Hi there. My name is David and I'm in an Irish band heading to SXSW for the first time called, STRAIT LACES. I'll be blogging about our SXSW experience for KnowTheMusicBiz.com. If you’re interested in what we have to say and want a taste of what Strait Laces is all about then you can check us out at straitlaces.com. Enjoy.


So ahhh, it's Monday 8th March, and I've woke up with a
schedule of things I have to be getting on with in preparation for next week at
SXSW, everything from getting paperwork ready for our last Visa interview
tomorrow, buying batteries for my pedals, strings for my guitar and telling all
you lovely readers how it's all coming together through this blog.

We leave next Monday morning, early, and fly Belfast - London - Chicago - Austin.
This will be our first time heading to SXSW so once we land in Austin I
literally don't have a clue where the venues are, where we are staying (we do
have accommodation lined up, don't worry I’ll not be on the streets :) ) and
generally what to expect from being an artist at the festival. Having said this
I would be curled up in a ball, crying on the floor right now if it hadn't have
been for our management, Jen @ Bruised Fruit Management, she’s  been taking the bull by the horns the past couple of months with setting out plans of how we were going to make the most of this opportunity! Since finding out the good news that we were going, it didn't take me long to realise that SXSW is a festival full of opportunity. We are not going there with a smug look on our faces thinking that everything will be set
up for us, we are there to have a good time, party when we can but ultimately we
are there to work!

One thing that is set in stone for us in Austin is that we
have lined up 9 gigs during the 5 days of the festival. We have been on tour
before and have played gigs night after night but never for example, 3 in the
one day (March 20th) Being the singer I am a bit apprehensive about
this. I can’t wait to play every single show, but I guess one that will
hopefully stand out will be the “Belfast Rocks Showcase @ Latitude 30 // ONSTAGE
12.30 pm” I believe this is the first UK showcase of the festival in the
British embassy hired venue, we are the first UK band to showcase there this
year! Awesome!

We recently wrote a song based around a chain of events that
happened in War World 1. The song is in two parts and is called “Kids like John
Need A Hero (The Glorious Dead)” It’s recently been recorded but as of yet,
unreleased. On this song we got a local Irish rapper called Slaine Brown to
guest some vocals. Unfortunately Slaine will not be at SXSW so we found this
guy, Homeboy Sandman : http://www.homeboysandman.com/ Homeboy is currently
putting his own lyrics to the tune. The reason I’m explaining all this is
because at the “Belfast Rocks Showcase” we are collaborating with Homeboy
Sandman and he is going to perform the song with us (practiced or not...uhh ohh)
It will be the first song we are playing in the set so...

...now, for the shameless plug, if you want to check it out “STRAIT
LACES @ Belfast Rocks Showcase @ Latitude 30 // ONSTAGE 12.30 pm” there will
cds with the song available and a free customized “Kids like John Need A Hero”
army shirt!!!!

Our main aims at the festival this year would be, 1. Have as
many people watch us play as possible, 2. Give out as many cds as we can possibly
manage 3. To play with Homeboy Sandman and not fuck it up!  Well the last isn’t going to happen but we are going to push as hard as we can to make the first two.  We are all too aware of how difficult it is to get noticed at SXSW each year, we are not going over there with the main aim to get signed, we know what kind of people we want to meet and chat with and what would help us more with our next few releases. Let’s be honest, in an ideal world, you don’t want to be booking d.i.y tours your whole life, so if we
got a few booking agents heads to turn slightly towards Strait Laces and get
into our music, then I think that would be cool.

So that’s it for now and until I get back, I take great
pleasure in the fact that we are a band going there with nothing to lose. We
are a band that has got new songs recorded with something to say, if nothing
happens at SXSW 2010 this year then it won’t be the end of things for us, if
anything it should encourage us even more to better ourselves for the years
ahead!

