Long long time….

Wow…I’m bummed how long I’ve gone without posting.  Needless to say I’ve been pretty swamped…which I’m incredibly grateful for.  I’ve recently engaged myself with a company set out to provide more and better tools for indie artists!  The model is broken and there are no rules…why do we continue to do things like wait for 10 songs before recording 1…put them on plastic when they’ll just be burned to iTunes anyways, sit on myspace and hope people gravitate towards us, waste money on services and/or manufacturing that is useless…and so on.  We have some very exciting tools coming online that revisit the fundamentals of discovery, development, distribution, and marketing of artists.  So hang tight!

I want to address a question I received just before the end of last year from Joe.  I’m stoked for Joe…his band has been grinding it out and developed themselves to performing in front of 300 on average locally, started the buzz, and is now invited to be THE local band to perform at the summer outdoor concert series with 5000 plus people!  Well done…the question is preparation.  It’s undoubtedly a different environment than what you’re used to and how do you prepare for that.

PRACTICE!

I know that sounds so elementary…but in all sincerity from now to then practice, practice, practice.  You’ll be opening up for national acts who perform about 5 nights every week for weeks on end.  How do you compete and show you’re ready?  Practice.  Play every show you can leading up and hit the rehearsal room.  Come up with your set list now (if you haven’t already) and jam it non-stop in rotation…over and over about 5 times through.  Take a 15 minute break…then do it all over again..but this time with the lights off.  Muscle memory and instinct..you need to show up owning that stage!  There’s no other way.

Logistically, make sure you have back ups for everything.  Back up guitar, back up bass, back up snare, back up peddle, and back up mics.  I know this may seem overboard to some…but if this is your one shot to impress the masses of your local scene….be prepared for anything.  Prior to check all the tubes in your head…your patch cords…replace the pedal batteries…make sure the fuses are all good.  Know your equipment!

Also, be sure to create a stage plot and provide it to the sound guys.  just open up word and create a stage design with simple objects that show how many guys, where they position themselves, how many drums, vocals, amps, etc…this will help the sounds guys know what to anticipate.

Remember…most people at the event will have no idea who you are…so focus more on the music/performance and less on the “stage presence”…a lot of young bands make this mistake and come out acting like everyone is there to see them…no, no, no…just so what you do…be the band and kill ‘em with you music and chops!

There’s a book out everyone show read called “The Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell.  It states that for anyone to be GREAT..really great, as in the best…at any one thing they must have a minimum of 10,000 hours of practice under their belt…he supports this with examples like The Beatles, Bill Gates, athletes, and so on…how many hours you got under your belt?!

Have a great show…
Ben

Should we release an EP BEFORE singing to a label?

I just got off the phone with a manager friend of mine who works for a great firm representing bands most of you would know.  They deal regularly with both indie and major labels.  She’s great…very smart, works incredibly hard, and loves her bands.  One of her acts is in the process of figuring out WHAT to do.  They were dropped from a major-indie label about a year ago and have since continued to write, record, and play as much as possible.

They’ve found themselves, yet again, with a few label A&Rs kicking their tires… The band wants to release an EP…but do you wait for the deal to happen, if it happens, or just throw something out to your fans without any major push in the meantime?

THROW SOMETHING OUT TO YOUR FANS!!  I told her…look…IF a label signs your band again it’s going to take AT LEAST 12 to 18 months before the antiquated sloth of a business could turn around a new product.  You think your fans are going to wait that long?  If you do…best of luck.  Labels are dying.  I keep saying this and you know it.  You need to keep your fans engaged and entertained.  You cannot exist on your myspace page alone and assume people will come to you…you need to reach out to them.  You need to provide something worth keeping their interest…and that’s great songs.  That’s your job.

Get out of the album mentality.  When you have a great song…record it and release it…we have the means to do this now!  Albums exist so that labels can make money… I highly recommended to her, and you, to record what you have and offer it to your core fans.  By doing so, you’ll keep the fans you have entertained while the label drags along.  Further, her band will then OWN that EP…and if you own it you keep the money from it.  I questioned why she wanted to sign her band to a label again, but some still go for the gold…and god bless ‘em…but you have to understand what you’re getting yourself into at the moment..particularly with the majors.

