Natalie Dávila, Polyvinyl Record Co.

💭 Thoughts on the best sounding physical audio medium, Baggu, and the power of sympathetic joy.

Natalie V. Dávila is the Marketing Director for the independent record label, Polyvinyl Records. She works with an eclectic roster of 40+ artists including Alvvays, Julia Jacklin, American Football, Jeff Rosenstock, plus an extensive catalog of over 400 releases.

Currently based in Austin, Texas, Natalie brings 15 years of experience in the music industry, ranging from show promotion, talent buying and festival programming, to her current label work focusing on A&R, project management and creative marketing for album campaigns. 

In her pre-Polyvinyl years, she was a Booking Coordinator for The Windish Agency in Chicago, Programming Director for 35 Denton Music Festival and ran a legendary DIY house venue in North Texas while attending college. Born and raised in Houston, one of Natalie’s first live shows was Selena’s final performance at the Astrodome in 1995.

🎯 Current focus

We just announced Xiu Xiu’s new album, 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips (out 9/27/24), with a wonderfully unhinged (and NSFW) music video for lead single “Common Loon” created by and starring performance artist Alicia McDazzler. Xiu Xiu is one of my favorite groups; getting to work with Jamie & Angela is a dream. When I interviewed at PV (seven years ago!) I asked my future co-workers what it was like to work with Xiu Xiu and they told me they were incredibly kind, which has proven to be 100% true. Not only are they as fearless as they are captivating, they are also equal parts hilarious and deeply intelligent – this interview over on The Quietus is a perfect tribute and testament to their legacy. It’s no exaggeration that everyone on our staff LOVES working on a Xiu Xiu release. We get to promote cat plushies and booty shorts. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. 

📚 Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian

I read Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy earlier this year and it has permanently lodged itself in my prefrontal cortex. I felt haunted while reading it and had violent dreams for weeks. Nevertheless, it is poignant and masterful in ways I can’t rightly explain. McCarthy’s writing is his own relentless brand of poetry. He is completely indifferent to the reader (what a treat!). The book is so brutal that it is considered “unfilmable” and though many have tried, no one has ever succeeded in adapting it. On a lighter note, I recently purchased this god-tier Snoopy x Blood Meridian bootleg via @itsagreatdaytobeawarrior and once it arrives I may never take it off again. 

“When God made man the devil was at his elbow.” - C.M.

🌻 The power of sympathetic joy

Empathy is self awareness turned outward. Someone much wiser than me said it — probably in my favorite podcast, Ten Percent Happier. This is the vibe. This is the direction I want to run in — a culture of appreciation, love without judgment, sympathetic joy (the opposite of schadenfreude), and unwavering tenderness paired with a healthy dose of open-hearted skepticism. 

🤝 Having someone in your field that is both a peer & a mentor

I have a big ol’ soft spot for my co-worker, dear friend, and fellow Thought Enthusiast, Mallory Hawkins. Mallory and I have similar roles at our respective labels and that combined with our shared love of cats & Charli XCX has given us an intense shorthand with one another. We talk a million miles an hour in each other's presence and jump from topic to topic like rabid teenagers. And yet, we almost always end up discussing the headiest topics and deep sea diving about What It All Means. Having someone in your field that is both a peer and a mentor is a treasure trove to carry in your pocket. Mallory is whip smart and despite our many parallels, she sees things from a different vantage point because she also happens to be a (fantastic) musician. Her scope is vast and varied – she is hell bent on using the utmost of her creative energy, pushes herself to keep exploring, and truly never stops trying to figure shit out. She is engaged and she is present. Notably rare and important qualities for anyone that’s steadily toiling away in the music industry. I would follow her to the end. 

🤠 Intentionally carving out the space to be mindful 

I’m starting up with a new therapist this week and am really looking forward to having that consistency back in my life. Intentionally carving out the space to be mindful and tune into your own frequency is invaluable work and should be a lifelong practice for us all. I am my best and most attentive self when I acknowledge the growth that lies ahead and all the necessary transits and scheming that will get me there. Giddy up. 😎

💿 The best sounding physical audio medium

One thing I can't live without would have to be CDs – a portable wonderland c/o the best sounding physical audio medium available. Sure, there is a nostalgia component, but they are tactile in a way that just feels right. CD booklets! An artform in and of itself. Like most millennials, I had a CD binder that could have doubled as a weapon in my youth. These days I drive around with at least a dozen CDs in my car and swap them out once there’s no longer any room in my console, side doors, and/or glove compartment. There is a mainstay mixture of Unwound (thank you to a Numero CD sale circa 2020 that landed me most of their discography), Neil Young (recently found Live at Massey Hall at a Half Price Books in Houston), and various chapters from DJ Screw’s Diary of the Originator mixtapes. 

🛍️ Baggu 

Baggu has me in a chokehold and I recognize that sentiment is perhaps not the greatest of revelations from a woman in her mid-30's. Regardless, every aspect of their visual language – from their website to their advertising assets to the type of social content they utilize – is dialed in. They know their customer, they have a vision, and they connect those dots pretty seamlessly. Anyone that works in marketing will tell you that is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Their presentation errs on the side of ordinary – clean and tangible. So much branding these days is overcooked and o b v i o u s. Baggu’s approach lacks pretense in a way most companies in their orbit seem to be unable to avoid. My coworker recently informed me that someone on the internet said Baggu was Vera Bradley for my generation and that is the realest burn of the last 5-7 years. 

Bonus Round: the marketing for Longlegs is batshit good and preemptively scaring the meeeee. I love it!!!! 

Follow Natalie on Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter.

💭 Share your thoughts ➡️ DM on IG or Email us.

✅ Make Thought Enthusiast better by filling out a quick reader survey here.