Strait Laces 2010 SXSW Schedule

16 Mar        15:00

SXSW WARM UP PARTY @ BULL McCABES Austin, Texas

16 Mar

16:00

MUSIC TECH MASHUP @ RUSTY SPURS SALOON // ONSTAGE 4PM Austin, Texas

17 Mar

12:30

BELFAST ROCKS SHOWCASE @ LATUTIDE 30 // ONSTAGE 12.30PM Austin, Texas

18 Mar

15:00

MUSIC GORILLA SHOWCASE @ TREASURE ISLAND // ONSTAGE 3PM Austin, Texas

19 Mar

14:30

MUSIC FROM IRELAND BREAKFAST PARTY @ BD REILLYS // ONSTAGE 2.30PM Austin, Texas

19 Mar

20:00

OFFICIAL SXSW SHOWCASE @ WAVE // ONSTAGE 8PM Austin, Texas

20 Mar

0:00

SXSW PARTY @ BLU LOUNGE // ONSTAGE 12AM Austin, Texas

20 Mar

13:00

IRISH PARTY @ FADO // ONSTAGE 1PM Austin, Texas

20 Mar

19:00

PARTY @ LOVEYS LOOT // ONSTAGE 7PM Austin, Texas

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.

A Question from Scott in Maine

Hi John, First off I'm a huge fan of X, and your solo albums/CD's.
'Forever Hasn't Happened Yet' is a favorite.
Now, I'm a drummer and have only been included in songwriting
percentages on 2 or 3 occasions by generous and realistic, non
egocentric individuals. The rest of the time I'm told to forget it,
you're just the drummer. I feel the drums add a vital and even
essential part to most songs you hear on the radio, and beyond. Why
has the system been set up to not include drum parts ?
Realistically, the drums are almost always 'Written' by the drummer
with his past experiences that led him to a particular session/gig or
whatever. I have been playing most of my life, gigging and recording
for 25+ years. Now, again, I'm in a dilemma. I was verbally told I
would be cut in on publishing/songwriting for a debut CD, then after
recording is over, I'm out. We mutually parted but no mention of
previous verbal agreement. (with two members). They want to pay me a
small fee for the recording, and that's it. Any suggestions?

Sincerely,

Scott 

What Would John Doe Do?

Hey Scott,

Hmmmm . . . this is somewhat of a moral dilemma.
First, I would suggest that you write words, music & melodies; that way you would be assured your writing & publishing percentage. That's sort of the legal bottom line.
Many bands, early on, split writing & publishing money to keep all the band members afloat. When they're more established, the non-writing members forego their cut because the gig money, recording fund, whatever, is paying their bills. IF, you were told your contribution was important enough that you deserved a credit, then they should keep their word & you have every right to speak up & demand your share.
I'm quite certain that, legally, even if an instrument has the "hook" to a song; they are not considered a writer and do not share that credit or publishing. Unless the writer gives them a share. We all play our instruments & develop the song the best we can. That's why people get paid for recording sessions and if they're great players, the pay reflects that ability or creativity. But if there was no structure (melody, words & music) then there would be no song to contribute your part to. For instance, would Greg Leisz be considered a writer for playing his amazing pedal steel parts on kd lang records? There were X songs that I wrote entirely but included Exene as writer because she either edited or inspired the song. On the other hand if it's a "jam" that turns into a song, I would say that everyone playing that jam deserves a writers' credit & therefore publishing.

Hope this helps. thanks for writing & as always,

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 .

 
 

 

 

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

Question from Chris in Austin, TX

Hello Mr. Doe,

My name is Chris, and I am a struggling hack in Austin, Tx. 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 B. Ware, Owner
Branham Amplifiers
Austin, Tx

our band: www.myspace.com/jeremynailmusic

 

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. If 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

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.

A Question from Renee in New Orleans

Hi John,

My question is a little weird maybe but......who cares. My 7 year old son, who happens to be a HUGE fan of yours and got to meet you here in New Orleans a couple of years ago at an in-store, LOVES to sing. He sings everything & all the time and has a pretty good voice. He goes to an arts based school here and we have had teachers tell us what a great singing voice he has (he sang in a local rest. with some musician friends of ours recently). So, my question, when do you think it is too early or just the right time to start with voice lessons? Obviously I know it's different for each kid and I haven't really talked to him about it but just wanted to get your thoughts.
Thanks for answering all these questions on so many varied topics! You're the best and COME BACK TO NEW ORLEANS SOON! PLEASE!!! =)
Renée

Renée Borie Blanche
Covenant House New Orleans

www.covenanthouseno.org

 What Would John Doe Do?