Quality songs over quantity….I’d rather you offer me 3 great songs than wait for 15…from which I’ll most likely only buy 3 from iTunes…so why wait?  Get the songs out there….because if you wait…you’re A&R guy will most likely be fired, the album budget will disappear, and you’ll most likely get dropped and the album shelved.  And I’m not being pessimistic, this is what the current situation is and the reality for most new bands.  Bet on yourself.

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

Promote Your Music

First off, I know I’ve been MIA for a little bit.  So much going on this past month it’s been hard to find the time to sit down and knock out another post!  Lame I know, I’ll be better…promise!

So Brian hit me up asking for some advice on how to best promote his band’s upcoming EP release.  Sounds like they’re totally independent so I’ll assume the marketing budget is tight.

Brian, first you have to answer the question: who is my audience?  Once that’s answered, then: where do I find them?  Bad marketing is taking your band and just throwing it out there…you need to pin point who you believe will most likely enjoy your type of music…get it to them…then if it’s good, hope they help you spread the word.  Once you’ve identified your audience, I suggest hiring a publicists to help build your story.  Find someone who works both online and print press.  Tell them what type of publications you want to hit, what webzines make sense, and who you think will most likely react and embrace your songs.  Be realistic in this attempt.  You’re one of many many bands and it takes a very long time for people to accept your debut effort.  A lot of the times press will react with, “cool EP…maybe we’ll cover them when they release a full length.”  So be prepared.

I think it’s also worth the few hundred bucks to create promo goods like free stickers and posters.  Make sure every venue you’re performing at has posters in advance…you want people to discover you..so make sure the band name is out there in your scene.  Give stickers away at shows and to friends.  It’s simple, not going to make you a rock star, but it’s a reminder of your band.  Further, and I’ve said this before, give your music away.  I’m not saying the full EP..but at least a song.  I’m working with this company now that provides a digital experience in our physical world.  I’ve purchased stickers and buttons from them, both bundle a digital song with the product.  SO, instead of just selling a fan a button, they get the button with a digital code on the back instructing them to go to “xxxx.com”, hit redeem, enter the code, and there’s your free song!  It’s very cool.  So essentially, you’re selling digital downloads from your merch booth.  Yeah the song is “FREE”, well, actually your just combining the sale price into your button.  More on this later…

You may also want to consider a new media marketing company to help with your viral awareness, online press and blogs, and overall media strategy….but honestly, this can cost a lot of money, most of which you wont make back on an EP.  Just see to it that your online experience is fully executed…meaning you must be sure you have a profile on every major network site, each is constantly updated, provide an abundance of content like videos (live and produced), pictures, songs, artwork, merch, etc, and utilize free tools like mailing lists and mobile texting.  I don’t recommend over doing it, though.  I hate visiting pages with more widgets than fans…

Remember to build locally, expand regionaly, grow nationally.  It take a very long time…so get ready for the long haul!
Ben

Is it worth touring if you don’t have music to sell?

You’re out there…on the grind!  Trying to get shows, building a name, saving money to record, doing everything you can to accomplish your goals.  You’re musicians…you want to write and share your music.  Sell it to fans for them to go home and enjoy what you do.  So is it worth driving 2 to 5 hours away to play shows if you don’t have any music for potential new fans to walk out the door with?!  This is the question Eric recently asked me.

Here’s a little more info, Eric has 1 song recorded and available as a free download on myspace, they’re working on their EP, playing locally when they can, and have been offered a few gigs 2 to 5 hours away.  He’s wondering if they should push touring before music?  How important is a CD at the merch booth?

Eric…ABSOLUTELY!!  Here’s a rule…and please, everyone…take this to heart.  If you are not yet at a professional level where YOU are headlining and selling tickets…you do not say no to a live performance.  Why?  Because you never know if there will be another.  And when you say no, I guarantee another band a little more hungry is happy to say yes.  You need the impressions, the fans, the relationships with the promoters and venues…you need to play.  2 to 5 hours is reasonable enough…if you said 10…maybe, if it’s the right show and people will be there…but 2 to 5 is your backyard.

