We recently connected with Heather Graves and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
“Bullying that comes from ‘haters’ when you are becoming more successful is a very important subject to talk about. Every type of business has them, but when you become a public figure, it is amplified.” Says Heather Graves, owner of “Into The Graves Productions” and manager for the Surfabilly band, “The Patina Turners”. Heather continues, “When I first decided to start putting together events and managing bands, my opinion at the time was that I needed to put myself out there and get seen so that when I talked about these bands or tried to fill a room at a venue, people would actually care because they liked me too. I thought that it would make my job easier. I never in a million years throught that it would actually backfire on me. I started becoming friends with all the people that were coming to my events, inviting them all into my personal life and vice versa. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way that if you don’t keep things ‘business’ you could lose everything you have taken years to build. Especially in the entertainment industry.” A few years ago when Heather Graves was focusing on putting together punk events and managing a punk band called, “Diphallia”, an incident occurred where a former band member and his girlfriend started a campaign to get Heather, her Husband Cory Graves, co-owner of “Into The Graves Productions”, and other current members of Diphallia ‘canceled’. “They were spreading lies about all of us that were so terrible, and everyone was eating it right up. The punk scene craves something to rebel agianst, and this person was giving them a big spoon full of lies.” says Heather. The rumors spread like wild fire. “People, who I thought were my friends, didn’t want to support me, my business, or the band anymore. People who joined the campaign were contacting businesses, bands, and other promoters telling them to not work with me. I lost a huge amount of the friends I made at my events and it was all happening really fast. It almost broke me.” Heather said sadly. Diphallia continued on as a band and Heather continued to put on events, but nothing was the same after that. Heather and her husband Cory became jaded. They couldn’t believe that all these people could turn on them the way they did over lies, But lessons were learned. When Diphallia ended in 2022 because the bassist moved across the country, Heather, Cory, and Into The Graves Productions parted ways with punk rock. Cory had already started a new Surfabilly project called, “The Patina Turners”, which is a totally different genre, and Heathers events changed with it. “Time heals. I blocked any haters on my social medias, and ignored the rumors. I just tried to remember that I know who I am, and so do my real friends. My love for my local punk rock scene might be lost, but I have not lost my love for having fun. I will continue to put together the type of events that I enjoy, and I hope you will enjoy them too.”
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
“When you have a ‘Do it yourself’ kind of attitude, you can accomplish anything. And when you can’t do it yourself, get a life partner that can do it for you.” Heather said with a big laugh. That is one of the things that makes Into The Graves Productions so charming. They are as DIY as possible. (DIY stands for Do it Yourself). Heather Graves and Cory Graves are a married duo who run Into The Graves Productions. “We try to not overwhelm ourselves with just any project that gets thrown our way. We have to have a real interest in the project, and it has to be something we can realistically pull off with the least amount of people involved, or else we don’t do the project. Its a good boundry to have because thats how you keep things in budget, and you won’t get burned out.” says Heather. Into The Graves Productions has had there hands involved in so many different kinds of projects. They started off recording punk bands out of their house. You can listen to the record by the punk band “Diphallia” called “The 14 Inch” out on a 7 inch vinyl, and that was all recorded at “Into The Graves Productions”. They have hosted and produced photoshoots. They have hosted all different kinds of events from featuring movies to honey tasting contests for backyard beekeepers. “If it is interesting enough to me, I can make it happen.” Heather says. “Right now I am super interested in tiki type of events, so I have been dabbling in that world a little bit lately. I started my own event called ‘Pulp Paradise: A Tropical Surf Music Event’ which caters to that tiki type of vibe but without all the rules. I don’t like rules.” Heather says sternly. “I like fun, and I just want my events to be fun.” The next Pulp Paradise will be taking place at Redbones Bar & Grill in Ft.Myers, FL in November 2025. Follow Into The Graves Productions on Facebook or Instagram to follow announcements.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
“When you are the person in charge of a small business, the number one thing to do is the be realistic. Yes, have big dreams, but do not say yes to a job unless you can realistically pull it off without compromising the vision of the person you are collaborating with. When you run a production company, you are almost always collaborating. Just because you can do something, doesnt mean you should do it. It is much better to say no to something, then to half ass a job. If it doesn’t align with your schedule, or you can’t figure out how to make it work with the budget, or maybe you are just not that interested, just say no. If you overwhelm yourself you will disappoint the client, and you will make your business look bad.” Heather says with enthusiasm, ” Say yes to A LOT of things, but know when to say no!” Heather continues, “Another important thing to remember is to not get discouraged when your friends or family do not support your small business. I used to get so upset, but if you have a good product, you will not need to rely on them. Just appreciate any support you recieve.” says Heather. “My third piece of advice when running a small business is to utilize social media. If you fo not already enjoy or understand social media, hire someone to do it. Your social media can really take your business to the next level if done correctly.” Heather runs all the social medias for all of her and Corys businesses and bands. Look up the band, “The Patina Turners”, on Facebook and Instagram to see an example of Heather’s work in that field.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
“I am currently looking for original surf bands to book on my Pulp Paradise event in Ft.Myers, FL. but surf bands are few and far between down here! If you are in a surf project, please reach out to me, and be ready to tell me how much it costs to book your band.” say Heather. “I am also currently looking for vendors to participate in the vendor market for Pulp Paradise. It is a six hour event with a very small vendor fee. Especially reach out if your products have tiki, tropical, or vintage vibes.” You can email Heather Graves at heathergraves02@gmail.com and Heather is the only person who books the bands and vendors.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intothegravesproductions?igsh=MTk3cnNkcGtyNXZtZQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15f23pzjZu/
Image Credits
Photo of Heather Graves with The Patina Turners taken by: Edward J. Pelegrino
Photo of Heather Graves and Cory Graves backstage at Rockabillaque taken by: Angelina Howard
Photo of Heather Graves as a bee and Cory Graves as a beekeeper taken by: Rob DeSantis
Logos for Into The Graves Productions and The Patina Turners made by: Cory Graves
Photo of Heather Graves and her Miss Pulp Paradise Pinup Contest hostess, Hibiscus Belle, at Redbones taken by: Mr Belle
Photo of Heather Graves with a group of pinup girls who attended Pulp Paradise 2024 taken by: Stacy Thomas
Photo of Heather Graves during her punk rock days taken by: Angel America
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