Dear Renee,
   As a parent, I think you already know the answer to yr question.  You give the kid an opportunity to do something he/she might enjoy & make sure that in the earliest stages, it remains fun.  I wouldn't say "OK, 'Bobby' we're going to singing lessons today & every Thursday for the rest of your life, so get in the car!"
  You might talk to a teacher that someone at his school knows & recommends.  Then see what kind of a vibe you get from the teacher & go from there.  There should be a small commitment from the kid; maybe try it for three lessons & if there's no connection then let him wait.
  If he's going to sing, he'll do it regardless of lessons or no; but lessons can teach better mechanics & technique.
best of luck, 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 .

 

 

 

Carla Lynne Hall is a singer, guitarist, and music marketing consultant based in New York City. Her mission is to make music, and share her knowledge with other musicians. As a singer/songwriter, her musical style has been described as "Norah Jones meets Sade for tea on their way to visit The Beatles". For almost twenty years, she has toured the globe as a singer/songwriter, and professional vocalist.

Carla has has spent a number of years behind the scenes in the music industry, in music publishing, management, publicity, and radio promotion. She is the author of The DIY Guide to the Music Biz and Twitter for Musicians. Carla also writes a monthly newsletter, The Soulflower .

To be an indie musician requires an entrepreneurial mindset, and the latest edition of Ariel Hyatt’s Music Success in Nine Weeks promises to “supercharge your PR, build your fanbase and earn more money”. As that may sound like a fabulous claim, many indie musicians may wonder if the book can live up to its promise.

In my own career as an indie musician, I have learned to be mindful of my business goals. To stay on the top of my game, I read A LOT of books on the music business. While some music biz books are filled with contract mumbo jumbo that require translation, others are total fluff, offering pie-in-the-sky promises that don’t show the reader how to get results. Thankfully, Hyatt’s Music Success in Nine Weeks teaches actual strategies that can be put into use immediately.

As the founder of Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR, Ms. Hyatt could easily have written a thinly-veiled promotion piece for her music publicity services. Instead, her book is an easy-to follow nine-week program that teaches musicians how to promote themselves, without any self-promotion hype.

Week 1: Getting Mentally Prepared

Before jumping into the program, the first chapter of Music Success in Nine Weeks program is all about setting goals, and getting into the right mindset. Ariel acknowledges that the music business is not for the lazy or weak-hearted, and that creating realistic goals will create the correct mindset for success.

 Week 2: Your Perfect Pitch

Week 2 teaches how to create an elevator pitch: a description of your music that you can easily repeat in the time it takes to travel one floor of an elevator to another. The best music pitch is easily memorable, and can be used again and again.

Week 3: Optimizing Your Website

In order to attract new fans, a bands’ website must do more than simply play music clips and advertise the next gig. The best music websites compel fans to join your fanbase. Week 3 offers practical suggestions for how your website can become a marketing machine.

 Week 4: Social Media For Musicians

As Ariel herself coined the phrase “Cyber PR”, her expertise of using social networking sites to connect with music fans is obvious. The power that sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter hold to build a global audience has grown exponentially. Week 4 of Music Success in Nine Weeks defines "Web 2.0", and shows you which social media sites a musician needs to create an online presence.

Week 5: Blogging

When the internet first gained popularity, having a static website containing your music, photo, and bio was enough. These days, having a blog on your website enables you to show your personality, connect with other bloggers, and also be found by search engines. Week 5 explains the importance of having a website that updates frequently so that your fans can return to your site, and connect with you.

Week 6: Connecting with Fans Via Your Newsletter List and Conducting Surveys

In my opinion, most band newsletters are selfish, self-promotion emails that aren’t worth opening. Because of this, Week 6 stresses that a band newsletter should be used for more than blasting out the dates for your next gig. Instead, your newsletter can be used to nurture your relationship with your fans. Once your have their trust, you can also reach out to them to ask them what they want from you. It's a lot better than guessing.

Week 7: How to Build Your Mailing List

Once you have an email list, it's also important to add more names each month. Week 7 shows you tips and tricks to grow a healthy fan email list.

Week 8: Real Live Networking Tips

In addition to having an online presence, it is still important for musicians to meet people offline, and make connections with them. Week 8 teaches you how to make an authentic connection in person.

Week 9: Creating a Continuum Program

As enlightening as the rest of this book is, in my opinion, Week 9 of Music Success in Nine Weeks is the high point of the book. Once you build your fanbase, and have permission to contact them regularly, it's time to get your fans to purchase merch from you on a regular basis. Whether it's CDs, t-shirts, or any other kind of band swag, creating a product line will make the difference in your band's bottom line.