But here’s the real reason why….

Your long term success is NOT dependent on albums sold…it’s dependent on TICKETS sold.  You are not a career musician until you can sell enough tickets to pay your bills.  One of the greatest examples is Social Distortion.  Never had that unbelievable “commercial hit”, multimillion selling album…but fricken 30 YEARS LATER…Mike Ness and the boys are selling out 10 nights in a row at the OC House of Blues then driving 50 miles north and selling out another 10 nights in a row at Sunset House of Blues and still touring the WORLD..it’s amazing.  How many of you even know who Social D is?  Please tell me you all do.

Eric, you need fans…and chances are, if you’re at a level where you don’t have an EP yet..you must take advantage of opportunities that place you and your songs in front of an audience.  If they like you enough, they’ll go online and download the song…chances are they’d steal it anyways.  If I were managing you, I’d say pack it up, play the show, and before you go…burn your 1 song onto 50 CDs and hand them out free to every person who signs up on your e-mail list (see below!).  I know you value music, the disc, it’s artwork…but you’re a musician, not a fan…it’s a different experience and perspective.  Soon, music will all be digital and bundled for free with every piece of merch purchased.  I just ordered stickers for one of my bands that has a code on the back for 2 free downloadable songs.  We’ve been handing those out at every show…and guess what..the shows are getting bigger!  That same band I had drive from San Diego, CA all the way to Austin, TX to play SXSW 3 months before we had EPs in hand..so we burned 3 songs on some CDs, slapped a homemade cover on there, and handed them out for free.  Next week our myspace plays, friends, and e-mail opt-ins went up.  Share your music, fans will appreciate it, follow you, then support you by purchasing the album once you have it available.

So go…make friends!

Great question, man…I appreciate it and hope it helps.
Ben

What’s the best way to keep our fans informed?

It’s hard to stay on top of everything.  If you’re moving forward as a musician you should absolutely put as much time as possible into writing better songs…that’s your job.  However, you must also never neglect the marketing of yourself and those great songs you write.  I know, common sense, right?  But I’m amazed at how many artists don’t take advantage of the FREE tools available for their use.  Jason is wondering what tools I’ve found to be most useful for keeping in touch with fans.

Great question…something every new band needs to not only know, but utilize.  There’s no excuse not to.  If you want to rise above the clutter you need to actively promote yourself, find new fans, and stay in constant contact with those fans…they are you’re lifeline.

You absolutely need a mailing list.  I know, I almost feel ridiculous saying it…it’s one of the least techy tools out there..but still the most important.  Contrary to what you might think, not everyone is on myspace.  So what good is posting a tour date or news bulletin that people may not see.  Some might, but others wont.  You need direct contact.  It’s also a great indicator of how many true fans you have.  You may sit on tens of thousands of myspace friends…but you know as well as I that only a fraction really care.  I highly recommend ReverbNation’s mailing list tools.  They really are great.  Very easy to use, provide a ton of statistical information, and best of all…FREE.  Go to http://www.reverbnation.com and set yourself up with an artist profile if you haven’t already.  While you’re there, you’ll find other valuable tools like street team functions, tour widgets, banners, and “tunepacks” (links you can send to people to hear your music).  With all the options and distractions your fans have, why rely on the assumption that they’ll continually come to you for information?  You need to feed it to them.  Seriously.  You wouldn’t believe how many times I’d receive messages on my bands’ myspace pages asking “When’s the next time you’re coming to ‘insert your city here’?” when it’s right there in our tour dates…trust me, the best way to keep your fans informed and a part of what you do is still e-mail.

