Name: John
Email:
Web Site: http://www.TheeJohnDoe.com
Bio: John Doe is the founder of the seminal Los Angeles punk group X, a solo artist and actor. John answers questions from our community members in the WWJDD? blog. Photo by Autumn de Wilde.
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What Would John Doe Do? – Do I Need a “Team” to Succeed?
June 12th, 2012
A Question from Chris Castle
John,
I was a Nashville staff-writer from the age of fifteen until I turned twenty-two. Over the course of those seven long years, I cultivated a great distaste and distrust for the corporate music business- and I’ve managed to avoid it ever since. I personally handle all booking, album production, publishing, copyright administration, royalty collection, radio promotion, publicity, social networking, cover art and design, tour/merch management, html coding… My wife and I have launched an LLC, but it serves only as a legal umbrella. My career is in all actuality, entirely self-driven and sustained.
And I’m okay with that. I write fewer songs than I used to, but at least people are hearing them. The biggest problem for me is having nothing to weigh my successes/failures against. And I’m constantly left asking myself things like: How high would the last album have charted, had I hired a promoter? How many more TV/radio performance-interviews could I have landed if I’d hired a publicist? Am I batting .350 or .110?
So my question to you is this, John:
Can there come a point when an artist is holding himself back by insisting on handling all aspects of his own career? Or is the “old business model” finally dead enough to ignore it entirely (cause in another decade, everyone will have to be fully self-contained)? I’d hate to find one day that I’d sold my songs short, all because I’d spent a decade worrying that the sky might fall. Anything epiphany-inspiring would be greatly appreciated, JD. Thanks and peace.
- Chris Castle
What Would John Doe Do?
Hey Chris,
First, I congratulate you on taking such an active role in yr own career. People in music would be a little more satisfied if they followed your example by being involved & invested. It seems likely that the sky will not fall even if the music business stopped completely. What’s happened is that the old music business has been replaced (because they stuck their fucking heads in the sand for too many years & their choke hold on distribution got blown apart by the internet) by people taking charge of their own careers like you have.
Don’t be driven by the fear that if you hire someone you’ll lose control of your public image. You can turn down any interview/radio/TV that doesn’t feel right to you. You can refuse a music license because it’s selling toilet paper. You don’t have to play some shitty B-B-Q, unless you want to.
If I were you I’d make a list of business things that you don’t like to do or that you don’t think yr particularly good at & find someone that you trust to handle that. Then you can concentrate on aspects of yr business you like & are best at doing. Publishers, booking agents & publicists would be first on my list of people to hire. They have networks that still really work, especially in TV performances, finding those gigs you never would’ve thought of & placing songs for licenses or collecting royalties. To me the aspects that are important to hold onto are the artistic ones like songwriting, record production, art work, merch designs, etc. If you look for other business people to work w/ you might find that they might be better at business than you are.
Letting go of things can be really liberating & I’m sure your wife would appreciate some extra time together apart from your business. And there’s my two cents.
I hope this helps and as always, thanks for writing.
best of luck,
JD
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.
For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com .
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What Would John Doe Do? – Should I Keep My Manager?
January 17th, 2012
Editor’s Note: John Doe’s new album KEEPER is now available. Click here to check it out.
A Question about Management
Hi John,
I have a question about whether I’m better off having a manager or not early in my music career. I have a manager now and my friends tell me I’m lucky to have one since I’m not really making much money at this stage. He is a fan of my music and volunteered to be my manager.
The thing is, I don’t feel comfortable with him representing me or my music to other people. People keep telling me I’ll seem more professional if I have a manager than if I just manage myself and that I need to keep him to appear more “professional”.
What would John Doe Do? Am I better off with a manager than without one I don’t feel 100% about? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Anonymous
What Would John Doe Do?
hey Anonymous,
Thinking that a manger is a status symbol is kind of wrong-headed. They are a business partner or more if you choose.
If this person has similar taste in music & art (you say he does), world view, doesn’t spit when he talks, has decent table manners, is more or at least as organized as you are, has a watch, pen & cell phone, doesn’t offend people (unless that’s something you value) and most importantly, truly believes that you are talented & worth his effort; then by all means let him represent you. You should ask yourself, what can you gain or lose by having him as your manager. That will also help you clarify you own goals. Maybe you should ask yourself exactly why you’re not comfortable having him represent you or your music.
