tooth and nail. I saw one show…and now I get it. Bravo.

[eQB Content By Joey Odorisio]