Also, don’t just exist on myspace.  I often wonder what would happen to the independent musician community if myspace went bye bye…think about that.  You’re trying to start and run a business and most likely your main point of contact, information, and media is 1 website that you have no control over.  You think that’s wise?  Trust me…I know it’s a pain updating ALL the various community sites…but do it.  Set up pages on the top 5 or 6 and link them all together.  It offers more exposure and less dependence on one source.  By the way…I heard myspace is no longer going to allow ANY external links from band pages!!  No links to merch, youtube, itunes, mailing lists, touring…nothing.   I don’t know if it’s true or not, but if it is…you might want to start thinking NOW about setting something else up…like your own website.

I can go on and on…but the question is staying in touch with fans.  Set up your mailing lists and send out at least 1 newsletter a week with interesting information!!

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

Publicity…

Where do you most often learn about new music?  It’s getting harder and harder to find great bands.  Some how you need to find a way to stick your head above the crowd…you have to get eyes, then ears, on you and your music.  My friend Richie hit me up asking if it was worth spending $2500 for an indie publicist to work his band for a 3 month campaign…

YES!  Absolutely man…go for it.  That’s an incredibly reasonable price, too.

I’ve seen a resurgence over the past couple years on the importance of press and the potential impact it can create for great bands.  Now that MTV is lame and Radio plays the same homogenized, redundant songs there are fewer and fewer opportunities for new songs to reach the masses through those antiquated mediums.  Press is still a very viable outlet for independent artist to get a little momentum.  Here are somethings to expect and prepare for:

1. Be realistic with the amount of press you’ll get.  No publicist can guarantee coverage and because you’re not on a label, not touring, and don’t have a story yet it’s often times hard to convince a publication to cover you.  It’s the whole chicken and the egg scenario…you need press to build your story, you need a story to build press…so what does that mean for you?
2. You must be incredibly proactive in creating and giving your publicist reasons to continually pitch you.  DO NOT just send the album out and wait for people to fall in love.  You need to send the album out, make a video (then have you publicist hit his/her contacts saying “so and so just posted a great new video), book local shows (then have your publicist hit up every publication in that city no matter how big or small for reviews/features), plan on posting a new piece of media every week for a month (then have your publicist hit up various sites notifying them of your activity and pitch you for a feature), and continue with any new and creative ideas…YOU need to provide the reasons for people to care.
3. Stay on top of your publicist.  I’ve had great and terrible experiences…the problem with paying most  people is once they get the check they’ll work as little as you let them.
4. This is critical – make sure your publicist not only pitches you to magazines but also everything online including webzines and bloggers!!!  When people start to know your band, you want them to google your name and find an abundance of sites featuring/talking about you.

You have to invest in yourself.  Not enough bands are willing to take that risk.  Hire the publicist and make sure you’re band is in a position to take advantage of the possible impressions that come from it…have your songs ready for download, shows on the calendar, and constant updated information.

Oh, and one last thing…once the press starts rolling in…make sure you post blogs and bulletins about it…let your fans know the press your getting so they can read along, it creates a great impression of you.

Ben

How can we afford to tour with these gas prices?!!

I can’t tell you how happy I am to work from home…seriously.  It cost me $80 to fill up my tank yesterday and I immediately thought of you guys…with the rising cost of gas it’s crippling the young, touring bands out there.  And in perfect timing, James sent me an e-mail asking for advice on what to do because they simply can’t afford to tour.

Topic – What to do when you can’t afford to tour

Advice:
My opinion on touring has dramatically changed over the past year.  For me, the bottom line is this…unless you’re supporting a legitimate, headlining band that will give you the opportunity to perform in front of at least 100 new faces every night…don’t tour.  What?!  I know…crazy.  Contrary to everything you’ve heard I’m sure.  Here’s the thing…can you pull 300 kids from your hometown yet?  No?  Then you’re not ready to tour.  Yes?  Then what about your neighboring major market 3 to 5 hours away?  Can you pull 300 there?  No?  Then start working on that.  You see?  Why drive to Ohio if no one there wants to see you?  People rarely go to shows excited about the support bands..that leaves you in the position of performing for people who really don’t care.  Now let’s say you drove all the way to Ohio…you’re incredible and have great songs..you play for 50 people as the opener..and 5-10 people love you.  Great.  What are they going to do for you over there?  You can’t get to them unless you’re on another tour…can you afford to do that?  Drive out for those 10 people?  No.  Instead, you need to focus your attention on finding the next 10 local people who love you. People you can play for on a monthly basis.

