Major labels continue to dominate the music business, but there are at least a dozen indie labels making a healthy living in the age of streaming.
The music industry is not what is once was, and that is a good thing. There was a time in the not too distant past where the gap between major label dominance and successful indie labels felt unfathomable. Streaming and the internet changed things, however, and a new graphic from the folks at Billboard has revealed just how different the business of music has become.
According to an article first released in the April 27th issue of Billboard, in the first quarter of 2019, independent labels collectively accounted for an estimated 36% of U.S. market share when measured by label ownership. With total revenue of $2.3 billion in 2018, the 12 indies highlighted below had some of the biggest U.S. paydays.
The top earning labels have found success by diversifying their portfolios. Concord Music Group, for example, has acquired numerous smaller labels and catalogs over the last few years. Big Machine Label Group, on the other hand, has been foraying into the world of alcohol and spirits with artist-branded products that are then sold through tours and other live appearances.
Several of the labels featured here, including Concord Music Group, BMG, Entertainment One, use Haulix to promote their new and upcoming releases to tastemakers around the world. You can join them and thousands of other industry professionals in using the service today, for free. Click here to discover the Haulix difference.
This post is the latest in our ongoing content collaboration with the fine folks from Sonicbids. Make sure you visit their blog when your schedule allows.
It’s a truism of being in a band that opening for an established act is a sound method to promote your music and get your name out there. When you’re starting out, the chance to open for your musical heroes is a reward in itself; playing on the same bill as a band whose albums you’ve pored over just years before can feel like a dream come true.
But along with the exhilaration that comes with getting the gig, we shouldn’t forget that playing a support slot requires a different approach than headlining the back room of a pub in front of your friends. Here are six ideas about how you can make the most of that short time onstage and maximize the experience of your support slot. Who knows – with a little hard work, the headlining band might ask you to play a few more dates the next time they’re on tour.
1. Get on and off the stage on time
First and foremost, understand this: It isn’t always writing a killer tune that gets you asked to go on tour with an established band. Just as often, it’s getting on and off the stage quickly and efficiently, being courteous and professional to the crew, being friendly and respectful to the headlining band, and sticking around to watch them. No matter how great your set is, if you’re making life stressful for the crew, devouring precious minutes of line-check time, or, heaven forbid, impeding the headliner’s chance to sell merchandise, you’re blowing your chance.
The scenario of the stage manager running around backstage to find the opening band two minutes after they’re due on is common enough, but it’s unacceptable. You won’t get a written warning for this impasse; you simply won’t be asked back. Unless otherwise clearly stated by the headline band’s TM or the promoter, the stage times are not a rough guideline of how they want the night to go. They are strict, absolute orders that denote where your slot is in the running of the night. Follow them.
2. Manage your expectations
No matter what stellar reaction you normally receive when headlining to a familiar crowd, opening for another band’s fans can bring you back down to earth fast. As far as your expectations towards a cold room full of fans of another band, it’s best to have none. Check your ego at the door, and approach the show as an opportunity to understand how your music gets over on its own terms.
Without expecting anything from the audience, you’ll quickly learn to pick up on the fact that just because they aren’t leaping around the mosh pit and cheering your name, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t enjoying your show. And if you do get the room dancing to your tunes and reacting to your every gesture, then you know that you’ve earned it. And if you know you’ve earned it, consider howyou earned it. Understand that, and you’re on your way to being able to make it happen every time.
3. It’s not a competition
If you aren’t a fan of the band you’re opening for, for the duration of that evening, keep it to yourself. Don’t make subtle allusions to it onstage, don’t begrudge a bandd that’s on the road for months at a time a backstage of their own, and don’t discuss them on the internet after the show. Going in with the mentality of “blowing them offstage” is counterproductive; if you manage to impress, it’s with your music, not your contrast to who is headlining.
If you dislike a band to the extent that you can’t bite your lip, then don’t do the gig. But there’s nothing more foolish than the musician who refuses a perfectly good gig because he or she isn’t a fan of the headlining band’s music. A much more efficient use of time would be to take the gig and watch the band from the side of the stage, contemplating what it is that has them over with this capacity crowd to the extent that they’re asking you to open for them and not the other way around.
