<center>Advice to Up & Coming Musicians/Bands from a Label Perspective
by Beth Isbell, January 12, 2010</center>
As some of you know, I do commission A&R work for a group that identifies & solicits talent for a major label EMI & some other indie labels as well. Some of the artists & bands I've submitted have charted at the top of listener & label reviews, and some have even been signed to other major & indie labels ... (yeah, I know, totally sucks that the labels I work for didn't sign them, since I get no commission when that happens, but still a nice feeling!).
I'm an artist too, but have only been writing/playing for a dozen years & only about half that in public, so I'm just now starting to get good at it, so things haven't happened for me on that side yet, but they are starting too - radio airplay, songwriting awards, bigger & better shows & more fans - but I'm still working hard on getting better & better at the craft. I have goals, but no expectations. There are a lot of awesome musicians & bands out there that can't make a living at it, and I personally know quite a few in that position, so if it were easy ... well, you get my point. But having frequent access & communications to folks at quality record labels that do make these kind of decisions about what makes them sign an artist, had provided me some unique insight into what it takes to build their interest & get signed. And in this terrible economy, they are even more reluctant to sign any musician or band.
I recently received an e-mail from an artist with some great songs, but no touring band, a small fan base, & little to no support, who was telling me about plans to conquer the world this year & hire lawyers, business managers, booking agents, promotion teams, etc. ...
Here was my advice, which is the same advice I would give myself or any up & coming artist:
Yes, putting a team together is a good important goal, but is unrealistic unless you've got a proven & reliable draw, and even then one that extends far beyond your local area. Best to focus on first building up a huge fan base, putting out good music & getting it played on bigger & bigger stations & markets, putting together a steady & reliable touring band that can pull it all off, rehearsing your ass off, and getting good press when those things start happening.
My advice would be focus on those things first & don't put your cart before your horses. As you build up an audience, a reputation & a name for yourself, it will be far easier to find top quality reputable people to fill all those slots to grow the operation even bigger if the demand is there. Having catchy songs & marketing slogans is important, but the key is fans.
Work on creating demand & putting together a team of top flight musicians for your band ... then book gigs, promote & video them, put the best out on the web for future promo, & keep building it up ... first build a great band & a reliably great show, next step booking ... and then maybe a booking agent - but good booking agents will not let you in the door without being a proven draw, great music & a band that can pull it off, & growing airplay or buzz.
Start by targeting clubs in your area that dig your kind of music & bands that have a big draw doing your kind of music, then send friend requests to their fans on Facebook, Twitter & Myspace (& other sites). Try to identify fans that are already pre-disposed to like your music or who are already regular customers of the venues you want to play. Give songs & other items away to attract fans & particularly for those fans that are willing to help you promote or spread the word. If you book a show at a venue & have a good night & good draw, see if you can get recommendations & even a plug from them to other venues. See if your biggest fans & business people that like you & your music have any ideas to help get a show or get the word out, etc. Be nice to the folks that help you & always try to return a favor when you can. Always hone your songwriting, performance & craft. And never ever forget, nothing works without good songs, a good band & a good show! That's always goal #1!
If you get a lucky break or hand up along the way, cool, but never count on that happening. Plan to work hard & do it right! That way when luck happens, you can seize on it!
I can assure you that even if your songs rate really high, without a good touring band, shows lined up, a big growing following & lots of industry buzz, labels won't sign you and won't spend any money on you, and you will never attract the kind of quality managers, agents, lawyers, & business team who might & which you would need to succeed at the next level.
Even when you have all of these things going for you, they still may not sign you/your band ... Remember, the smallest needle in the haystack may still prick the entire balloon. So make sure that you are reliable, great at your craft, willing to work hard & help promote yourself, & that you do not have any personal issues that might create problems for a label or team of folks when considering whether to spend their hard earned money & reputation to help you.
Finally, always keep in mind that if you do it right, you may never even need a label's help!
Peace,
Beth
Friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bethisbell
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Advice to Up & Coming Musicians from a Label Perspective
A humorously serious look at life’s trials & tribulations,
American politics, religion, and other social madnesses by Beth Isbell.
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