Another bonus of purchasing Ariel Hyatt's Music Success in Nine Weeks is that you get free lifetime membership to Ariel's closed online Mastermind Forum. In the forum you meet other musicians like yourself who are working the program, and you have the added support of Ariel and her staff.

There is no lack of book titles in the indie music business help section, as well as the musicians who buy them. However, in the case of Ariel Hyatt's Music Success in Nine Weeks, this book’s true power is teaching you that you can increase the level of your success.

But it’s up to you to follow through.

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.

Hello John,

I have been writing songs for some time now and it's been a dream of mine to record my own record. The local recording studio near my house gave me a handwritten price quote of $2000.00 to record, mix, master my recordings and cover the costs of a couple of session musicians. It seemed like a lot of money but the people there seemed to know what they are doing and I wanted a professional recording of my material. Now that the recording process is over a couple of things happened that have left me confused and upset. The person in charge at the studio helped me with melodies on two of my songs, now he says he wants 25% ownership of those songs! He never told me that his help would give him part ownership of MY songs. If I had known that I would have stuck with my original melodies. Additionally he is now asking that I sign a producer agreement that gives him 3% points on my sales. Shouldn't these "agreements" happen before I started recording, not after? I have already paid for the recording session in full but now he is won't give me the masters until I sign his agreements. Are artists always treated this way by people who offer "help" in the music industry? What would John Doe Do in this situation?

With much respect,

Amanda

 

WWJDD?

Hey Amanda,
   I'd love to kick this guy in the shins for you!
First of all, you have ALL my sympathy. This is totally unprofessional & YES these agreements should be negotiated before the session.  The first thing I thought of was how can you break-in or bring a couple of big, nasty goons & physically take back yr tapes.  Then of course I realized there are no tapes. I suppose you could do that to his computer but . . . doing 1 to 3 @ the State Pen for breaking & entering & robbery probably isn't that attractive. One way to avoid this is to use your own hard drive, possession is "9 tenths of the law".  BUT what's done is done.  You could get a lawyer but that means more money & too much time & effort.  You probably should make a complaint to the "Better Business Bureau" & tell anyone in yr town who cares, what a shitbag this guy is.
  Now, to solve yr dilemma. Even though what he's asking for should have be settled before recording, a producer's fee isn't uncommon.  Standard is 3% but that applies to established producers.  Offer him a 2%, producer's fee.  Regarding the melodies; go line by line & figure out what percentage yours to his melodies are used in the songs that he contributed to. That may be difficult but be generous & make yr best guess.  This way if he questions how you came up w/ the number, you will have a plan. Then offer him half of that percent of the writer’s credit, since I'm guessing he didn't write any of those words.  Also he would not be entitled to any publisher's royalty.  If none of this is acceptable to him, take him to small claims court, maybe you'll get Judge Judy.
  This is a lot of wrangling for, probably, not much reward ($$) but there is always a chance that the song could get licensed to some movie or TV show & that can be big dough.  Let me know if I should dust off my brass knuckles, be tough & best of luck.
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 .

 

 

Swank currently resides in Chicago, Illinois where he does radio promotion and tour press for Bloodshot Records. Previously he spent 7 years at Yep Roc Records as head of radio promotions. Swank also has a collective 20+ years as on air talent in both commercial and non-commercial radio, 5 years as an entertainment journalist for the Nightlife in Carbondale, Il, a six month stint as a stand-up comedian and has written, produced & directed 3 one-act plays. Joe Swank and the Zen Pirates self-released Hank Williams Died for My Sins on November 10, 2009.

I started playing music rather late in life. I was in my mid-20’s when I joined my first band. Mostly covers at first, but one by one, I started incorporating originals into the mix. Fast forward past several bands and two albums and I was starting to wonder how this music thing seemed to take plenty of money, but never really gave all that much back.

The music I have always played is best described as Honky Tonk. Honky Tonk fans make up a VERY narrow band of the Country Music crowd. They are the ones who seek out artists/groups like Dale Watson, Shaver, Wayne Hancock, Whitey Morgan and Hank 3 ….or to a further extent, Drive-By Truckers, Slobberbone and The Waco Brothers.  