4. Use your time wisely
For the vast majority of support slots, you’ll have just 30 minutes to seal the deal, so it’s worth planning the set accordingly. Song lengths vary between bands, but I err on the side of caution; it’s better to play seven songs comfortably, perhaps stretching out the last tune, than rush eight. A good rule of thumb is to build to your biggest and best track as song three (meaning people have time to get back from their cigarette or the bar) and end on your next boldest banger.
Time spent talking to the crowd between songs could be time spent playing the music you’re there to perform. Choose a couple of points in the set to speak – after songs three and six, plus during a breakdown in the final song, is ideal. Introduce your band, your latest release, and your merchandise, but keep it short and sweet. And I’ve said it once before, but it bears repeating: don’t keep thanking the headlining band!
5. Be smart about your merch
Before setting up your merchandise at a support slot, it’s worth considering if you require a change of prices and stock. Often, you’ll find that the main band’s team will ask you to price match your T-shirts and CDs to theirs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be savvy about it. Consider manufacturing some cheaper items: wristbands, sticker sets, and posters. These make great pocket-money purchases for cash-strapped youngsters, advertise your band wonderfully, and make perfect giveaways.
The audience members are potential new converts to your music, so win them over tonight, and they may be fans for life. From the stage, announce that you’ll be at the merch table after your set, and potential fans will be only too happy to head over and chat. Giving away signed CDs and items might mean a little extra financial outlay, but include a flyer and website links with every giveaway, and you’ve got yourself a neat little investment.
6. Network – gently!
One of the most maligned, misunderstood, and frankly groan-inducing concepts surrounding the music industry is “networking.” Forget networking. It’s a pretentious word and a counterproductive term for something essential that should come naturally. Introducing yourself and expressing gratitude to the people you’re working with is not a radical marketing strategy; it’s basic manners.
Networking needn’t involve pushing your way into conversations and handing out embossed business cards or foisting your demo into the hands of the headlining band’s singer with a note quoting their lyrics from a rare B-side. Make the acquaintance of the tour manager, crew, and band, thank them for this opportunity, and explain that you’d like to open for the band again any time they’ll have you. If it feels like your presence is unwanted at that particular moment in time, leave it at that. Simply establishing a face to a name is a solid strategy to ensure that next time they’re considering local openers, you’ll be in the running.
P “Barney” Barnes is a campaign manager and blogger at direct-to-fan platform PledgeMusic.com, drawing on extensive gigging and DIY music business experience with rock/ska/electronic mashup merchants Sonic Boom Six. SB6 has released four studio albums, performed headline tours of Europe, America, and Japan, and have written and performed songs that have appeared on BBC Radio 1, Channel 4, BBC 2 (TV), Rock Band, and Sims 3 video games. Barney takes his coffee strong, black, and often, and would one day like to visit Australia.
In a post on Finnish music that went live last week we mentioned our desire to begin exploring areas of music beyond the scope of our Haulix staff. While we like to believe we know a lot about the inner-workings of the music business there is a veritable world of entertainment we know little about, including EDM.
With this in mind, we have begun reaching out to clients and talent with expertise in various areas of the industry in hopes of sharing a more complete image of life in the modern music business. The latest artist to accept our offer is King Complex, a genre-defying talent who has been working to innovate the world of EDM over the last several years. We asked King to explain how he plans to build on the sound he has been refining up to this point, and thankfully for us he was happy to oblige our request. You can find his thoughts, as well as a taste of his music, below.
When I first really started getting into guitar and playing music around the age of 15 I was heavy into the blues. I was digging Derek and the Dominoes, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc. As a result of my influences I developed a very strict idea of what music is and how it’s brought to life. Shortly after I started getting deep into the guitar, something called dubstep showed up in the mainstream. People were buying systems for their cars and freaking out over a show where a guy stood behind a computer, I was far from amused. I went through the next four years very turned off from the idea of electronic music mostly due to misunderstandings and stubbornness. It wasn’t until I was about 19 that I changed my mind on the matter.
