Denise Kovalevich, CEO, Owner dmk Publicity

Remember that great scene in Almost Famous when Philip Seymour Hoffman as the character Lester Bangs rants, “You CANNOT make friends with the rock stars. That’s what’s important. If you’re a rock journalist – first, you will never get paid much. But you will get free records from the record company. And they’ll buy you drinks, they’ll fly you to places for free… I know it sounds great. But they are not your friends,”? Swap out rock journalist for publicist and you get the picture – being a music publicist is not for the faint of heart. You’d be forgiven for thinking Denise Kovalevich, the 5-foot-nothing effervescent blonde Jersey transplant, couldn’t possibly hang in the ruthless world of the music industry, but you’d be wrong. Kovalevich owns and operates dmk Publicity, a full-service entertainment and music PR firm that specializes in tour press, album and EP launch campaigns and highlycustomized projects, including single and video releases.

Operating outside of Philadelphia, PA, Kovalevich has been in PR for over 20 years and even earned her master’s degree in the field while working full time. She started promoting bands when she was still in college, using her passion for music to support friends and local Philly bands, who were trying to get their projects off the ground. One of these acts was Octane, which is still one of the biggest bands to come out of Philadelphia, selling more than 65,000 copies of their independent debut release and enjoying more than 1,000 spins of the single “I For One” on Philadelphia rock station 94.1 WYSP.

Kovalevich has since worked with Hall Of Fame legends, multi-platinum rock bands, Grammy-nominated singersongwriters, and every kind of artist in between. When asked to name the most famous artists she has worked with, she is demure. “I don’t like to think in terms of ‘fame’ but rather talent and what the artist has contributed to the industry,” she says. Using these criteria, she lists Steve Vai, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Blues Traveler, Sierra Swan and Candlebox as some of her most memorable clients.

Music PR isn’t without its challenging moments and Kovalevich has seen her fair share. An artist is misquoted, or an album receives a bad review, it’s all par for the course. But losing 80 percent of her business in the span of 48 hours when Covid first hit was tricky. She says, “Losing most of my clients overnight allowed me to step out of my comfort zone.” She began volunteering her PR skills to organizations like #WomnxCrush Music and acclaimed singer-songwriter Meghan Cary’s River Rock initiative to get the vote out for the 2020 election. “By staying active and engaged, I am proud to say that I am now busier than ever,” she notes.

Speaking of our musical women crushes, Kovelevich is a huge advocate for women in music and is the proud new vice president of the WISJ Board and the PR Director for #WomxnCrush Music, a 100 percent volunteer position. She has worked with badass women like Lindsay Manfredi (Bassist for Cold, Author, TedX speaker), Sierra Swan (Critically acclaimed solo artist and Billy Corrigan collaborator), Kingsley (Renowned indie pop artist whose music inspired a lipstick

line, podcast, and cocktail recipe book), Valerie Smith (Chart-topping, Grammy-nominated Bluegrass artist) and many more. Her approach to hyping women in the music industry isn’t that different but she notes there are now more wonderful media outlets like Music Woman magazine to support female artists. Building these outlets into her strategy allows women to advocate for other women, something she believes in strongly. She also likes to push the boundaries for her female artists, “Why can’t Lindsay Manfredi be featured in Bass Player, Bass Musician and other leading industry magazines? PS, she WAS!”

Asked who mentored her to be the kickass publicist she is, Kovalevich credits her parents. Her mother was the CEO of a successful nonprofit she founded and an awardwinning writer who always had the best business and financial advice. “But more importantly, my mother instilled in me confidence and taught me how to navigate this industry and earn respect- especially as a woman. That is invaluable,” Kovalevich remembers.

Her father, who was a beloved high school English teacher and “quite possibly the most intelligent, and most well-read, person on this Earth is the one who tried to dissuade me from getting into this industry! I half joke,” she quips. He introduced Kovalevich to music at a young age and to say she was hooked is an understatement. With a family full of musicians, including his brother, he provides insight that only one on the inside could. He also taught her the value of hard work, perseverance and not taking it too seriously, that is essential in the music business. “He is also brilliant with the written word, and I still call him when I need just the right word for a bio or press release!”

Being a music publicist may not be as glamourous as they portray it in the movies but if you ask Denise Kovalevich, it is really great. “I’ve worked with amazing artists, I’ve seen a lot of memorable shows, and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. And yes, you can make friends with the rock stars.”

1. Don’t take life too seriously all the time. During quarantine dmk supported her musician husband Brian Quinn (Guitarist for Candlebox)’s live stream happy hour gig from their basement every Friday. People from around the world tuned in for a welcome break and would post requests or ask for shout-outs that she would then relay to the band. Her cute and frisky cat

Zimmy (short for Zimmerman, Bob Dylan’s original last name) made many unplanned appearances. “It offered some levity and normalcy when people were at their lowest and it felt good.” 2. Explore your other passions. “I have a few friends who read voraciously, and we offered each other book recommendations. I never have as much time as I’d like to read so it was nice to relax and lose myself in books for a bit.” 3. Prioritize mental health. “For me, daily movement is essential to my mental health. Give me a challenging strength routine and I’m in heaven. Cardio, not so much, but I’m working on it.” 4. Don’t be afraid to pivot. “I never saw myself in the non-profit world but having the freedom to explore other related industries allowed me to ignite another passion, uplifting women artists.” 5. Have a cocktail (or two). “My go-to is Tito’s with a splash of lime.”

Find Denise Kovalevich at: www.dmkPublicity.com or follow at @dmkPublicity.

Women in Jazz www.wijsf.org South florida Since 2007