Personally, I look for a manger who has a similar take on the world as I do but is more organized, knows different people than I do & has better grasp of the business of music. It’s also important to enjoy their company since you’ll be talking & hanging out quite a bit. Very simply, he or she is you to the rest of the world until the rest of the world gets to know you or thinks they do.
I hope this helps and as always, thanks for writing.
yrs,
JD
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.
For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com .
What Would John Doe Do? – Music Publishing
October 13th, 2011
Editor’s Note: John Doe’s new album KEEPER is now available. Click here to check it out.
Question from Chris in Austin, TX
Hello Mr. Doe,
Recently I have been involved in extensive songwriting with my chums, and the notion of publishing has come up repeatedly.
Here are my questions:
Is it worth the effort to wrestle through the stacks of paperwork required to maintain complete control over your works, or is it viable to give a publishing house 50% of your money to have them do the legwork?
If you were in my shoes… with a really strong band, really strong material, financial wherewithal and a vehicle, with no exposure outside of Austin, how would you start your assault on the masses?
Thanks for any advice.
Sincerely,
Chris
What Would John Doe Do?
Chris,
Yes it is worth it to control the publishing. If you read any material on the subject (something every musician should do but most don’t), they will all say the same thing. You don’t have to worry about it until you release something & the publishing royalty actually matters. Some record companies don’t even pay “mechanical ” royalties any more, but they all are supposed to. If you are completely inept at working through the paper work you can register your song through a publisher as an administrator who normally takes only 10%.
First I question your phrase “assault on the masses”. How about trying to create a small buzz in your own town? Continue to build your fan base in Austin, using all the usual means to do that. Play as many shows as possible. Stay away from small town politics. Try to get opening slots on shows w/ touring/national acts. And above all, make friends w/ other bands/singers etc. As you may already know this biz is built on relationships w/ others. Having strong attendance is the only way you’ll have a chance at getting a booking agent, which is the best way to get out of town. Obviously you can start by playing in cities nearby. It you have some sort of buzz in more than one area, so much the better.
good luck always. life is struggle.
Yrs,
JD
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.
For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com.
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What Would John Doe Do? – Should I Quit My Day Job?
August 30th, 2011
Editor’s Note: John Doe’s new album KEEPER is now available. Click here to check it out.
A Question from Pete in Raleigh
Hey John,
I’m an aspiring musician who has been playing for more than 10 years and been in a couple of bands. I’m in the process of recording a solo record, but I also have a full time job that would make it difficult to hit the road in earnest once it’s complete.
I’ve been trying to at least explore if there is an alternative these days to “going all in” and leaving the day job to chase the music dream, and my latest idea has been trying to focus exclusively on local performances and trying to get licensing/sync deals and promote the music more broadly through internet channels.
What do you think? Have you seen anybody do this well? Or am I just trying to find a shortcut where thousands have tried and failed?
Thanks,
Pete
What Would John Doe Do?
Hey Pete,
It make me dizzy how many effin ways there are to skin that musical cat these days. Unless yr 20, have no responsibilities & an aching desire to see the world from a rattling van window, you are wise to keep yr day job. or you could just take off & see what happens. If you hate yr day job, what do you have to lose? Even if you did it that would be wise to gain experience by building an audience through social media & local gigs. In my experience you need a publisher or publishing administrator to get a song licensed. That is unless you know someone making an indie movie, webcast or local TV comercial.
One method I still believe in is to give yr CD to touring bands. The easiest way to do that is to get the opening slot when they play yr town. That would mean that you have a pretty good band, a strong local draw & probably write songs that people connect w/. That is one way that has not changed. Since the beginning of musical time word-of-mouth is always the most effective method.
hope this helps, good luck & as always thanks for writing.
yrs,
JD
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com. For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com.
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What Would John Doe Do? – Firing Our Bass Player
August 2nd, 2011A Question from Chris in Chicago:
Mr. Doe,
My bandmates and I are struggling to decide if we should replace our bass player and would like to get your opinion on our situation. I was recently approached by a well known and very talented bass player in our area who expressed interest in playing with us “if we ever had an opening”. Our existing bass player is a capable player and good guy but clearly doesn’t have the chops, experience or contacts of the other interested player.