I went to Bonnaroo 2013 with the intention of seeing Paul McCartney and a good handful of other bands. I left Bonnaroo 2013 trying to get my hands on every Pretty Lights record I could find. I spent a long time thinking electronic music was cheating because of all the technology that can be used to correct mistakes and take the human quality out of music. I thought the live shows were an excuse for some egotistic producer to press play and fake a performance for people to lose their minds over. I was in the dark, but now I have seen the (pretty) light.
That Pretty Lights show and most of the shows I’ve gone to since have been unlike any other show i’ve experienced or music i’ve heard. The realization that this was something fresh and original was what opened my eyes to what I really loved about all the music I listened to before and the music I will listen to in the future, it was innovative. The blues players I liked were the ones who brought new elements to the game. The rockers I liked were the ones that brought such a variety of influences to an old formula that it sounded completely new. Without the manipulation of sound and technology we wouldn’t have a good chunk of what’s considered The Beatles best work.
Unless you want to listen to rip-offs of your favorite records or just spin the classics forever, electronic music is the future. It’s the biggest avenue toward originality in music. The idea of using a chord change that’s never been heard before is somewhat absurd, but new sounds have unlimited possibilites. These producers aren’t cheaters, but masters of technology, and explorers of new soundscapes. We also have to keep in mind that this style of making music hasn’t been in the mainstream for very long, there is still a lot of evolution left for the world of electronic music. I think we’ll see a drastic change before too long as more musicians come around to the idea. People still use the old formulas to make good music, but great art comes only with innovation.
The other aspect I want to discuss is the live show/culture, which seems to get a bad rep from a lot of “hipster” bashers. Granted we live at a time where people do things simply to be seen doing them, but who’s to say the flower power movement wasn’t made up of people also looking to join the next cool thing? This is an environment where individuality is flaunted with ridiculous antics and clothing, drugs are heavily associated with the scene, and it scares the old people who claim this is a passing fad (similar to the mindset of many adults in the 60’s regarding the electric guitar and guitar bands). The point I’m trying to make is that this closely resembles the origins of rock n roll and the movement that followed. Perhaps this is the millennial’s rock n roll.
Everyone knows Apple is a little late to the streaming business, but if the latest rumors regarding Apple Music are true it seems the biggest tech company in the world is about to become the industry’s biggest bully.
According to severalreports from independent records labels, publishing houses, and artists alike, Apple is allegedly threatening to remove music from iTunes if artists do not agree to the new royalty policy being instated for the launch of the company’s new streaming platform (set to debut on June 30). The company is planning a three-month ‘free trial period’ to celebrate the launch, and according to reports it is asking all artists with music currently on iTunes (aka essentially everyone) to agree to all the company to stream their music royalty-free during that time. In other words, Apple wants to stream your music, or the music of your favorite artist, without paying them a dime to do so. If artists refuse, then the company will allegedly remove that performer’s content from iTunes, thus preventing that artist from earning any additional revenue through Apple-owned services.
There are hundreds of other platforms for artists to sell and stream their music through, but to think what essentially amounts to a ban from iTunes would not impact the livelihood of any artists is foolish. iTunes still accounts for the vast majority of online music sales, and we have heard from several of our own clients and friends within music who have expressed concern over how this new policy may impact their business. Labels big and small rely on digital sales to pay artists, support a staff, and generally keep the lights on. Online sales have dropped in recent years, but they’re still far above the performance of any physical product. If iTunes were to revoke access to their store, the impact could cripple an entity’s ability to maintain the quality of work their consumers expect, or even shutter the operation completely.
Fortunately for the silent, there are some who are not willing to bend to Apple’s will, as Beggars Group, the record company umbrella that owns 4AD, Matador, XL, Rough Trade, and Young Turks, among others, explained in an open letter posted to their site earlier this week:
To Beggars Group Labels Artists and Managers:
We thought it was time to update you on the situation with Apple Music, following speculation in the press, some of it ill-informed. Apple have been a wonderful partner for the last decade, and we confidently trust they will continue to be so. We have recently been in discussions with Apple Music about proposed terms for their new service. In many ways the deal structure is very progressive, but unfortunately it was created without reference to us, or as far as we know any independents, and as such unsurprisingly presents problems for us, and for our coming artist releases. We are naturally very concerned, especially for artists releasing new albums in the next three months, that all streaming on the new service will be unremunerated until the end of September. Whilst we understand the logic of their proposal and their aim to introduce a subscription-only service, we struggle to see why rights owners and artists should bear this aspect of Apple’s customer acquisition costs.