My first record (The MoJoDeans – The MoJoDeans 1998 – Relay Records) was almost all my money invested. The band fund kicked in a few hundred dollars, and I ended up eating around 8K over the course of 2 years. Funding recording, hired radio promotion, keeping us on the road and general expenses. A key band member moved away and the band broke up. It was then I realized if I was going to invest in music, I was gonna need to get my name in the title, or it was virtually a wasted investment on my part as far as branding my music was concerned. The second record (Joe Swank & The Mule Skinner Band – Cowpunk! 2001 – Cowpunk Music/Self Released) was recorded in exchange for my Honda Shadow 750. The band had problems that can all be traced back to medication, and was a short-lived project. By the time mixing and mastering was done, the band no longer existed. I pulled together a band and about 200 copies of the disc for CD release and then put it to bed.

I already had eyes on North Carolina as they seemed to have the most thriving record industry outside of Nashville and L.A. I moved to North Carolina in 2001 and started working at Redeye Distribution in order to figure out where the money goes and how to get some of it back in my pocket. This was supposed to be a temporary warehouse job that would help me do it right the next time. I would learn where to spend the money vs. where not to waste my time. Something funny happened along that path in that I ended up taking a full time job with Yep Roc Records (owned by Redeye Dist.) and actually started liking the Rubik’s Cube that is the music industry. I became intrigued with the different patterns in an attempt to get to the same end.

This, unfortunately, put MY band on the back burner. I tried to keep up on nights and weekends, but time just wasn’t on my side. As I got deeper into the business, there was always something else to research and study. Just when I thought I had it almost figured out, the whole game changed with a little thing called the internet broadband connection. The computer was relatively useless back in the dial up days, but the high speed connections changed the game. I-tunes also changed the game. Pretty much everything that happened on the internet in the last 8 to 10 years has eventually changed the game.

I released our record HANK WILLIAMS DIED FOR MY SINS on November 10^th, 2009. I formed the Zen Pirates in Raleigh in late 2001. We played around and worked up a mess of my originals and tried recording them in 2002. Two days in, the sound just wasn’t right and we scrapped to re-group. Second attempt at recording in 2004 was with a cat that got a last minute gig offer to go on the road. He stored the hard drive with nearly a completed record. I have not seen him (or the $800 I paid him) since that day. Third attempt was in 2006. 3 songs in and the engineer got called away to a 3 month job in Ohio. Finally, (with an entirely different band than when I started), I got all the ducks in a row and booked studio time with Rick Miller in 2008. Between the time I booked the studio and the recording date, I was offered a job I couldn’t refuse. Despite my 7 years in the industry at this time, I was still a one trick pony as far as my views of how a label works, so I decided to make the leap, accepted the offer and literally recorded the album in the two days before I got in a U-haul and moved my life up to Chicago and went to work for Bloodshot Records.

The last year has been a difficult time of booking for overdubs and trying to mix from 850 miles away. I flew down a couple of times to do what I could in person, but ultimately, half the disc was mixed without me present. In the end, I had to remove two cuts because they just weren’t where I wanted them to be. Had my mastering done here in Chicago where I could be present, and finally called it done.

2 constant truths about the music business:

#1) If you don’t tour, don’t bother

#2) If your #1 concern is making money, join a cover/tribute band.

Now, without my presence in North Carolina and everyone in the band having a full time job, it’s pretty clear that we’re not going to be able to tour behind this record, outside of weekend bursts when all of us can get away. On top of that, we play Honky Tonk. Not a large demand for such a splinter genre. The Americana/Roots section at the store is already small enough, and there are some road warriors out there that deserve the coveted slot a lot more than we do. So what does one do with a record that doesn’t have much of a chance? Why even MAKE the record in the first place?

Ars gratia artis is latin for “art for the sake of art”. I have had many of these songs in my head for several years and needed to document them to let my brain move on to the next creative endeavor. The amount it might reap at the end was never even a concern. It would’ve been SO much easier on me to just call the 7 years in N.C. a wash and get a band together in Chicago to do the songs, but these guys in the Zen Pirates are the best band I have ever had and we’d been playing the songs so long that I knew they would nail it, and nail it they did. Now we have a finished disc and with the knowledge I have in my head about how the industry works, I knew it was a relatively dead project coming out of the shoot. Any artist will tell you, sometimes you just have to do things, regardless of how well thought out they may or may not seem at the time. 

