Guest Advisor : Jay Tavernese Answers Your Producer Questions

As I’ve mentioned…I’m happy to share my thoughts.. but if I think a friend of mine can provide better advice I’m going to seek it out!  I’ve received a handful of questions regarding producers and thought it a perfect opportunity to call upon my good friend Jay Tavernese.  Jay and I have worked together on tours, comparing notes, managing bands, sharing information, and so on.   He’s currently a Producer and Band Manager @ In De Goot Entertainment working with producers Toby Wright, Mike Watts, Steven Haigler, and others as well as artists like 10 Years.

Here are his thoughts:

We’re  thinking about working with a producer but don’t know if it makes sense yet.   At what point in an indie bands career do you think it’s something we  should do?
Working with a producer depends on a lot of factors and what your desired result may be.  Every band may need or desire to work with a producer at a different point in the career so there’s no one answer here.  The most general answer I can say to that question is to seek out and work with a producer if you’re looking to take your music to a national level and have mass awareness.  Now I say “work” with a producer and what I mean is don’t just hire a producer and not listen or follow what they want you to do.  They’re there to offer a different opinion and pull the music out of you that you & your band may not be able to come up with on your own.

How  important is a GREAT recording job for an indie band?  We’re debating on  how much to spend.  It seems to me that it’s real easy to tell the  difference between a bad and good recording but much harder to tell the  difference between a good and great recording.
It’s very easy to tell the difference between bad & good & great recordings and I would say it’s very important to have great recordings to gain a mass audience, sell records or just get the attention of a & r for a deal.  If you’re demo sounds 5 times worse then you do live, chances are you might not want to send that out.

How  does a band that’s not on a label get to work with a producer?  I mean, I  know they cost a lot of money but where do we even start to get our musi

c to  them and see how much?
Producers work with unsigned bands all the time.  Just find out who their manager is or contact them directly.  You’d be very surprised at how many of them have studio websites, myspaces, etc.  As for the “I know they cost a lot of money” statement, every producer is different.  They’re not all an arm and a leg and if you know they cost a lot of money, why would you ask the question?  Tons of producers do spec deals, take smaller fees & higher points and even shop developmental projects.  DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS!  DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING!!

What  exactly does a producer do?  I know the engineer records, I know the  mixer mixes, I know the guy that masters it, but what about the producer?   Or do they do everything?
If you don’t know what a producer does, chances are you don’t need one.  I can’t tell you how many bands I’ve seen over the years running up to me going “we need real management,” and then I ask them “what does a manager do?” and they have no response.  So, by that rationale if you see a commercial for a new cologne you know you need it because you play football?  NO!

All producers are different, some co-write, some arrange, some just get great sounds and some just get all the band members on the same page as to what the recording should be.    It’ll take a few conversations and maybe even doing some demo sessions or co-writes with different producers and artists before you can really determine what you’re looking for in a producer and which one will deliver what you want.

Featured Artist – NYLE

I recently posted Nyle’s video for “Let The Beat Build” and if you read the post you know how much I enjoyed the video!  I had to feature Nyle and get some background on how they pulled it off…and as expected..time, energy, planning, and talent.  If you missed the video, I highly recommend checking it out before reading any further!!  Here’s the inside scoop….

Nyle, I was turned on to your video “Let The Beat Build” by our A&R Scout Kiran and have probably watched it 50 times!  I sincerely love the creativity, passion, and what appears to be the unadulterated love of music and performance.  I gotta get into your head a bit and know what it took to make such an original piece.  So let’s dig in…

What’s so impressive is that both the video and audio is recorded simultaneously – LIVE!  How long did it take to plan and choreograph the shoot prior to hittin’ the studio and doing your first run-through?
Plan? Ha! The 32 of us were just sitting around one day and Chadd the director was like “Do guys want to make a music video, so we just did the whole thing that day.” Nah, actually the whole project from start to finish took around 3 months. Alot of it was just planning and booking equipment, the Director of Photography had to see the space and map out the lighting. We were assisted by 194 Recordings  (school run label) who coordinated all the people. … Continue Reading

I love this…

With protools, it’s so easy for mediocre bands to enter the studio and come out sounding great.  Many a time I’ve sat there in the booth cringing at the vocals, then with a few tweaks…  Perfect.  I get it, that’s cool…but lame as well.  Imagine no punch-ins…straight through recordings where EVERYONE had to hit it perfectly or everyone had to start over.  Definitely would make you work harder.  Definitely would force a game plan.  Definitely would inspire everyone to perfect their part and be aware of everyone else in the room.