And given the natural response of competing digital services to offer comparable terms, we fear that the free trial aspect, far from moving the industry away from freemium services – a model we support – is only resulting in taking the “mium” out of freemium.
We are also naturally concerned, as ever, as to whether we and you are being treated on a level playing field vis a vis the major labels and their artists. Additionally, we have reservations about both commercial and practical aspects of the Artist Connect area. It is a mistake to treat these rights as royalty free, especially in the light of recent licenses with services like Soundcloud.
At the moment we do not have an agreement with Apple Music that would allow us to participate in the new service. However, we very much hope that the obstacles to agreement can be removed, for us and for independent Merlin-member labels as a whole, and that we will be able to fully support this potentially exciting new service in the coming days.
We at Haulix are concerned as well. We may not sell music on iTunes, but we rely on the continued growth and success of our clients in order to continue thriving ourselves. If iTunes makes it more difficult for the people we serve to thrive, they make it difficult for us to do so as well.
Furthermore, our employees don’t exist in a tech-focused vacuum. We have each worked in publicity, or run a label, or even been in bands who had to work day and night for every inch of momentum they gained. We like to think we can relate to the struggles of many of our brothers and sisters in music, and the potential ripple effect from a stiff arm like this is understandably terrifying for many.
We will, like all of you should, be monitoring this situation closely in the coming days and weeks. Apple has set a June 30 launch for Apple Music, but that doesn’t mean the repercussions for not joining the service will take effect at that time. The company has also not yet commented on the many concerns the indie community is expressing, but Billboard has a story this week that predicts the company will send out a mass opt-in email to indies within the coming days. There are even rumors the payout will be above the industry standard 70/30, reaching as high as 71.5% to performers, in hopes of selling more people on the three-month royalty free period.
You can follow our official Twitter for more new and updates on this, as well as other major industry headlines.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
When I was younger I watched the Grammys every year with awe, rooting for my favorites and even imagining myself as a nominee some day, walking up to the stage to accept my golden award. A singer/songwriter can dream, can’t she? Year after year I surrendered to the glitz and glam, the eccentric performances, and the fantasies of one day holding my very own Grammy, seemingly the most prestigious award in the music community, proving to the world: I have made it!
Time ticked by and I threw myself completely and happily into my career in music and throughout the years, reality carried me on miles of touring, hours in studios, and the day-to-day duties of running my own business. As I lived my dreams, I gradually watched the almighty Grammy show less and less, even outright boycotting it one year, resigning to the fact that a Grammy was meant only for the superstars of the world, which I would never be, nor was striving to be—an unrealistic goal and intangible dream. It was best to stick to my middleclass place of blood, sweat, and tears, I thought—working hard to make ends meet: the real music business. Real life was traveling, singing my songs, connecting with people—not the life we saw projected so disingenuously dazzling on TV.
Then one day, short of a year ago, a fellow musician invited me to a networking mixer at a local bar, hosted by the San Francisco Recording Academy chapter. Having been hibernating in the studio finishing up my new album, I thought it was a good idea to get out and meet people in the local music scene. I ended up seeing a lot of people I knew, as well as making new friends. I learned that the mixer was actually an after-party for the San Francisco chapter’s Music Business Night School, a weekly series of panels that they host every year with professionals presenting topics pertinent to the music business. I hadn’t known this program existed and the more conversations I had, the more I realized that I hardly knew anything about the Recording Academy and in fact, the Grammys was just one thing out of many that the Academy is responsible for—it’s the highest profiled event, so it’s what most people are familiar with. I learned that the Academy is made up of 12 chapters around the country, and I even knew some of the board members. They were musicians and local professionals I had met over the last few years—my peers. Suddenly, the elusive and impervious Recording Academy had faces—familiar faces—and I was instantly less intimidated by the connotations of its title. One of the board members, who I had incidentally met years ago when we both played with the same drummer, encouraged me to go online and read about the San Francisco chapter and apply to become a member. I read that their mission is “to advance artistic and technical excellence, work to ensure a vital and free creative environment, and act as an advocate on behalf of music and its makers.” [www.grammypro.com]. I applied and became a voting member of the Recording Academy, which was actually empowering and fulfilling, knowing that I had a voice in the biggest honor in the music industry: the Grammy!
