DIY Extravaganza + Free Advice!

So you have a band, great. So you've recorded an album, great. Now what? How does a band go about getting the attention of a music supervisor? A label? A manager? What are some avenues that you can take to promote yourself? What do things like 'record deal' and 'publishing contract' mean to musicians these days? These are questions that have been bothering Buzz Staff.
We've heard it said before that people who can help usually will help if you just ask. So we asked. We asked Maggie Vail of Kill Rock Stars. We asked Chris Funk of The Decemberists. We asked Mike Galaxy of Band Promote. We asked Matt Brown of Bladen County Records. And we asked tour manager Rachel Demy. We tried to get the answers that we as musicians should know, but don't. Before we get into it, we'd like to thank the people put their time and energy into answering questions from such a tiny little website like Ten Second Buzz. We'd also like to mention that the interviews are separated by the dotted lines, otherwise the whole thing turns into a visual nightmare. So with out further adieu...
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Band Promote is a Promotions & Marketing firm based in Los Angeles and run by industry veteran Mike Galaxy. Since 1996 he's been helping bands with all aspects of their career: radio promotion, industry relations, film and TV placement. Band Promote is a great source for musicians who need help navigating the intricate landscape of the music business.

-What does a publishing contract mean for musicians in this uncertain musical and economical climate?
Bands and Artists should only sign with Publishers if A. Publisher offers advance monies for signing (Exclusive deals). B. if publishing agreement is non exclusive, in which case try to opt for administration agreement only. C. if publishing company is very reputable, and pro active in getting many placements, or licensing opportunities for their clients. Licensing is one of the most financially rewarding part of the music business today, so it is imperative for all bands and artists to immediately get their songs registered with performance rights society (ie; ASCAP, BMI, SESAC), then seek out a reputable publisher, administrator or song plugger to represent your music. Publishers generally control an artists catalog and all licensing while earning a percentage of advanced Synchronization fee paid by production company, as well as royalties earned. Administrators simply receive earned royalties on behalf of their client/band while retaining small percentage, and are generally in place only to retrieve foreign royalties. Song pluggers are individuals or companies with relationships with film and TV music supervisors. Deals with song pluggers are generally on a song per song basis. Monies are collected by artist, then small fee or small percentage is paid out to song plugger agency.

-Since many Publishing companies do not accept unsolicited demos, how does a band nowadays go about getting themselves solicited?
Most major music companies including Publishers, will only accept materials from reputable sources and trusted music professionals. This would include managers, attorney’s, agents and others with proven track record. The reason for this is legal protection on their part. Bands should first reach out to tastemakers and scouts in the industry. there are thousands. These persons are the ones scouring the net and night clubs for the next best band. Rule of thumb is that if a band is great, they will get noticed by someone who knows someone etc. persons at local press, radio, etc will most likely have contacts with bigger companies.

-Lastly, if there were a road map from band inception to publishing deal what would some of the mile posts look like. In other words, what are a few necessary things a band must have, or have accomplished, before a publishing deal can become a reality?
There isn’t really a road map to getting a publishing deal. Its all about creating great songs. Songs that are licensable, and placement friendly.

Getting publishing deals are very difficult for indie bands and artists. Artists are usually approached by publishers only after an artist has signed a record deal. However, on some occasions, publishers will approach indie bands and artists and offer deals. The deals are obviously much better when a band has record deal in place as a bargaining chip.

Bands with really fantastic, well written songs are an obvious attraction to publishing companies. A band with local or national attention is a plus as this helps the publisher in their efforts to sell or license the compositions to music supervisors. Music Supervisors role is to find a fitting song for a scene, preferably from a band that many might recognize, while keeping their budget to a minimum. A great book for all indie bands and artists is “Music Money and Success” by Todd and Jeffrey Brabec. This book will answer all of your questions about publishing, administration and licensing.

Thanks for your time, Mike!

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Next, we turned our attention to the music business from a musicians point of view. We caught up w/Chris Funk of The Decemberists while on tour in New York (and we woke him up from a nap, we might add. Sorry Funk!)

