Hello and welcome to a brand new edition of Haulix Advice. This column exists to offer guidance to independent artists and those hoping to better their careers through the use of insight given by people currently working in the music industry. If you have a suggestion for a future installment of this series, or if you would like to add your advice to an upcoming column, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.
Moving away from the festival-related pieces we offered throughout September, today’s Haulix Advice column is on an area of music people often write-off as a mindless gimmick: Cover songs.
Having spent the better part of the last decade working in music, I don’t think a single week has gone by without a reputable artist releasing, or at least performing a cover that made national headlines. It may seem like a cheap ploy to ride someone else’s coattails, but as proof by the continued success of Fearless Records’ Punk Goes… cover series it has become alarmingly clear in recent years that the market for good covers is far more serious than previously believed. Almost every solo artist and band has performed and/or recorded covers in the past, but from what we’ve seen it seems far less understand the proper way to use this marketing tactic to their advantage. So, without further ado, we’d like to present you with 4 tips for making the most of your future cover songs.
1. Timeliness is next to godliness, but nobody like a rush job (aka Nobody cares how well you cover Rebecca Black). When choosing a cover to record or perform, it’s important that the song you choose has not already worn out its welcome with mainstream pop culture. Your goal with this recording is to attract people already addicted to the original by offering them a variation of something they know they enjoy, but if you wait too long to cash in on any particular hit you’ll find yourself with a great reinterpretation that no one has any interest in hearing.
On the flipside, you have to be careful that any cover of a recent hit isn’t pushed to the public before its ready for consumption. One of the biggest mistakes bands tackling covers can make is not putting enough of themselves into the material, and when you rush to complete a cover you run a high risk of glossing over the aspect of originality all covers need to succeed. This actually works perfectly with our next point, which is…
2. It’s better to pick the song you can perform well than the one currently topping the charts. It does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that those hoping to piggyback off the success of other with a cover would be wise to pick the most popular songs, but the truth is that could very easily be a recipe for disaster. Covers should lean on the popularity of other’s work, but if you’re unable to make their music work for the sound you create then your efforts will not get you very far. Think about what you (or your band) could bring to a song before choosing to cover it, then make it a point to work at refining that cover until your vision for a new version is fully realized. Covers delivered without an original twist, just like those boasting a sound that is unusual for the band delivering the cover, drives away far more listeners than it attracts.
3. People like videos. The availability of digital recording technology has made it amazingly simple for anyone who thinks they can carry a tune to churn out a cover of their favorite track. If you want to stand out from the sea of voices hoping to gain exposure from cover efforts, you will need to do everything in your power to get the word out about your work, and one of the best ways to do that in 2013 is through videos. You don’t have to recreate the clip released for the song you’ve chosen to cover, but you should release some type of stream through video networks such as YouTube and Vimeo. This can be a full-on music video, or something more akin to an intimate acoustic clip. Either way, make it happen. The easier it is for people to find your music is always better.
4. You’re not Elton John, Freddie Mercury, or a member of Led Zeppelin. Get over it. There are those who believe there are ‘untouchable songs’ that should never even be considered as candidates for covers. I’m not going to say whether or not this is true, but as an artist hoping to make the most of a cover you would be wise to steer clear of songs considered classic or ‘known to all.’ It’s not that these songs are incapable of being redone, but like songs who have run their course at radio these tracks have worn down listeners to a point where they no longer desire to hear another person’s reinterpretation (unless, of course, it’s being half-screamed at them from a dingy karaoke bar).
Insight from around the music industry:
“I think the key in picking a solid cover song for your band to record or crank out live lies in the emotion that you can add to the song. You have to be able to make it yours. So, it is important to pick something that you really love. Pick something that moves you. No one has ever said, "Man, I really wish there were more cover bands and lounge singers.” So, if you’re going to take someone’s art and put it out there you have to be able to put your thumbprint on it. It has to floor your audience. Make sure that it not only connects withy our listener, but it also connects with you.“ – Josh Hammond, Publicist (Another Reybee Production)
"If you plan on releasing your covers on YouTube, there are two really important factors to consider, timing and consistency. If you want any chance at viral success, make sire you put out a high quality cover, within a fees days of the song’s release. If you’re looking to gain a substantial following, give the viewers a predictable experience by releasing videos on a strict schedule. That way, people know when to expect a new video to enjoy.” – Joshua Weilding, Digital Tour Bus
“When covering a song it should ideally sound like something you wrote, in your style and with your own spin.” – Jen Appel, The Catalyst Publicity Group
“If you decide to cover the hottest song on the radio, you have to assume that several other bands are going to have the same exact idea. If you’re going to follow through with it, you better make sure that your cover brings something fresh to the table that the slew of other bands may not be delivering otherwise it’ll be lost and forgotten just as quickly as the original topped the charts.” – Brian Lion, Under The Gun Review