I met a lot of new people, members of the Academy, independents just like me, in all genres: singers, songwriters, musicians, producers, engineers, both in my local chapter and, thanks to the Internet and touring, other chapters too. And then came the forever-mind-changing nugget of knowledge that slapped me in the face: some of these indie artists have been nominated for a Grammy, and some are even Grammy winners! After a moment of stunned wonder, I connected the two dots: If they can do it, I can do it. In other words, you don’t have to be a megastar to win a Grammy after all. It’s possible for an indie musician too.
This all occurred during submission season and since my new album, Follow Your Heart, had just been released, my fellow members recommended that I submit my new music for the Grammys. With help and support, I did just that and as it turned out, the two songs I submitted were accepted onto the initial voting ballot. I was so excited and proud, and this was another stepping stone to unburying a once improbable dream hidden away—a mirage that turned out to be real after all.
During voting season, I saw the amount of hard work that eligible indies who had their music on the ballot for consideration did to get their music heard, in order to gain more exposure with the hope of achieving enough votes for recognition with a nomination. I learned and networked a lot, and made some amazing friendships in the process. And when the official nominations were announced, I barely gave a moment’s grief to not being on that list as I was so profoundly excited to see some of the names of people and albums I had grown to know and love, and some I had voted for in black ink myself.
It was a sensational whirlwind attending my first Grammy awards show this year. After a week of pre-parties, concerts, and networking events, I got all dressed up in support of music’s biggest night and saw some of my new nominated friends accept their first Grammy at the pre-televised awards show (where the majority of Grammys are presented before the televised edition). When their names were called, it felt like a win for all of us indies in a way. Their Grammy-seeking journey, all the way up to the big win, is nothing short of a massive inspiration to the indie nation and most definitely sends a clear message: It ispossible.
I’m still trying to navigate my way as a new member of the Recording Academy, but so far it has been a motivating and educational experience. In recent news, the Academy has announced the Grammy Creators Alliance, with initiatives to advocate for music creators’ rights, an effort in fact for the working musician. I don’t know if I’ll ever be nominated for a Grammy, but I can say that I’m grateful for discovering a whole community of like-minded music professionals that I now have access to, and this experience has given me a sweet reminder, as it should for all artists, signed or unsigned: don’t be afraid to dream big.
Katie Garibaldi is a San Francisco based singer/songwriter, who released her seventh album, Follow Your Heart, in the summer of 2014. It is her first full-length release of all new compositions since her award winning Next Ride Out in 2009. The album, produced by Garibaldi, was recorded at John Vanderslice’s world-famous Tiny Telephone Recording Studios in San Francisco, CA, and was engineered by Ian Pellicci. It features some of Garibaldi’s most personal songs, and includes performances by notable musicians, including the Magik*Magik Orchestra. Brent Black of criticaljazz.com calls Follow Your Heart, “Americana music that transcends genre and geographic location,” in his five-star review of the album.
Hello, everyone! We have been waiting to released this interview for a few days, but transcriptions sometimes take longer than expected. We finished today and thought it best to go ahead and push it out right away. Double post Tuesday, anyone?
This blog exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
It’s been a while since we featured an up and coming industry talent who is somehow managing to juggle multiple high profile projects while maintaining an impressive GPA. Emily Hakes hails from the thriving city of Philadelphia with a passion for music that has been developing since her early teens. The world probably should have known she would be an industry lifer when her first show was Van’s Warped Tour 2007, but here we are seven years later and she’s just now starting to get the notoriety she deserves. From her work at Bad Timing and Lame-O records, to her fast developing skills as a publicist, Emily is quickly ascending to the heights of young music professionals everyone aspires to reach.