-If there were a roadmap from The Decemberists inception to their current success, can you tell us what some of the mileposts looked like?
I think Kill Rock Stars and Hush Records were are starting point. Having a label really gave us a reason to tour, knowing we had people in an office trying to promote our music as we were driving around in a van. This has changed so much in such a short amount of time, that is labels and there relevance for promotion of bands with record sales dropping so much. I'm not suggesting labels no longer have any power, because they do. However the window became very small for the amount of new artists that labels are willing to invest marketing dollars into. The upside of that is the internet is free, and an artist can reach more people on their own now.

-What would you say is the most important component that a band needs to add to their team before they can hope to attract attention on a larger scale, be it label or otherwise?
Yea, I'd say label first of course. And if you can't find a label, then a manager who has experience if you are lucky enough to have someone believe in your music enough to work for basically no money at the start. A good manager will know what your next step will be, and as I hinted at before there are so many alternatives to traditional labels out there to promote your music that a good manager will know how to plug you in.

-How in the world does a band in PDX get people to come out to their shows? Any creative techniques that The Decemberists used to use?
When we started, it was just posters and that was about it, but no one really came until we started touring and left town. I think we were at one point drawing more people in San Francisco and New York City than our home, which was a little strange. So more specifically, I credit our local draw to Kill Rock Stars and Hush. I think another happy accident we fell into was not over playing the city after a while, which was a result of touring for 5 weeks and then needing a break from the band. The band used to play a monthly at the White Eagle, and weekly at The Rabbit Hole (which is now the Night Light I think), and then mulit band bills at the Black Bird, or wherever anyone would have us. I think it common to believe that exposing your music to anyone and everyone all the time is the way to make fans, but I think you have to have more of a strategy and just not over play. Let's face it, when you are starting out, it's your friends and family coming to see you play. Bands may think their friends want to see them play every other week on a tuesday night at 11pm in a smoky bar, but most of those people have jobs! So I guess try to make it an event when you play, try to get a weekend and make it a blow out! Also, Portland seems to have a huge house party culture which I think only works in some idioms of music, like indie or punk. But you know, free beer means an instant audience I'd think. And beyond all of this, I think there is a huge amount of right place in the right time going on, simply mixed with how much people are actually connecting with your music. You can't force an audience or success, and at the end of the day just enjoy the experience as an artist or band can get easily bogged down an miss the point.

-Lastly, will you join my band? Just kidding. Thanks Funk!

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Kill Rock Stars is a fantastic label! If Buzz Staff could pick one label to get signed up on, it would be KRS fo' sho. Not only have they carried many of our favorite artists, but they are located just down the street from us in NE Portland.
Maggie Vail is a busy woman with many talents. She is Vice President of A+R, she is director of west coast operations, and she is head of marketing. Sheesh! On top of all that, she found the time to answer our questions.

Hi Maggie!

-In your opinion, how important are social networking sites like myspace, facebook, etc, to a label when it comes time to consider a band?
They are mildly important. I guess I see them as part of a bigger thing. Like I think it's really important that a band already have it's act together when they come to a label. that is going to be most appealing to me and those sites are part of that equation. I am most interested in a band's touring history though but a solid web presence doesn't hurt.

-Oh, the unsolicited demo. Those were the days, eh? But now that labels rarely accept unsolicited demo's, what are a few things that a band must have accomplished before it can hope to be solicited for a demo from Kill Rock Stars?
Ideally we are far more likely to talk to you if you've been on a US tour or two already. I always like to see some kind of self release and small buzz in the artists hometown.

-Lastly, what should a DIY band expect when making the transition to getting signed in this musical and economical climate?
That it's harder than ever to make a living playing music. We look at our relationships with bands as true partnerships and we're in this together. Finding a label isn't the end of your hard work, it's really only the beginning but the good news is we'll be working just as hard alongside you.

Thanks, thanks, thanks Maggie!

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Bladen County Records is gathering quite a roster. A look through their talent pool is basically a look at some of the best bands in Portland. We seem to run into BCR owner Matt Brown all over the city, so we decided to put some questions to him.

-Can you tell us about how you started Bladen County Records, and a little about the direction in which you hope to take it?
Joe Bowden and I started BCR to put out a record for a band that we were playing together in at the time – Montauk Ghost. As we were putting that record out we realized that we had friends that were making good music that we could release as well. We knew very little about how to be competitive as a record label. We knew how to get the mechanics done and we had friends in the industry that taught us the rest along the way. We’ve kept doing because we enjoy it. We’ve had to work harder than we thought we would to make this happen but we’re enjoying every step of the way.

