5 posts tagged “unsigned”
I spent about an hour yesterday writing one of those proper industry type posts that'd generate a few comments. Then my PC conked out on me and I lost the lot. Bum. Really p'd off about that. Took two dark chocolate KitKat's to sort that one.
Sorry for the delay in posts, I've been pulled in all sorts of directions.
The biggest thing I'm on at the moment is an act that came to me through one of the online scouts that Columbia is coming to see. I've booked a local rehearsal room to showcase them to the label head. It can be really frustrating getting an act, A&R and label head in the same place at the same time. I guess the better a band get the more busy they are so I can't complain. Anyhow, it's booked now, I've cleared the time with the boss's PA and the band are up for doing it. I've been asked to suggest what I'd think is their 'best of' set. Which is a big responsibility. Do I think what I would want to hear? Or maybe try to guess what the label head would want to hear? Or maybe all the tracks I'd see as 'radio tracks'? It's a toughy. But I think I will go for what I think is great live rather than gunning simply for the three and a half min belters that would get played everywhere on radio. Hmm, quite excited about that.
I've spent the past few days listening to Sparrow and the Workshop. Think I've mentioned them before but I really love her voice and the overall feeling of the tracks. There's a real charm and sensitivity to the vocal and style to the song. They're based in Scotland but the singer is from the US and has a wonderful twang to her accent which gives the songwriting an authenticity which I think is lacking in a lot of female songwriters of the moment. Check out 'The Gun', which is a great track.
Spent the weekend painting a bedroom, I think I'm turning into my dad. I found the process of filling gaps with lightweight filler most satisfying and kept standing back with my hands on my hips to admire my work. I was thinking about doing some kind of mural but stuck with sanitorium white instead. The better option methinks. Ended up listening to Anchorman three times as a result. I love that film, I had the urge to hone my guns afterwards. ;-)
I didn't have any internet access or mobile phone this weekend. I went into a panic. After much pacing and Woody Allen-esque monologues I decided to think back to 1996, when the internet was a new thing you used in college to look at Gillian Anderson and mobile phones were huge, pay as you go brick-like things. When I used mine it looked more like I was calling in an air strike than talking to mum. So I didn't really bother with mobiles. How did I cope. I decided to buy cider and chocolate before heading to the park in the end. Who needs Facebook anyway?
Been speaking to a colleague of mine about formalising an online scouting process. Currently I have a few scouts dotted about who regularly send me great stuff because they love music and want to see the acts they love become successful, which is great. But rare.
There are some great filter platforms out there such as slicethepie, which really do a great job. I do find limitations in their effecacy because of their reactive nature. The acts you tend to find on there are the sort of act that register with all online platforms and spend a lot of time marketing, which is great. But what about those acts who feel that simply having a myspace (or vox ;-) is enough? You end up getting the best of one type of artist demographic (ooh check my terminology). You need to work both ends and have a function which is hunting out talent. This is pretty much the tao of traditional A&R. I'm thinking the future of this is a hybrid of both methods. Open door for submissions, whist at the same time having an educated, targeted filter network in place who's job it is to seek out the best stuff. The higher up the chain it goes the more it's filtered. You can't depend on artists to champion other artists as they're too busy with their own careers, as so they should be.
With that in mind I've just got the info I need of Vox to skin and update the pages of the A&R platform. I wont bore you with the details of the new platform structure, I'd rather just do it and explain afterwards.
So what it gwanning out there, anything good. Haven't got much in the way of interesting messages recently. Just the usual "You don't know me but..." or "CHECK THIS OUT!!!xxxx" sort of thing. Come say hello.
Hope all is well with you.
A couple of weeks back I went to the Covstock Festival to see some great acts. Managed to film some of it too. I will do a proper posts of it once I get the video together (same old story, waiting on video stuff I know).
When unsigned, every gig you do should serve a purpose.
Now initially that may sound stupidly obvious. However, if it is why as a band would you aimless play toilet venues in London to f**k all people for no money and at a cost to yourself? Plus it looks terrible.