Last week, I was able to connect with Emily over the phone for a half hour conversation about her life and experiences up to this point. I knew next to nothing about her going in, aside from the various project I knew her to be connected with, and walked away feeling as if I made a very important new friend. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Emily will be able to accomplish anything she sets her mind to in this industry, and I am incredibly excited to see her achieve her various goals in the years to come.
If you would like to learn more about Emily’s adventures in the industry, make sure you follow her on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Hello, Emily. How are you this afternoon?
E: I’m doing well. Just started my day a few hours ago. So far, so good.
H: I know we’ve tried to schedule this a couple time now, so I am happy we finally able to connect. How is the weather in Philadelphia today?
E: It’s actually great today. It’s been bad this week. It’s been rainy and humid a lot, but today it’s sunny.
H: To be honest, I’m fairly excited about this interview. We have covered the people you work with in the past, but you’re someone who has been making moves in this industry under the radar for a while at this point and I think it’s high time you get credit for all you do. Tell me, when do you think you first fell in love with music?
E: I think I started listening to music of my choosing around 14 or 15. I started with a few records I got from a friend’s older sibling that I listened to a lot, as well as Paramore and Fall Out Boy type stuff because I was young. The records that stuck with me were Motion City Soundtrack, Brand New, and Death Cab For Cutie, who are still some of my favorite bands today. I would say I got my start in pop punk music, but those bands carried my interest over to other things.
H: Falling for music is something most people do at one point or another in life, but taking that passion and attempting to transition it into a career is fare more rare. I don’t want to jump too far ahead in your story, but can you recall a time when you first started considering the possibilities of a career in entertainment?
E: It’s kind of a funny story. I go to Drexel University now, but before that I was in high school. I went to a college fair and they had pamphlets for the Music Industry program at Drexel, which happened to have a summer program with it. That was something I had never heard of before. I loved music, but I lived in the suburbs and had never considered it as something people did for a living. Reading that set me on the path to pursue the industry.
H: Interesting. We usually do some basic music history questions and I’m realizing now we skipped right over them. Let’s fit one in: Do you remember the first concert you attended?
E: I think my first concert was Warped Tour 2007. I don’t think I went to any events before that with my parents, and if I did I do not remember them. I saw All Time Low, Hawthorne Heights, and a few others. I don’t know that there was a band I really wanted to see. My friend was going and there were a few bands I knew who were there. I wasn’t completely into the world of punk yet, so it was something I did mostly just because I thought it would be fun. It was definitely a weird first concert.
H: You mentioned Drexel University. You’re still enrolled now, correct? I believe you’ve only got a short while left to go.
E: I’m in my senior year now. I graduate in March.
H: As someone who has already accomplished a lot in their young career, would you encourage aspiring industry professionals to attend college?
E: I’ve got a weird relationship with that kind of question. I know that I probably wouldn’t be doing a lot of the things I’m doing today without going to this school, but it’s not necessarily because of the program. It’s more the people I met here and the environment we’re in. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going to school for something like this due to the cost of higher education, but at the same time – if you’re in the suburbs and need a way into the city it’s not a bad way to go. So I don’t hate the idea of going to college, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for everyone. It’s more about the relationships.
H: Okay, so you enter school and then about a year ago two big things happen: You have an internship with SideOneDummy and you launch your own label, Lame-O Records, with Eric Osman. Which came first?
E: Technically, SideOne came first. Lame-O was started by Eric, who is one of my best friends, and he started it on his own to help Modern Baseball put out their album. When he was doing this, I was giving him advice and helping, but I wasn’t technically working at Lame-O because it wasn’t really a business. Then right before I left for LA to do the SideOne internship he asked me to really be a part of it. I said yes, entered the partnership, went to LA, and then when i came back I really dug deep into the Lame-O stuff.
H: Let’s start there. What inspired you to apply for SideOneDummy?