-What does Bladen County Records look for in an artist, and how do you usually find them? Do you accept demo's?
We accept demos. Most of what we’ve acted on has come thru friends or because of the exposure we’ve gotten from some of our bigger acts.

-Since you obviously deal w/promoting the bands on your label, do you have any advice or resources for bands looking promote themselves more, other than the usual myspace/facebook?
Promotion comes thru good PR partners. Which is costly. But is about the only way to get a record noticed on the national level. That and touring. For radio we use Spectre and for media we use 2:30 Publicity. Our partners there are now very key to our business. Our distributors are the other big part of the puzzle. Nail does our physical distro and IODA does our digital. They get us promotional oppurtunities that would otherwise be hard to come by.

-Lastly, other than having the guitarists girlfriend manage the band, any thoughts on how a band can go about finding a reputable manager that will help guide their career?
Managers are a tough part of the business. You need someone focused on furthering the career of the band. That someone needs to know a good bit about the industry and how to network. If they don’t, then they need to beg a successful manager to let them intern.

Thanks Matt!

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Chances are, you don't know Rachel Demy. But you do know bands that she has tour managed (little bands--like, oh, Brian Jonestown Massacre!). She moves behind the scenes and has the incredibly stressful job of making sure that everything runs smoothly, everyone shows up on time, and no one gets arrested as a band makes its way along its tour route. She's been on the road for months, but found some time for our questions.

-How did you get your start as a tour manager? And can you tell us a few bands that you have worked w/in the past?
I began working as a tour manager over 2 years ago, which isn't very long in this business. I took to it pretty naturally as I was a booking agent/assistant before that, helping with tour logistics for bands like The Decemberists and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. I got my start as a tour manager about 6 months after I quit that job, working with Richard Swift, The Notwist, Jens Lekman, and doing various one-off shows with The Decemberists as well. It felt like a natural step into tour management and a great way to capitalize on my OCD-tendencies for making spreadsheets.

-With the music business as uncertain as it is currently--big labels consolidating, bands getting dropped, indie labels alternately thriving and collapsing--has this affected the way you decide who to take on as a client? And if so, how?
You know, it really hasn't affected me much at all. The beauty of tour management is the buffer I get being on the road with the band - I am able to cultivate exactly the kind of relationship I want with the artist without dealing with much of the industry politics. Don't get me wrong, the industry is highly political and I'm not exempt when I'm on tour - but I definitely felt that more on the booking end of things, where people owed people favors and it was never so much about sonic compatibility when bands would tour together. It was hard for me to constantly have bands shoved down my throat because the industry buzz deemed THIS band as the next big thing (though there was no album, infrastructure, or tour experience). As a tour manager, there is already a base level of hallmarks a band has to hit before someone like me is hired on. The reason I took this job on in the first place is because I knew I'd be able to let my love of the music drive my decisions without hindering good business. Working with music and artists for me needs to be a labor of love because it sure can't be about the money...

-Do you have any practical advice for bands looking for management?
My advice to bands when I get asked this question is always: learn how to do it yourself. Do everything yourself until you can't anymore. Only then do you hire someone. I meet bands all the time who don't know how to settle a show or advance a tour, relying on other people to do so. But how can you ever keep track of your band's trajectory and business if you don't understand that stuff yourself? The bands I meet who have it all together have been incredibly intelligent and self-contained for as long as possible before they've brought on a manager or an agent. It is empowering to learn the ins-and-outs of the industry from personal experience but it also offers perspective as to how hard your people are working for you. Slogging it out in the van for a few years before hiring someone creates a good foundation for navigating the crazy worlds of music and music business.

-Lastly, one of the best ways to get exposure is to secure an opening slot w/an established band. Do you have any advice for bands as to how to go about getting that? And, do the bands you work w/have much say as to who the opening slot goes to?
It's all about who you are friends with. Make friends with bands. Ultimately, the headlining band has control over who they tour with and if you have an "in" with a band who is big enough to headline, make sure to cultivate that. You also have to keep reminding the world that you are there making music - send emails, be innovative, don't ever rest on a hit single. It's easy to get forgotten and left behind. But if people remember that you are there and you are nice to work with (as well as appreciative), support slots should not be hard to come by. Just remember: there are 500-1000 bands in the same position you are in and 1/10 of that many support slots a season. Start small, build your own fan base in your area, be professional, and make some friends. Also, write a good record. That always helps.