This is what thousands of bands do every week. I've spoken to lotsa A&R types, both at Sony BMG and further affield and it's a very rare occasion that an act just happens to be discovered because an A&R guy happens to be at a venue. The whole Frankie Sharp scenario doesn't happen very much. I rarely see an act I haven't planned to see, I don't have much time usually. :-(
Also, gigging a lot in London and not increasing a buzz around you is actually detrimental to your career. As an act can get stale, or seen as old news if on the radar of the various labels too soon. I'm guilty of it myself, with the hundreds of acts I come accross if I hear something that's ok, then see them still gigging the same circuit 6 months later with no increase in profile I'm less likely to see them again. Simply because I'm trying to find what's breaking. That is unfair to a degree as said band could have come along leaps and bounds since the first time. Though if they're amazing then they should create a buzz anyway.
So, why gig in London? Showcases are the first obvious reason. If a label, publisher, PR co. etc etc want to see you, then doing a gig near their office is a wise move. Stick to smaller venues off the beaten track, somewhere with a decent PA (it's amazing how many people don't think about that). If they're really eager only play your hometown with loads of support. (People singing along always impresses me)
Building a following? In London? You must be kidding. It's possible, but gig-to-%-fanbase ratio is pathetic when compared to playing other parts of the country. Simply because there is so much music, and other things to do in London there is no novelty, little passing trade and promoters are shite when ,well, promoting. To to acheive the Fanbase increase of an 8 date tour around the country at the right venues would probably take 3 or 4 times as many gigs in London to achieve the same effect. Don't get me wrong, the truly exceptional will win people over everywhere but some acts are born great, others achieve greatishness and others have greatishness thrust upon them. Plus any of those of you who've done both know how hard the crowd is in London to get to do anything other than talk over you.
You should only do a flurry of London gigs when you are at the crescendo of a promo campaign, when all your hard work as culminated in a co-ordinated campaign that has achieved some radio play, bits of press and interest here and there. Before I start getting the PM's whinging that that's impossible without loads of cash, record deal, pluggers etc IT'S NOT! Don't be such a whinging have-not and pull your finger out. It just takes a bit of thinking and knowing what bits and pieces to capitalise on as they come your way. When you're not in the sights of any of the labels, you've got breathing space to get everything the way you want it, think about it that way. Rather than feeling under pressure to 'get out there'.
So you've got good activity on your myspace, you've just got into the top 8 friends of some big pages, your name (& blog!! ;-)) appears everywhere in google, then you should start gigging London as you've got about 6 months to make a serious impression that would warrant investment. Of course there are exceptions to the rule as I know a band that was looked at for a year before anything was done.
However, I've seen that the bands that create the most excitement are the acts that seem to come from obscurity to everywhere in a short period of time, this is often luck or good placement. But if you get your house in order, build up a good head of steam as regards your promo material, fan building, online stuff and make sure your 'demo' could be something you'd release yourself you're in good shape to really pop out amongst all the good music being looked at.
Also consider when you're going to shop yourself to radio, the labels and such. For example, during the period of the summer festivals mainstream radio is saturated with all sorts of new things that were planned earlier in the year, a lot of new acts are being broken by the labels and trying to get shelf-space in the minds of those who provide opportunities for new music is really lacking. Plus I'm all over the place trying to keep up with stuff I've picked up earlier in the year. Try and get a feel for a bit of a lul in the sort of stuff your doing and then launch your little PR offensive.
So, if you've simply been rehearsing, gigging, rehearsing, gigging, recording, rinse, repeat... maybe stop and think why you're doing it? Ultimately these are the considerations of a manager (a good one) but if you're without management you should really think about when and how you're going to be perceived.
Anyhow, quick rant. Saw a really good band that had literally no clue, about anything.
Hope all is well co-ordinated with you
I may loose all credibility in admitting this but I was at a Backstreet Boys event last night.
It was held in the canteen downstairs and it was a fan event though there was a some room made for staff who were interested. I have a friend who's a huge fan so it made her night in attending. I was nearby when they arrived and they seem a jolly nice bunch.