It seems like it would be a good business move to bring the more experienced player in but it seems pretty cold hearted to throw the existing guy out. So…what’s your take on improving the band’s overall chances of quitting our day jobs vs. destroying a personal relationship with an existing band member and friend? This is tough. We would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Chris
What Would John Doe Do?
Hey Chris,
Yr right, this is the toughest of decisions but it doesn’t have to be “cold-hearted”. First you must be as sure as possible that yr current bass player, even though he’s not the greatest player, isn’t key to yr sound. The most common mistake producers make is to replace the drummer during recording. Then they wonder why the “spark” or uniqueness has gone out of the band’s sound. Next, be sure that you like to hang w/ yr perspective replacement, since “hangability” is probably much more important than contacts (likely won’t mean very much) & “chops”. Then, ask yrself how enthusiastic are either of the bassists? Especially in the beginning, drive & a positive outlook can make a huge difference in the life or soul of a band. Finally, if you do decide to replace the old w/ the new, do it in a kind, diplomatic way. no reason to be a jerk & create hard feelings.
hope this helps & as always, thanks for writing.
yrs,
JD
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.
For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com.
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What Would John Doe Do? – Singing Technique Tips
June 7th, 2011
A Question from Jon
Hey there John!
I’ve been a huge fan of X, the Knitters, and all of your solo work for a long time. You always sound great live when you’re singing even when you’re moving around. I’ve been having trouble with getting volume out of the mic, and I was wondering how you get your sound. So what, are you yelling your head off? Do you have an amazing sound guy that tours with you? Were your vocal chords blessed by the pope? What exactly does John Doe do?
Thanks in advance for any help you give me.
- Jon
What Would John Doe Do?
Hey Jon,
It’s really pretty simple. Yeah I guess that I have been very fortunate to have good genes and, knock on wood, no accidents w/ my voice. But other than that there are several basic techniques that will give you the best out of whatever you have. First is learning how to project & breath from yr diaphragm, not yr lungs & throat. Any vocal coach/teacher can show how to start doing this and then it’s just a matter of practice. Projecting is how you get volume from yr voice. And as you learn more, you’ll find out that it will help you sing softly too. Don’t forget there are plenty of great singers that sing quietly. But that takes vocal control too. After that, which will take yr whole life if you keep paying attention, it’s simple stuff like not doing the following: smoking, snorting coke, drinking rot-gut, smoking crack, screaming & yelling w/ yr pals all night after a show, and doing the following: sleeping, drinking water & again, not smoking. If you do get hoarse, rest & gargling w/ salt water usually does the trick for me. See, really quite simple.
I hope this helps and as always, thanks for writing.
yrs,
JD
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.
For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com.
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What Would John Doe Do? – Band Power Struggles
April 5th, 2011A Question from M.R.
Dear John,
I’ve been playing my own stuff for about 7 years and doing very well with it! I moved about 2 years ago far away from my main stomping grounds and although I’ve toured all over the country, I happened to move to a large city that I’d never played in before, on TOP of having my first child. So… I took a little break. Trying to get back into it has been the hardest thing ever but I managed too get my foot back in the door in a brand new town. I found myself with this band of people who were all amazing musicians with ‘connections’ out the wazoo. We started out as Me & The Band (this is the way we billed ourselves, but I’m obviously not using the real names). After about 4 shows that went wonderful, some of them with big named people, they decided to mutiny and basically ABSORB me into THEIR band… Long story short.. they are holding their connections over my head saying I’ll never make it in this town without them so I better play with them. My role in the band now is to play/sing the songs that I’ve written on the side of the stage while they do some of their originals (instrumentals mostly). They want me in the band because “everyone loves this band this way” but they won’t give me credit or any say even over the set list or stage plot…. I feel like a sell-out b/c they are holding the fact that I don’t know anyone (have even threatened to bad mouth me if i leave) and the fact that I have been out of it for a few years over my head. But I know my music is better than that…… what would you do?
- M.R.
What Would John Doe Do?
Hey M.R.,
YIKES ! ! Unless you can use this kind of bad situation to write great songs, it seems like a real drag. There can be a positive sort of competitive edge & power struggle that exists in band dynamics but it doesn’t sound like that’s happening. It also sounds like petty, small town politics and a type of musician that will never really achieve more than limited success. I would move on, enjoy yr kid & yr life instead of hanging out w/ a bunch of selfish, frightened, dream crushers.
hope this helps & as always, thanks for writing.
yrs,
JD
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.
For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com .
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