"Well, we were going to wait until we got a label behind us to tour/ promote our record"
The last time we brought you Music Industry Red Flags, we told you how your band must have velocity. Today we are going to discuss what not have velocity sounds like coming out of your mouth. What an experienced manger, booking agent, label person or whoever is looking for in a band as much as good songs is motivation and "the hunger." No one who is hard working and experienced in this industry wants to work with a band who is happy sitting at home and enjoying their life. In fact one of my very smart friends who used to work for a successful Indie always said he looked for bands who hated their life at home so they would always be on tour. This is not crazy news to most people, yet so many bands find it totally acceptable to say things to industry figures that could be phrased better or could just be left unsaid. After the jump we will discuss how to spin a lot of these truths like you were a Fox News commentator.
The last time we brought you Music Industry Red Flags, we told you how your band must have velocity. Today we are going to discuss what not have velocity sounds like coming out of your mouth. What an experienced manger, booking agent, label person or whoever is looking for in a band as much as good songs is motivation and "the hunger." No one who is hard working and experienced in this industry wants to work with a band who is happy sitting at home and enjoying their life. In fact one of my very smart friends who used to work for a successful Indie always said he looked for bands who hated their life at home so they would always be on tour. This is not crazy news to most people, yet so many bands find it totally acceptable to say things to industry figures that could be phrased better or could just be left unsaid. After the jump we will discuss how to spin a lot of these truths like you were a Fox News commentator.
"Well, we were going to wait until we got a label behind us to tour"
This is an easy one to cure, we understand that it is not feasable for a lot of bands to tour. You may have commitments or whatever, it is understandable. But saying the above statement to a label paints you as someone who waits for things to happen to them rather than someone who is proactive. If you change this to talk about what you have been doing or say something like "we have been concentrating on building a local following first." It at least sounds like you have have been doing something instead of waiting for the record label fairy to drop a contract under your pillow at night.
"We wanted to shop it around before we released the songs"
Ugh I just looked at the calendar and it is 2009 and there is this thing called the Internet where everyone can listen to music INSTANTLY! No label is going to consider it a deal breaker that you put some songs out to get some hype for your band off a record they may potentially release. If anything they want to see what the worlds reaction to the songs. Keep in mind many label people are simply guessing what people may like and don't even listen to the genre they work in. Get the songs out there once you have a master, show you are hungry. A band that is too eager is much more welcome in this industry compared to another lazy band waiting for someone to discover them.
"We wanted to get the perfect lineup before we started to promote these songs"
Duh! My head hurt just typing that one. Getting the perfect lineup can take a lifetime, if you are really hungry and by hungry I mean you can't wait another day for people to hear your music you would never say something this stupid. Get the music out there, go out and socialize, and play shows. If you play out and get a following you will have many more options for great members and the perfect lineup. In the mean time work with the one you have and upgrade on the way.
This is an easy one to cure, we understand that it is not feasable for a lot of bands to tour. You may have commitments or whatever, it is understandable. But saying the above statement to a label paints you as someone who waits for things to happen to them rather than someone who is proactive. If you change this to talk about what you have been doing or say something like "we have been concentrating on building a local following first." It at least sounds like you have have been doing something instead of waiting for the record label fairy to drop a contract under your pillow at night.
"We wanted to shop it around before we released the songs"
Ugh I just looked at the calendar and it is 2009 and there is this thing called the Internet where everyone can listen to music INSTANTLY! No label is going to consider it a deal breaker that you put some songs out to get some hype for your band off a record they may potentially release. If anything they want to see what the worlds reaction to the songs. Keep in mind many label people are simply guessing what people may like and don't even listen to the genre they work in. Get the songs out there once you have a master, show you are hungry. A band that is too eager is much more welcome in this industry compared to another lazy band waiting for someone to discover them.
"We wanted to get the perfect lineup before we started to promote these songs"
Duh! My head hurt just typing that one. Getting the perfect lineup can take a lifetime, if you are really hungry and by hungry I mean you can't wait another day for people to hear your music you would never say something this stupid. Get the music out there, go out and socialize, and play shows. If you play out and get a following you will have many more options for great members and the perfect lineup. In the mean time work with the one you have and upgrade on the way.
Your politics hurt your credibility as far as I'm concerned. Last I knew, Fox was far from cornering the market on spin. They just tend to spin in a different direction from the rest of the Marxist media.
To the other comment: Because fox news commentators don't spin anything right? By the way, I would hardly call that tiny little political joke using politics in this article. and haha and the Marxist comment. You sound like a loon.