Episode #67
#67 Rachel Deeb | Why The Lumineers Media Director Can’t Stay Away from Touring
Rachel Deeb got fired from a cubicle job three months after moving to Nashville, sat in her closet crying, and called her dad for help with the car she'd just bought. That was the beginning. Ten years later, she's the Media Director for The Lumineers — managing a global team of photographers and videographers across a two-year stadium tour cycle — Nashville Scene's Best Photographer three years in a row, and the founder of ELEKTRIK Haus Creative, a matchmaking agency connecting the music industry with visual creatives worldwide. Along the way she's toured with Maren Morris and Carly Pearce, painted Carrie Underwood's Vegas residency jacket on a beer pong table in three days, and built a custom art line — Elektrik Denim — that started with one birthday jacket and turned into guitars, railings, and boots for Megan Maroney and Kelsea Ballerini. This episode covers the whole arc: the abandoned warehouse she broke into at night to paint her first mural, the Warner Music call she said yes to before she knew what BTS meant, the email she drafted to quit The Lumineers from Germany and decided not to send, and the agency she built because she kept meeting people who needed what she'd spent ten years learning the hard way. Also in this episode: why she won't take coffee meetings, what it actually looks like to be a touring photographer at a stadium show, and why "say yes to everything, lower your ego, and don't expect anything from anybody" is the whole career advice. What you'll learn: What it actually takes to go from freelance photographer to media director within the same band Why the touring photographer has one of the loneliest roles in a camp — and how to navigate it What Rachel looks for when she's matching creatives to tours through ELEKTRIK Haus Why she thinks coffee meetings are the wrong way to get into someone's world — and what works instead How to ask for more within a camp once you've built trust What burnout looks like for a touring creative — and how to know when you actually need to stop Sponsor: MOC is looking for new volunteers to help share the joys of live music. Volunteer Guides are the friendly faces who host the programs as volunteer musicians perform hopeful songs to put a smile on the faces of hospital patients, families, and caregivers. To learn more about becoming a Musicians On Call volunteer, visit https://www.musiciansoncall.org . Rachel Deeb bio: Rachel Deeb (RKDEEB) is a Southern California-born, Nashville-based photographer, creative director, muralist, and founder of ELEKTRIK Haus Creative. She holds a BA in Advertising and Graphic Design from the University of Alabama and has spent ten years building a full-time freelance career across lifestyle, music, fashion, fitness, and concert photography. Her work has been featured in Billboard, Rolling Stone, People, E!, Pollstar, Music Row, Nashville Scene, and more. She has been voted Nashville Scene's Best Photographer three consecutive years (2018, 2019, 2020), was named to Nashville's 30 Under 30 in 2022, and currently serves as Media Director for The Lumineers, where she manages a global team of photographers and videographers across a two-year stadium tour cycle. Her past touring credits include Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, and a roster of country and independent artists. In addition to her touring work, Rachel has created murals and original artwork in locations throughout Nashville, and has painted custom pieces for artists including Carrie Underwood, Megan Maroney, and Ashley Cooke. ELEKTRIK Haus Creative, her creative matchmaking agency, connects the music industry with photographers, videographers, designers, and visual artists worldwide — bridging the gap between industry professionals and the creatives who bring their visions to life. Find your next Gigg and join the #1 community for the live events industry: https://www.giggs.live/ Stay up to date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giggs.live Youtube: https://youtube.com/@giggs-live LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giggs-llc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@giggs.live Host: Nikki Sanz