E: That is one of my favorite record labels. It’s one of the first labels that I knew of because they had The Gaslight Anthem, and they continue to be one of my favorite bands. I wanted to know more about the label and people who put it out, so I dug into their artists and discovered people like Chuck Ragan, Fake Problems, and so on. They were one of the first labels I connected with like that, and from then on I kept up with them. For a while I was going to work with Zack on Bad Timing’s first release, but then I saw S1D put up something and I decided to apply. When they called, I talked to Zack and he supported me. He put me in contact with Jamie Coletta, who is amazing, and things came together from there.
H: What do you think was the biggest lesson you learned while doing your internship?
E: I learned a lot. Jamie is incredibly good at her job, and she taught me the basics of how things are done. On top of that, she taught me one of the most important things that I needed to know about email, and that is that it is your job to follow-up with people. There’s nothing wrong with sending a couple of emails, people get it, and that’s something she taught me.
H: Do you have any advice for others thinking of starting a label?
E: It’s a stupid and cliche answer, but you just have to do it. Everyone has reservations when it comes to starting something new, but it’s important that you get past that and just do it. It’s not as hard as it seems, and you will understand that once you just do it. Everything I have been a part of, both Lame-O and Bad Timing, came from people just doing something they wanted to do.
Whatever you think your idea is, trust that it is a good one and try it.
H: I want to fit in a little discussion about the other label you work with, Bad Timing Records. They’re a bit newer than Lame-O, and right now they have a lot of stuff going on. How did you initially get involved with the label?
E: Zack went to school with me. I kind of mentioned it earlier, but before the SideOneDummy internship I had spoken to him about working for Bad Timing. I was going to do that until S1D came along, and then when I got back they told me their horror stories from trying to pack their first release. We talked and that’s where things started. As the business grew I began taking on more things.
H: Is working with Bad Timing that different than Lame-O?
E: I think it’s pretty different. It’s similar in that they’re both starting up and we encounter similar issues at times, but Thomas and Zack have more industry experience and know a bit more about the music business. Lame-O is a bit more relaxed, and we are figuring things out as we go along. I do similar jobs for both, even though I do have more control at Lame-O. We both have a lot of ambition.
H: After all you have accomplished, what are your current career goals?
E: I still want to do a lot. On a professional level, I want to have another big record with Lame-O to help make us a powerhouse. I want us to be a real label and not the kind of local thing it is now. I’m also really focusing on trying to make PR my career, as Lame-O doesn’t pay me anything. I’m hoping to get involved with agencies after graduation, and overall I want to improve at everything I do. I think I still have a long way to go.
H: Out of curiosity, do you have any free time left? It seems that between two labels and school you keep fairly busy.
E: I have more now than I did before. The last few years I was also working a food service job in addition to the labels, so that was pretty crazy. I make just enough, or close to enough now through our efforts to cover my rent and needs.
H: Do you still believe music is the industry you want to work in for the foreseeable future?
E: Yea, that’s definitely the goal. I like working in it. I know some people get worn out in the music industry, but that hasn’t happened to me. If anything, I listen to more music now and get more excited than ever before. I haven’t gotten jaded yet or anything, but then again I’m still young.
H: I know we’ve talked a bit about advice already, but I’d like to tap into your well of knowledge once more. Do you have any additional insight to offer aspiring music professionals about making their way in this industry?
E: To get started, go somewhere cool. Go where something is happening and start to make friends. Don’t make it about business up front, just network and meet people who are doing cool things. Develop ideas, work together, and act on the best material. There’s not much more to it.
H: That’s all I have for right now. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or ideas that you would like to share with our readers?
E: Bad Timing just released a new 7” with Kevin Devine, which I think is really awesome. They also have a Knuckle Puck EP, which is doing incredibly well. Lame-O doesn’t have anything this month, so nothing for that. On the PR side, I’ve been working with a band called Hurry and they’re great. Everyone should check that out.
Hello, everyone! Welcome to the first of a few new ‘Advice’ column we have planned for the day ahead. This one in particular is quite special because it was contributed by one of the hottest up and coming alternative acts in the world, and the advice they have to offer could very well aide another developing act in reaching a new level of success. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
For the better part of the last three years, Stars In Stereo have been working their way up the underground rock ladder of success. From their from their first practice in the city of Los Angeles until now they have been focused on proving once and for all that rock and roll is not dead. In fact, it is very much alive, and anyone with doubts need only witness Stars In Stereo’s critically acclaimed live show for proof. This four piece is the real deal, and slowly the rock world has begun to give them the attention they deserve.
