Artist Uprising Podcast: Interview with Pharrell Collaborator Robby Wells

“We've come to stand for something in the world. We create things that shine a light on others; we hold others in high regard; we tell stories that need to be told."

Creatives wear multiple hats. It's part of our DNA, and just as importantly, it's part of the job. Marketing expert Robby Wells, one of the "Others" of Pharrell's creative collective i am OTHER, knows this better than anyone.

The Dallas-born Wells has never been a musician, but he's always been a music fan. When he was a kid growing up in the West Texas town of Midland, his bedroom walls were adorned with rock music posters decorated by his mother.

“We didn’t have anybody when we moved to Midland, so we just had each other," he says. "We got tight as a family, and we bonded a lot over pop culture and music."

He had another love, too: skateboarding. When he wasn't killing time on a half-pipe, he was often tinkering with his skate gear, subconsciously paving the way for his career as a creative.

"There’s something about the world of skateboarding that makes you a tinkerer," he says, "and, by association, it makes you want to watch trends and movements in culture to try to understand why things happen."

In an exclusive interview with Larry Gee on the Artist Uprising podcast, Wells details how a shreddin' music lover from Midland became a revered marketing visionary and frequent collaborator of artists like Pharrell and Kanye and brands like MTV and Airbnb. Wells currently works with the consulting agency WØRKS and leads the marketing efforts for the music festival Something in the Water. But it's his work with i am OTHER that he discusses most with Gee, and in doing so, Wells shares with all podcast listeners exactly how the folks behind the scenes can have as great an impact as the artists on stage.

"We've come to stand for something in the world," he says. "We create things that shine a light on others; we hold others in high regard; we tell stories that need to be told."

Check out the Artist Uprising podcast to listen to Gee's full interview with Robby Wells and other interviews with creatives from across the country. To follow i am OTHER, check out their Instagram and website.