We had the good fortune of connecting with Peter Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Peter, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk has been one of the most important factors in my life and career. While understanding the privilege of being able to take risks, I have learned to embrace the opportunities that have arisen to do so. Risk, in my mind, always pays off, because even if something doesn’t pan out the way you were hoping, the act of risk-taking will always provide you with information. Risk provides insight into boundaries, possibilities, and maybe most importantly, the factor of the unknown in any given situation. When you risk, you are engaging with what is out of your control, and this space has become central to my artistic practice as well as my business practice over the years.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started Dangerbird Records back in 2004, as an artist and manager duo. We prided ourselves on approaching the business from a uniquely artist-friendly perspective, and that has carried us through to today. It was the little things we cared about, the things that big labels didn’t have the time for, like making that special merch item the band wanted or embracing the fact that each project is going to be unique and different, just as the art is. We always flew under the radar, so to speak, from major label bureaucracy, and I’m proud of that. Around 2014 I was discovering new worlds personally and artistically, and I was able to find a space within the company to organically explore these things, to enter an entirely new genre of music as a label. This pursuit naturally became its own imprint (AKP Recordings) and has now taken over 95% of my time both creatively and professionally. I’m proud of myself and those around me for remaining open and flexible to newness and change.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My three favorite things about LA are the creative people, the food, and the closeness to nature. I would take my friend to a small show or a film screening, go eat at Elf Cafe in Echo Park, and then drive up the 2 to take a little sunset hike. We might have to rearrange the order of these things…but you get the idea!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I need to give a shoutout to the artists I’ve worked with. The passion and work I witness whenever I interact with an artist are constant reminders that it is worthy to fervently pursue your creative callings.

Website: https://ak.studio/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.k.s.t.u.d.i.o/

Other: https://akprecordings.com/

Image Credits
Tyler Lorita, Aaron Farley

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.