Thanks Rachel!
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So, that's it for this edition of DIY Extravaganza. Did you learn anything? We hope so. We also hope we'll be doing another edition in the future. Again, our thanks to everyone that contributed to this article. Be sure to support these people:

-The Decemberists
-Band Promote
-Kill Rock Stars
-Bladen County Records

Interview: Nurses

We heard Nurses for the first time last winter. I guess you could say we heard them because we couldn't not hear them--they were rehearsing in our basement. And as the sound filtered through the house via the heating vents, we pressed our ears closer and we listened.
That they were preparing for a show at Valentines, and that we happened to go to the show, seemed almost a case study in how really great music is made. We were able to hear the songs go from inception through evolution and finally witness the spectacle of the finished product. And we liked everything we heard. Pretty rare, that.
Since then, we have seen them at Holocene, Rontoms, and Doug Fir, and watched a massive upswing in their popularity happen almost over night. Of course, getting a well deserved spot in Willamette Week's Top 3 PDX bands doesn't hurt either.
So we decided to finally ask each of them a few questions, and here's how it went:

Aaron:

-What are some of your influences, past and present?

My mom is a piano teacher so i grew up hearing classical music all day every day. my dad's record collection was a huge influence- mainly 60's & 70's psych & pop records.

In Jr. High i found Radiohead's OK Computer, and Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antarctica. Those were really important records in my formative years.

presently i'm really into: moondog, family fodder, john cale, townes van zandt, van dyke parks, michael hurley, group bombino, erik satie, and steve reich. i don't really think in terms of influences, but i suppose whatever you're exposing yourself to is an influence.

-How did the band Nurses meet and start playing together?

John and I met in Idaho Falls in '99. We were both playing music with a mutual friend who introduced us. We met at band practice and played music before we really even hung out. We still haven't hung out...

John and I met James once briefly in San Diego. We had a mutual friend that introduced us, but we didn't hangout/become friends until we moved to Portland. James let us sleep on his couch when we got to town and we had a show booked before we really had a band to play the songs on Apple's Acre. We asked James if he knew anyone who played drums, and he bashfully offered to play with us. It was all very serendipitous!

-How important have social networking sites like myspace/facebook been to Nurses sudden surge in popularity?
It's so hard to say. I mean they're an integral part in being a band these days, it's just hard to quantify. I guess one example of social networking playing a positive role would be that Secretly Canadian/Dead Oceans found us on buttspace and they're releasing our record! Thanks buttspace!

-What is next for Nurses?

Our record, Apple's Acre, comes out Aug. 4th. We're really excited about that! We're playing a record release show at Holocene Aug. 6th. We're working really hard on that show right now. We're playing with Inside Voices and The Slaves. We're also collaborating with some of our fav local artists Aidan Koch, Paul Wagenblast, and Heather Treadway on visuals for the show.

Beyond that, we're working on new material, and touring in the fall! We're way pumped!

JOHN:

-What are some of your influences, past and present?

i spent my childhood listening to my dad's record collection and whatever he happened to be playing on piano. he had these piano pieces that sounded like intense classical improv versions of john lennon songs that i like in the weirdest way!

my inspiration now comes from artists and musicians who create another world with their art. i'm drawn to things that are inventive and absurd and pull me into strange states of mind and draw out weird, sometimes uncomfortable emotions. david lynch does that, alejandro jodorowsky too. i was watching el topo last night, and it made me want to take everything i do to the extreme! musically, i've been into dub reggae lately, and how it makes a traditionally happy form of music more sad, dark, and otherworldly.

-Can you tell us a little about the songwriting process for Nurses? Is it more of a collaborative process, or do you each have your own songs that you bring to the table?
a lot of the songs for apple's acre came from aaron and i sitting in front of a tape player and seeing what ideas happened. a lot of times aaron would say "i have this idea..." and then we'd push play on a tape player and an hour later we'd have a song, and we'd go on a walk and talk about where we wanted to take it from there. as we experimented with the songs recording them, some of them changed quite a bit, to where they ended up being completely different songs, and a couple songs stayed more or less the same as when aaron first showed them to me, but we dressed them up a bit recording them.

now that james is involved, i'm really excited about what us three are doing with new songs. we've been working on songs both by recording them and as a live band, so there's a new dimension added to the process and we're all excited about where it's leading.

