Ryan Romana is a music industry and PR professional with over a decade of experience successfully publicizing artists, albums, tours, and labels. In 2009, Ryan launched Press Junkie PR to achieve his dream of obsessively working music that fits into his very eclectic taste.
Ryan started his career working as a DJ at his college radio station – KVCU (Radio 1190) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. On the airwaves he cut his teeth playing electronic music and hip-hop, later DJing in clubs in the Boulder/Denver area. After graduation he moved back home to New York and worked as a tour publicist at Ariel Publicity, promoting aggressively touring bands and artists. Ryan then moved to San Francisco and became the label manager at Wide Hive Records focusing on bay area hip-hop, jazz, and funk.
Ryan then found himself emerged at Engage PR, learning the ins and outs of the high-tech industry post bubble, and took away the structure and discipline needed to run strategic PR campaigns from the ground up, while contributing music reviews to XLR8R Magazine as a freelancer.
Later he landed his dream gig, as in house publicist for tastemaker record label, Six Degrees Records. He worked with GRAMMY nominated artists Bebel Gilberto, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Céu as well as Alice Russell, Cheb i Sabbah, The Real Tuesday Weld, and more. Today Ryan leads his team in creative press campaigns to help artists break out to the next level in their career.
First Record Owned: (bought by parents) “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
First Record Bought: (with my own money) “2001 Spliff Odyssey” by Thievery Corporation
Last Record Bought: – Big Boys “Where’s My Towel” / “Industry Standard”