Look what Swifty made me do
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Look what Swifty made me do

I met Taylor Swift.
Correction. I was invited into her rep room where I ate cheese, hugged the singer and briefly chatted about her cats Meredith and Olivia. Between you and I, I’m more of a dog person. I also just realised I put “ate cheese” first in that list. I do love cheese.
“Hold the phone. Actually, hold the Forte… Swifty AND Stampsy in the same room?”
Let me explain. It’s not every day you’re invited by the biggest pop star on the planet to sip on Evian water and talk FAAARSHON.
I say my job at Krock Geelong is pushing buttons and talking for a living. I’m being irreverent because my job is much more important and technical than just giving you a weather update and playing Ed Sheeran’s latest single.
I’m one half of Krock’s ‘The Departure Lounge’ Drive Show and I’m also their Music Director.
How can I describe the job? A musical game of Tetris. I work with listeners music habits, singles charts, record labels, musicians and trends to “craft” (as they say in the business) a day’s playlist.
THE favourite part of my career though are the connections I’ve built and the relationships I nurture with record labels and P.R. companies. I call them friends as well as work colleagues.
“SHUT UP AND TELL ME WHAT TAYLOR SMELLS LIKE!”
Ok, ok. Have another cookie.
The Reputation Tour came to Marvel Stadium (formally Etihad, formally Telstra, formally Colonial… basically more name changes than Snoop D O Double G). Tay Tay and her people reached out to her record label UMA to select the most influential and supportive radio music directors in the country to attend the experience.
So here I am sitting in Camp Tay’s rep room surrounded by her costumes, a catering table and 15 radio peeps from Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth… and me. F&%K ME!
We’re asked to put our phones away as Taylor enters the room. She has an official photographer to take those Insta worthy pics. She wants us to take this time to chat without any distraction, one on one. When it was my turn, we chatted about each other’s outfits, her dad pet-sitting her cats and what we’ll expect from her show. There’s an incredibly sweet aura around her. She has a little hunch in her stance, not from awkwardness but from leaning in to listen. There is a calmness and confidence about her and I witnessed an amazingly sincere connection with a younger fan. Then she gave a little speech where she THANKED US for playing her music and taking time to come to her show.
What. A. Pro.
I asked for a hug, she asked for a photo and to answer your question, I DIDN’T SNIFF HER YOU CREEP!
From there her mum took us on a behind the scenes tour of the stage. We watched the support acts BROODS and Charli XCX from the corporate suite and then went to a VIP booth to watch the main event. Ok, now I’m just name dropping.
I do not take these opportunities and experiences for granted. I’m blessed to have the support of Fenella from Universal Music Australia and my other record companies. While I do occasionally lose site of the amazing position I’m in when the workload piles up and I haven’t slept 8 hours straight in days, I do take a step back and give myself a lil pep talk. Look where I am, look who I’m with and LOOK WHAT TAYLOR MADE ME DO.
And she smells of flowers and sunshine.
Stampsy is the Music Director and Drive Announcer at K Rock in Geelong. She’s also on the socials so get around her @lee_stamps on Insta & StampsyKROCK on the book!<