-You guys have been doing some touring lately, how has the response been to Nurses when you are playing outside of your home town?

after playing such awesome shows in portland, it's definitely strange to play other places, but the response has been really great. the shows in other places grow every time we go back, and we're constantly working on making our live show a better and better experience. our record will be out in august, so we'll be touring more than ever the second half of the year, and we're definitely looking forward to it.

-What is one question I should've asked you if I were a better interviewer? (And what is the answer?)
you could have asked me on an expensive date, but you lost your chance because a better interviewer already asked. i'm really sorry. unless you have a more expensive date planned, of course.

JAMES:

-How did you come to be a part of Nurses?
A lot of little funny events brought Aaron, John and I to be friends. But in the short version, they went from near strangers to my good friends living on my couched for a while when they first moved to Portland. The first thing Aaron asked me was "Do you know three black girls who can sing really good that want to play in our band?". I said probably not, but I'd work on it. The first thing that John asked me was "Do you know anyone who plays drums?". I replied, "Hmmm. Not sure, Wait, I mean, you know I play drums, right? I'd be down". The next question was, "Can we stay on your couch for a while?" It worked out pretty amazingly from there and I feel like we've all had really positive experiences as friends so far, and this band has been one of the best of those.

-Are there any local bands that you guys are currently enjoying?
I can only speak for myself, but truth be told, I haven't been into many local bands lately, just out of a craving for more foreign things and more traditional forms of music. But there are a few bands that have really inspired me. Inside Voices have been one of my favorites since the first time I saw them. Its got a lot character and genuineness to me. I'd say Explode Into Colors and Don Hellions have really impressed me as well.

-What do you think of the current PDX music scene? What are some advantages and drawbacks to being a band living in Portland?
My reasons for liking and disliking the Portland music scene are oddly enough one in the same. The beautiful part about living here is that anyone can pick up an instrument, make a few songs in the basement, and be playing an awesome show with friends the next week. There's an amazing liking and support for that raw just-going-for-it attitude here, and most often than not I've seen a handful of talented people get really good really fast. There is some really interesting music coming out of the city that likely would not have happened in a different place with a different attitude towards music. On the reverse side, I don't tend to get really interested in most bands that I come across. It takes some digging to find ones that I get really into. The ones that do hit me usually hit me pretty hard though. There's so much raw, untrained talent here that I love seeing progress and having a welcoming home for it. I just love seeing people going for it.

That's it, guys! Thanks!

Catch them at Holocene on August 6th (hey, that is Buzz Staff's b-day!) w/Inside Voices and The Slaves.

Out of town...

So, we will be out of town this weekend, but it looks like next week will be super busy. We will be interviewing Nurses! we will have a couple of album reviews! and we also have our DIY extravaganza to post up! What is the DIY extravaganza, you ask? Well, we've interviewed some folks in the music industry and tried to come up w/some simple information that you can use to help push your career along. Will it work? Who knows, but at least we tried. Look for interviews from Chris Funk of The Decemberists, Kill Rock Stars, Bladen County Records, and others! Should be grand.

Enjoy your weekend!

Last week @Doug Fir

Here are some photos from last weeks Doug Fir shows...

The Ravishers started their set w/every guitar player in Portland coming onto the stage. Rad!



The Winebirds


A Weather. If you don't know who they are you are missing out!



We also saw sets by: Old Believers, Super XX Man, Hello Damascus.

Go out! See shows! Support local music!

Festival Day....

Jeez. Plenty to do today. Most of it is FREE. Seems like everyone and their mother is having a festival. Deschutes Brewery Fest, Artichoke Music Fest, Organic Brewers Fest, KPSU Fest. And what a great day to do it! Sunny at last! Take a look at the calendar, and pick something fun and go do it!
Tonight we'll be over at Doug Fir. They have a great lineup w/A Weather, Old Believers. Only 8bucks. Totally worth it!
We have some pictures to post up later of our other night at Doug Fir w/The Ravishers (who were super good!)