Today we’d like to introduce you to Rio Thorogood.
Hi Rio, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Rio Thorogood and I’m the founder and creator of “The Hot Child in the City” music blog and radio show. I came up with the idea for “The Hot Child in the City” after going to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2022. I was so entranced by the performers, especially Harry Styles. I couldn’t stop thinking about his set and just thought to myself, why not write this down? And the blog was born!
“The Hot Child in the City”, is a blog and radio show that spreads love for a little music, a little history, and all-around good vibes for the dazed and confused Beatlemaniacs, music lovers, and more. The site has everything from concert and album reviews, interviews and more. My favorite radio show segment is called “The Songs that Shaped Me” where I interview guests about…well…the songs that shaped them! A wonderful memory, a favorite song, etc. I interview everyone from musicians to podcasters, actors to writers. Only qualification is to love music!
I am so grateful for the community I am building. Connecting with fellow music lovers through this blog has been the most rewarding.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any road is smooth when achieving your goals. Because a lot of my promotion is through social media, I have come to empathize with influencers and content creators. One day you’re getting thousands of views, the next day it’s under fifty but I try not to let that discourage me. Some followers don’t realize my blog goes beyond Instagram. Although I love Instagram as a tool, I post music history content and concert footage there, my main platform is my website. Some people don’t read the caption that says link in bio, for example, they are just enamored by the photo or video I’ve posted. However, I do have a steady following elsewhere. Instagram may be the biggest, but my subscribers for my site are loyal and my radio show gets a good amount of listeners each episode. To be honest, if I’m getting just one listener per episode, that makes me smile (thanks Dad!) because it means someone is enjoying what I have created.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think what sets me apart is my radio show. A lot of people see it as a podcast but it’s more. It’s a podcast AND radio show. Although there is an interview portion, I love to incorporate music into the episodes. In my segment “The Songs that Shaped Me”, my guests share with me a list of songs, about 5-10, that are important to them, and then we discuss. I play all of the songs in between our conversations, that way, the listener can actually hear the songs that are special to the guest. I have always loved radio shows. Today, with all the streaming platforms, it’s hard to not think radio shows might be on their way out. However, I have been wanting to host my own show for years and I still love many stations here in LA. I even interviewed the voice of Jack FM, Howard Cogan on my show. And “The Songs that Shaped Me” was inspired by the station 100.3 the Sound when they would have guest DJs, musicians, actors and more, play their favorite songs for the day. Although that station is no longer around, there are still many great ones like K-Earth 101, 95.5 KLOS, and as I mentioned before, Jack FM. And I’m so proud of my own show and how it has grown.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think being grateful is important. It’s hard to not feel frustrated if you haven’t met a goal like not hitting a certain follower number or subscriber number or listener number. I instead focus on what I do have, the people I have met through this blog, and the community I have built/am building. You can still set goals for yourself, but you can only control what you can control. You can’t control if you’re going to hit a million subscribers within a year. You can try, but if it doesn’t happen my best advice is to be grateful for the 999,999 you do have.
When I started this blog/radio show, I never thought I would be where I am today. I have interviewed musicians I have admired for years. I have gone to events where I have met artists, photographers, and other creators. And I have even made some new friends along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thehotchildinthecity.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehotchildinthecity/
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/TheHotChildintheCity/
Image Credits
Kalynn Barnum Mariah Tzoumbas