Fans are fans.  It doesn’t matter where they live.  Gone are the days of hitting the road and breaking your band.  I know the purists are going to argue with me on this one..but forget the national van and trailer routine.  Take your time.  Build locally, then regionally, THEN nationally if the nation wants you.  You can spend 2 months on the road performing for mediocre crowds, sell a little merch, get paid next to nothing for your performances, and come home in debt…OR play once a month to a sell out 340 capacity venue and make $3000 on performance and another $800 in merch.  Do that in your surrounding 4 major markets and you’ll make money, keep overhead low, build a fan base, and see results.  “But I want to be a household name and a famous rock star, not a hometown hero!!!”  Get over it.  hahaha.. I don’t mean to be blunt…but seriously..get over it.  If that’s your inspiration…you’re about 10 years too late.  Moving forward, and I’ve said this before, only those you are motivated by the  sincere passion of music will have careers.  Find the fans in your backyard first…then build from there.

Ben

What should I do to become a band manager?

Sam sent me a message asking what I recommend for someone about to graduate high school and interested in artist management.  College or experience?  Sam mentioned the degrees in music and asks if that’s something he should pursue…he’s working with a couple local bands, but wonders what management companies, like mine, look for in new candidates.

Topic – Path to become a manager
Which is better, experience or a degree, to become an artist manager?

Advice:
Sam…go to school.  Seriously…go.   We are in an incredibly exciting time as all the rules and methods are changing.  I’m learning every day…and the biggest lesson… the way in which the music industry has functioned for over half a century no longer works.  WE get to redefine how to manage, develop, and possibly break artists.  So you’re most likely saying to yourself, “that all sounds like experience…right?!”

Here’s the thing.  When I was about to graduate high school, I was in your exact shoes…I wanted to manage bands but had no clue how to get there.  My high school band (I played guitar) was managed by Darren Lewis (manager of Everclear who at the time had their big album “Sparkle and Fade”) and I learned a lot by listening and watching and soon realized I liked what he did more than what I was doing in the band.  I decided management was my calling but had no clue how I’d realize it.  So, by default and buying time, I went to college until I could figure out how I’d land in either LA or NY.  In the process I graduated with both a Humanities and Business Finance degree…neither specifically related to music at all.  BUT, I’d read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on about the music business and self-applied what I learned in college to the lessons taught by industry professionals in these books.  So I had a rough idea of how things worked.  From there you can read the “About Me” section and follow the path…

As a manager, if you’re a good one, your job is to run businesses.  Your job is to find a way for your band to make more money than it spends…to develop fan bases, to build relationships, to sell product, to run an efficient machine, to brand manage, to target market, and so on.  Every day I’m grateful for my business education and even more grateful for my finance background.  It will be your job to build tour budgets, merch cost/revenue models, band operating expenses, insurance, studio budgets, marketing budgets, revenue forecasts, etc…there’s more to it than updating myspace pages.  Again, you’re running a business…get a business degree.

There are certainly some who jump in and run, and that’s great…but I’ve seen a lot of those guys fade quick…especially now.  It’s just too hard to “wing it” in today’s climate.  Now there are certainly some fundamentals you MUST know and understand.  I highly recommend hopping on Amazon.com and start buying every industry book you can find…and read every word beginning to end.  And don’t just read…absorb.  Take those as life lessons.

I also highly recommend interning during the summers.  Be available, open, learn, watch, listen…immerse yourself in what you love and want to be.  That will help with the “experience” side of your education and application of lessons.

I personally like seeing a college education on a resume.  It shows me you have the determination, follow through, patience, background, discipline, and character others don’t.  If you don’t take the time to invest in yourself by obtaining a degree, why would I think you’re going to invest the time necessary to build and develop a business for our bands?

Beside, when this all goes to hell you’ll have something to fall back on…you’ll thank me then! ; )

Ben