BUT…There is hope. This new-fangled internet thing can at least give me exposure to a large number of people that, until the last few years, would’ve been unreachable. Tunecore is a godsend. With a nominal fee and a few weeks waiting time, they can post your record to most every major digital site in the game. You can hyperlink a button on your site to take people directly to your album. This is an amazing leap forward in getting music out there. Granted, it is also easier than ever to get free copies of stuff off the net, but one hopes that people who actually like the music, would want to compensate the artist. Myspace and Facebook are both huge tools to get the word out on your music and each day, new opportunities show themselves. Café Press is another site that is truly helpful in getting you some merch. Your take is about 10% for the use of your logo, but it at least makes your chosen image available to the general public world-wide. The newest event that I am excited about is the ability to “gift” song streams on Facebook for a dime. This business is BUILT on nickels and dimes, so even if that gifted song only shows up as a penny in earned income, a thousand pennies can make a different.

From a professional “what-you’re-supposed-to-do” perspective, I mailed around 100 cd’s to radio and about 60 to press. That is dramatically shy of what I would recommend on an artist we’re trying to work with professionally, but I am honing down to the precious few that have shown themselves to be Honky Tonk fans. I am paying for every mailer and every disc that goes out, so the shotgun approach is not an option. Also hitting a handful of Digital sites, but the main bulk of those can be serviced digitally. I have the record up on Airplay Direct as well as a private link I have to send someone the full download with art. Digital Distribution is also a boon to the new Music Industry. Stations that wouldn’t even consider downloading a song 5 years ago, now request digital delivery in an attempt to fight back the wall of hard copy discs that fill rooms in the radio stations. You can save a TON of money servicing people digitally. There are still people that require a hard copy, and you need to factor that in for radio service. I am also currently talking with film & T.V. licensing agents regarding video game, movie and television placement. There are thousands of outlets out there now, many for free or nominal cost. You never know where an album may earn its keep. 

The Zen Pirates will continue on as a band that rarely plays out, but I’ve learned that it’s a very small world and that you never know where the next wind will take you. As for me, I am going to take a break from MY music, at least through the holidays and see how this whole digital campaign works out for us. We have plans to do some touring next year. We’re pondering a couple of long weekends up the east coast and down to Texas, as we have connections in both directions. In the mean time, I love my day job and I’m gonna continue to punch in and try to get the word out about good music that other people have made. If I’m lucky, some of those same folks will find our stuff out there in the digital landscape.

Swank*

Hank Williams Died For My Sins can be purchased at http://zenpirates.com/ as well as digitally at I-tunes, Amazon.com, Shockhound and other fine digital outlets. You can listen to cuts from the record at http://www.myspace.com/joeswankandthezenpirates.  Joe Swank recommends you read this piece if you are looking for a label, as it has many answers: http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/faqs#b

 

 

 

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.

A Question from Ronquaise in Atlanta

Hi John,

I would like to say thank you so much for all of your help. You have really answered allot of my questions just reading and studying your site.  I do have a question, I am a solo artist pop/ R&B I want to know if I should try and put together a backing band or just get backing vocals and dancers? I know it would be easy to travel and allot cheaper, but would I be taken seriously in the music business using backing tracks even with dancers and backing vocals. I am new, and I hope to release my Self released album next spring. I don't want to start out wrong starting out. What happens when it’s not a band but just a solo artist? Please tell me what you think

Thanks,

Ron

What Would John Doe Do?

Hey Ron,

   Regardless of how you present yr songs or what style the performance takes; getting music to the people is most important thing. If you can't afford something, don't go into debt at the start of a project.  Though my field isn't R&B, I'm sure that now-a-days many artists w/ complex backing tracks use pre-record. Are you sure that you need dancers? If the audience in the clubs where yr performing expect that, then bring them. 

  Have faith in the material & make every effort to get to the audience that will understand yr style of music. Stripped down versions of good songs can be very compelling but you don't want to waste time at singer songwriter clubs if yr record is very slick & produced. Try to find yr gut feelings & trust them.

I hope this helps, best of 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 .

 

 

Chuck Prophet made his bones with influential LA Paisley Underground’ers Green on Red and now enjoys a successful solo career as a songwriter, guitarist and sought-after producer. Chuck will release his new album ¡Let Freedom Ring! on October 27, 2009 via Yep Roc Records.