So check this out…my friend Kiran sent this to me and I’m very grateful for it.  Whether you like hip-hop or not, there are a few thing every musician/artist can take from this.  These are a bunch of NYU students… shot the video in one take. All the audio was recorded live… simultaneously.  You’ve heard me go on and on about offering creative content…your fans want something unique and of quality.  Here’s a great example…

Nyle “Let The Beat Build” from Nyle on Vimeo.

Have you heard of this kid?  Over 250,000 plays on youtube… Get creative and work hard at offering something unique.

Ben

War Stories – Hangin’ On

Evan Robinson (Singer) : “We’re not a political band by any means..in fact we’re the furthest thing from 4 politicians…but as artists we can’t help but be inspired by and write about the world we see.  So take from this what you will…it’s not a soapbox, only one perspective.”

Hangin’ On VIDEO

This is cool.   War Stories released their debut album 8/19 and is currently #15 on the specialty radio charts.  They’re playing locally, press is gravitating, and they are finding true fans one at a time.  They wrote this song after the album, but rather than just sit on it, wait for another 9 songs for an album, and miss the opportunity to impact at a relevant time…they recorded a follow up single, offered it digitally, partnered with a great organization, and made this video.  All for about $200.

Whether you like the song or not, there’s something here for you to learn.  Flexibility and striking when the iron is HOT!  Don’t wait to record and offer a great new song and product…keeping content fresh keeps fans engaged.

Ben

Sonic Quality

If there’s one thing I hope you’re really picking up on with these blogs, the news, your boarded up record stores, iPods, mp3s, youtube, iTunes, MTV (cough, cough..”M”?), etc….is that THINGS ARE CHANGING!  And with that, you must ask yourself, “am I just following what’s been done or trying something new?”  Follow me here…I do have a point and question I’m answering…

Most bands, starting out, get together, write some songs, friends and family tell them they’re great, save some money, then spend it all in the studio recording an album, throw it up on myspace, and share it with the world.  Congratulations…welcome to the black hole!

Here’s the question…Mathew asked if recording quality counts?  Or more specifically, “Is the price of a studio really worth it? Do people our age really care that much as long as it doesn’t sound like crap?”

Topic – Should we spend our money for a studio recording or just keep it in my basement?

Advice:
It really depends how well you can record by your own means.  I’ve heard demos come from basements that sound better than most albums out there.  Also, it depends on the goals of your band.  If you’re just playing for friends, family, and fun…no…don’t spend the money..mom will think everything sounds great!  But if you’re trying to gain a fan base, sell music, and take a stab at this…then yes.  Listen to the music you own, does yours compete?  It has to…..to a degree.  See “sound like crap” is relative.  Fundamentally, you must have great songs…that’s the cake..the production is just the icing…but, if you buy the cheap icing with a bad flavor and slab it all over your cake…it ruins the cake and no one’s going to enjoy it.  Get it?

Now…do you need to spend thousands?  No…but maybe a thousand for 10 songs.  You can find someone great at recording, who has a few great mics, and knows the sound in his basement that can get you a great record.  I believe you’re right…within reason.  I’ve never heard a kid say, “I love this song, I love this band, but the kick drum doesn’t sound right so I’m not going to buy it!”  No.  It’s not like it used to.  I CRACK UP when I sit in these A&R guy offices with their floor to ceiling speakers blasting polished turds commenting that the guitars are just a little this…the drums are a little too that…maybe the cymbals should be a tiny more here…no one cares.  And it’s their ridiculous budgets and neurosis that are killing young bands!!  Really?  Really Mr. record label?  Those big budgets, fat cat producers, and insane studios are worth it?  Must be…SINCE NONE OF YOUR ALBUMS ARE SELLING!!  Hahaha..I love it and can’t wait for them to go bye bye.  It’s all about ego.   Nirvana’s “Bleach” was recorded for less than $700.  You don’t need the budget…you need the songs.

For example…check these guys out : The Feelings Mutual .  It’s a brand new band I’m working with (hey…I have to go through all of your gratuitous plugs..take one of mine! ; ) ).  The EP sounds great, getting incredible reviews, and we spent $300 recording it.  You just need to find the right guy for the job.

Now, don’t blow everything you have on recording…I’m finally getting back to this blog’s introduction…you need to allocate some money towards marketing efforts!!  How are you going to get peoples attention on these incredible songs you have?!  You need some cash for posters, stickers, merchandise, local ads, promotion for local gigs, etc.

So…I checked out the songs on your myspace, Mathew, and they don’t compete sonically.  You need the recording good enough to NOT distract from the song.  Good demos, but I would recommend working with someone. Some advice on that…maybe…you can track the music and hire someone to mix it for you in an effort to save a little money.  Delivery them the goods and they can add the polish.  I’d talk to a couple local guys and see if they’re into that idea!

Lemme know how it works out, man!
Ben