Unfortunately for me there was a free bar. I recently have developed a real weakness for white wine. So by the end of the event I was swanning around with a glass in my hand, spilling it on my geography-teacher-esque, brown cordroy jacket generally talking too loud and making a nuisance of myself.
Had I left it there things would have been fine. However, ended up in Soho continuing the evening's theme until the wee hours. Well, it wasn't that late as I made the last tube from Picadilly.
Thankyou very much for your comments so far on my rather long post 'Death Throws or Renaissance'. This sort of thing really gives me, and in turn the rest of the company real insight into what artists think about the industry and what they want. I think this should be an ongoing theme. I will try and write more posts like that. In the meantime have a look at the post and more importantly, the comments. It's interesting to see two quite different camps already developing.
The Calendar is officially a success as I hear that other A&R chaps have already attended gigs listed on there. So be sure to keep updating it. This week has been crammed for me but luckily long commutes and plenty of waiting around has allowed me to listen to LOADS of new music. You will see the "Your submission was listened to be indieboy..." all over the A&R group's tracks like a rash. I do try to add my own input as often as I can but it's difficult as I usually find myself pondering for about ten mins to write a one line comment. Not very productive when going through lots of tracks at once.
DingDongDelly very kindly invited me to an RCA thing in which they'll be a juke box playing tracks selected by those attending. I was asked to select my three favourite 'party tracks'. I was stumped. I got the list down to about 15 and then couldn't make my mind up but I think I'm going with 'Sweet Child o Mine', 'Oh You Pretty Things' and 'No One Knows'. Any more suggestions?
Hope all is well with you.
Gosh, I couldn't get my post up quick enough today, I've had complaints on the lack of update (thanks Nic, here it is :-)
I can't describe how much I've got to do. I thought it was tough back when I worked in artist royalties, but at least I knew everything I needed to do in advance back then!
OK, first thing, CHECK OUT THE AUDIO PLAYER BABY! :-)
I've been working with Vox on ways to make listening to the music and getting to know the bands much easier. Well here it is. It's very basic, but does the job nicely. There's no recommendations, ratings or anything like that. But you can go to each tracks' artist blog via the link arrow. These players are on both label blogs too. Oh yes....
I was meant to be meeting with Columbia today to present my findings from the community and bring them up to speed on what's happening with all this generally. Guess I will have to do that next week, I will let you know how it goes.
Ok, some bands/artists to listen to.....
Have a listen to Herdwhite's track All Out Agression, as you can tell from the title it's hardly a poodle pop ballad. I like the production on this and what he's done with the vocal.
Next is the Real Be Easys' track Life With My Knife. A tight outfit serving up a healthy portion a heavier rock sound sitting on top of some stompy alt. funk beats. Can hear a strong influence from the Chili P's on this one.
Last for this post is The Chemistry Set, have a listen to their stuff which is a nice mix with a good sound.
I'd be interested to hear what you have to say about the above. I will be posting more about the acts in the communities. These chaps are what I've been listening to over the past couple of days. More will follow.
Hope all is good with you.
IB
Feeling quite exhausted today.
Was up late recording a tutorial video for the unitiated, which is why I probably sound like a zombie in the last two vids.
Got up this morning and started into the massive pile of demos I had to go through. These will be the last batches of demos listened to on CD. :-)
I was pleasantly surprised as I've found some really good stuff. One of which I've already stuck on my MP3. Their called Hats and I'll make sure there's more details of them later.
It wasn't all fantastic though. I got a few demos where no thought had gone into them at all. Which is a shame. They don't have to be ellaborate, just something that reflects the feel of the band and contact details.
That's why the sooner the band blogging is off the ground the better. That way if it starts of as crap they can improve and add to their blog over time. Going through these CD's really underlined the hit and miss nature of demo submission for me. I will never pick up the stuff I've put to one side again, whereas a blog developing over time may reappear on my radar again and again.
Anyway, I need to get my video tutorial finish. But I will do a video blog this evening to keep you up to speed on what's happening.