 

I wished I'd have guzzled lots less alcohol and fucked lots more. I sort of wish I hadn’t bitch-slapped a promoter who cheated me. But what good would the crystal ball have done? The journey is the destination as they say.

Try not to take yourself too seriously. Try not to be terribly precious -- but it doesn't hurt to be obsessive and dogged. To have some inner drive to get it right.

"Take the time to get things right." Ike Turner taught me that.

I was always a big Ike Turner fan. Especially his obscure solo records from the 70's. In 1990, I saw an Ike Turner Soul Revue gig in San Francisco at the Last Day Saloon. There couldn't have been more than 20 people there. It was gloriously unorganized.  Ike and his band played Proud Mary like five times and then left the stage. Ike came out for the encore by himself and sang Alice Cooper's Only Women Bleed at the Fender Rhodes. It was perverse, but oddly moving.

Odd. Moving. Cool.

We chatted him up, told him we were fans, musicians ourselves. Ike autographed a record for my friend Stephen Yerkey; he wrote: "Dear Steve, Always take the time to get the right people. Comeback next time, it will be much better. Sincerely, Ike."

Seriously, it's hard to say what I wished I’d known then... One thing that occurs to me is that I feel sorry for kids today with crappy MP3's. When I was a kid I really had to seek things out. I had to seek out the music and find a culture weird enough for me to identify with. And most of that came from listening to records. It really opened up my world. And the literature and films and all that came with it…

It was the records that pointed me in those directions. From the Clash through The Sugarhill Gang, to Joe Ely to Townes. From Ry Cooder to Wim Winders through the German Expressionist filmmakers... and Dylan to Woody Guthrie, to the Stones and Robert Johnson… Petty to JJ Cale, and on and on through world history.

I come from a fairly conservative, non-musical family. I begged for guitar lessons, got golf lessons instead. I just don't think there's much of anything dangerous about dropping out and joining a band these days. But if it's fun, then I suppose it's as relevant as ever.

What to look for / watch out for in managers, attorneys, band members

You mean like, ask for five references and call the last one first? Heck, I don't know anything. You can hire lawyers and managers and all manner of sleazy ten per-centers/experts to help you navigate these decisions, but ultimately nobody else knows anything either. And even the ones that do are full of BS one third of the time.

It's true. Better yet, maybe just find someone you trust. If you have someone who's a true believer in your corner, that's worth more than an army of so-called experts. You have to have blind belief in what you're doing. Making a decent record is a lot like coaching high school football. You've got to be smart enough to do it and dumb enough to think it matters. It does matter. And it's the music that fuels the business, if there's any business at all to be had.

As daft as that sounds, I really believe it's true. Try not to be an asshole. But it doesn’t hurt to have an asshole friend or two who’s willing to shake things up for you. When people around me begin a statement or request or whatever with "In the future," my guts churn. I guess the best advice I can give is to listen to from within. Shit, that’s what the Quakers do and they won the Nobel Peace Prize. If it doesn't feel right, it's probably not.

No man is an eyelid, and as much as everyone would like to cut out the middle man, there's nothing like the power of a gang; in guys that have your back. So surround yourself with cool people. There's the writing, and the recording  and the live show to think about. Fact is, you'll end up getting in bed with some good people and you'll ending up getting in bed with some people you’ll come to find you don’t want to wake up next to.  And really, it's hard to tell until you're in the heat of battle who's got your back and who doesn't. So, in order to get your music out there, just fucking do it.

I've done both, woken up in both of those beds. But ultimately it's about the music. Every great musician has some bad decisions in his past. Don't get too tangled up in the business side of things. Who wants to be in a band to listen to a cash register? Wait: don’t answer that one.

You need much more than a good lawyer. You'll need luck. You'll need lightning. Then you can pay a lawyer to give you his opinion if it makes you feel better. If you can stay awake. 

Just pay attention to the lightning.

And listen for the thunder.

The advantages or negative impact of technology on the business

MP3's are crappy sounding. That's a fact. Vinyl has always sounded better. But I try not to get too hung up on how the music is delivered into my psyche. It's easy to forget that it's all about the song, the mystery, the magic in the grooves. That X factor that makes you return to a record and not just put it up on the shelf after one listen.

That's the dope that you want. It's the dope that's important. It's not the needle.  If you got to have it, you just got to have it. On cassette, vinyl, CD or whatever. If you need to hear Dusty Springfield singing The Look of Love ,you'll seek it out.