Recently, a publicist friend of ours brought Stars In Stereo’s latest release to our attention. After learning of their journey through the various levels of rock recognition it dawned on us that the band may be able to offer some insight into life as a touring artist that otherwise may never be shared. We made a request, and late last week the following submission arrived in our inbox:
5 Tips for DIY Bands
My name is Jordan McGraw, I play guitar in Stars In Stereo and I own a record label called Hundred Handed. When we started this band, we decided that we wanted to do things our way and have control over every step of our career. We signed ourselves to our own label and went for it! So far, it is working out better than we could have imagined. Here are a few tips about what I’ve learned from being in a “do it yourself” band.
1. My first piece of advice for a do it yourself band is to keep in mind that doing it yourself does NOT mean doing it without help. The first key step to putting your DIY band out there is to surround yourself with people that know everything that you don’t about what you are doing or hoping to do. This person could be one mentor at the beginning or a whole team of people. Either way, you NEED someone watching your back and looking for the things you might have missed or might not have learned about yet. For us, the first person to help was our friend and producer/engineer Eddie Jackson. He roped us in when we were going on too far of a creative tangent but was such a close part of the team that he could tell when and what seemed like a tangent was more of a development and would challenge us to go after it. We wouldn’t have found our sound as quickly as we did without him. Once we had our sound and a first batch of songs, we were lucky enough to catch the ear of Craig Aaronson (he signed The Used, My Chemical Romance, Avenged Sevenfold… the list goes on). For the next year, he acted as an A&R type voice, manager, agent… everything. From there we went on to grow into a need for more team members. Best of all, because we are a DIY band, we were able to pick who we brought in based on what we wanted and what they were willing to do rather than just being handed a team and dealing with it.
2. My second piece of advice is to STAND YOUR GROUND. Now you have your team, listen to them but don’t let them push you away from what you want. It’s no secret that the music industry is full of “know it alls” but there is no right answer… There never has been. Hell, tell me I’m full of shit if you don’t like this article… but DO keep in mind that the formula for the music industry is broken. Not in every way… but it is broken. With social media, easier access to studios, the ease with which you can steal music, and plenty of things I probably haven’t even heard of, there is no one way to do things. So, if something doesn’t feel right, challenge your team to come up with a new way to get it done. If that new way fails, try another one.
3. Thirdly, now that you are your own boss, you now have all the time in the world to get through every step of your career. That’s not necessarily a good thing… Taking too much time and being too picky about little details when it comes to EVERY decision will, 9/10 times, be detrimental to your end goal of success (whatever your measure of success may be). BOSS YOURSELF AROUND. Set realistic deadlines for every step of your process and do everything you can to get there.
4. This is a big one to me… One thing that I see time and time again on tours with other DIY bands is the blurring of the line between business and creative on the way up. When you are on tour with a band, make friends with them, hang out with them, party with them, whatever… but don’t turn every hang into a networking meeting. From what I’ve seen, it never works as well as a band thinks it will. A lot of times they don’t make a lot of the decisions anyway (because they aren’t a DIY like you… They have higher ups to answer to). If their manager is around, THEN put on your business hat. If you’re hanging out, grabbing a beer with the headliner after a show, just hang… Don’t start selling yourself for other tours or collaborations. All that fun stuff happens with time and with a good relationship.
5. Finally, this is a full time job. If you’re going to “do it yourself,” expect to do A LOT more work than if you were just going to be on some label where they do the work for you. Lots of emails, late nights, early mornings, hiring, firing, failing, problem solving, budgeting… PLUS the creating, writing, performing, practicing, interviews, photo shoots, video shoots… EVERYTHING. If you aren’t ready for that, then do it another way. Again, there’s no one right answer.
Stars In Stereo have big plans for 2014. Be sure to ‘Like’ their Facebook page and follow the band on Twitter.