And it’ll echo forever.

Advice you would give your favorite independent artist or band

“Don’t eat the brown acid” was the lesson from Woodstock, right?

It helps to be a fan.  Learn other songs. Learn them, then unlearn them. Substitute your own life, your own absurd observations, your own point of view or lunacy into the frame.

Everyone needs to work to get by. Try to get a job where you have some isolation to think. The best job I ever had was parking cars. I once had a job parking cars at KMEL radio station in San Francisco, "America's Most Hip Hop" radio station. After I'd climb in behind the wheel, out of boredom more than anything else, I'd routinely root around the cars’ contents. Don't know what I was looking for. I swear I never took anything more than an Altoid mint (or two). But I loved that job, it afforded me: I had a lot of time to think about songs and scheming and plotting new records. It was actually a very happy time for me. And the structure was healthy. Or so I think.

Step away from the computer. If you're to inspire people, you'll need inspiration.  Inspiration is in everything, in everyone. Take the time out to visit the odd Hunting Lodge.  The more taxidermied animals on the walls, the better.  Also, find a guitar that stays in tune. If you can't, find a guitar you love and play it every day. You'll get to know it. And you'll get it to behave and do things for you after a while. Get intimate with its personality.

I still play the same 1984 Fender Squire Telecaster that Green On Red bought me when I joined them. Yeah, yeah, yeah: I know there's some kind of irrational attachment going on. I own others, but I've never played any other guitar than the Squire on a gig. Not sure why, maybe because it knows all the songs and I don't. Like Excalibur's Sword, it gives me power; or like that lucky pen -- when I play it everything just flows through me. If just everybody had one of these things, I'd probably still be folding underwear at Nordstrom's.

But really, I can't stress this enough: Seek out your own culture and your own music.

Seek things out.

Once, in a studio in Scottsdale, I ran into Lee Hazlewood. He was working in an adjacent room producing demos for a local New Country singer and he'd assembled a group of housewife vocalists out of the union book to sing a background part imitating a train whistle ("Whoo whoo"). One woman turned to me and asked, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Is this guy for real?"

Yeah, he was. Lee seemed to enjoy holding court for us, he gushed enthusiastically over Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy (a big hit at the time) and told us, "Gram Parsons would have shot watermelon seeds if he thought it'd get him high."

Years later, Nancy and Lee did a reunion tour and Lee refused to give any interviews. But man, he spilled it that day around the water cooler. I still have the business card he gave me in the top drawer of my desk.

I'm a fan first. For me, every time I make a new record, it's the same process. I assemble of group of talented, intense, difficult people. Many of whom I've work with before and a few I'll probably never work with again. And pray we can capture lightening bugs in the rain.

Hope the gods smile down on us. Cause you need all the help you can get.

Never quit being a fan. I don't really have any advice for my favorite artists. They’re more like teachers to me. And never quit learning even if you have to unlearn everything first.

The value of music and musicians

Oscar Wilde wrote “All art is useless.” And Oscar Wilde was a fine artist. It’s okay to believe both. Music’s art. After all, Andy Warhol said this, “You’re getting people to spend money on something they don’t need.” Think about that. You’ll need a little hustler in you.

I mean, if you can entertain yourself then there's value. And if you're having fun doing it, that's

something too. I'm not totally behind the everything-should-be-free theory. I mean, if I really wanted to put that to the test I'd move into Chris Anderson's house. There's really no value. There’s a point between every other point, isn’t that what they teach you in school? Infinite. But does that mean you can’t walk home from school?

I know that in recent years there's been an increase in well-adjusted musicians out there. Fuck, even I might have become one of them. But I'm not sure that returning every e-mail or MySpace message makes anyone more interesting. And as much as I love the freedom the internet provides, I do miss mono-analog-vinyl culture. I like it when records bring people together. And I do agree with Robert Christgau when he says that people generally do a better job if they’re

getting paid. These days, I see journalism really taking a rabbit punch and that's sad. 

I never really thought of music as a vocation. In fact, I don't have a job. I'm not sure I'm actually making a living. So what do I know?

Just listen to what your guitar is telling you. Unlearn your songs. Then learn them again.

And watch for the lightning. It’ll come.

Come back next time, it’ll be much better. Sincerely, Chuck.

Chuck Prophet

Autumn 2009, on the road somewhere in England

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.

A 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.