One chance to make a first impression
The “Buzz in the Biz” by Benny White
“You get one chance to make a first impression, so don’t be in a hurry to send your demo in. Take your time and make sure it’s your absolute best.”
— Steve Smith — Vice President — A & R — Aware Records
BACKGROUND:
Steve Smith comes from the new generation of A&R executives. In his seven years with the Chicago-based indie, Aware Records, he has helped launch careers for a list of hot acts including Train and John Mayer, and he continues to scour the scene for the next band who will break big. In addition to listening to demos and wearing several different hats at Aware, Smith also serves as an artist manager for the label’s management division, Asquared Management.
Becoming Aware:
I was a journalist for the school paper in college and a friend of mine was the entertainment editor. So when he was getting ready to graduate he asked me to take over the job. Free concerts and free music and movie passes was a dream come true for me, so I took it over and I loved it. I got to know as many people as I could and I started a relationship with the guys at Aware. When I was about to graduate, Aware’s publicist was moving on so I drove up for the weekend and they hired me. Seven years later and I’m not doing publicity anymore.
Differing Duties:
We’re very much a company where titles are sort of irrelevant. We’re a small company and we all do a bit of everything. My daily routine is no different from anyone else’s in that there really isn’t a routine. My routine is either showing up in the office or getting on a plane and going somewhere. It changes daily. Because we’re a label and a management company, my day varies pretty drastically depending on what’s going on at that point in time.
Sifting Through Submissions:
One constant of my day is that me and the three other people that sit on the same floor as me listen to demos all day. We don’t really advertise the fact that we take unsolicited stuff, but we’re pretty open- minded when somebody sends us something. We’ll definitely listen to it. We pride ourselves on listening to everything that gets sent our way. We get on average 10 to 15 things a day. But out of all the years of accepting unsolicited stuff, we’ve never signed anything unsolicited. Everything that we’ve signed has come through a lawyer or a manager or a producer or some other person who we trust.
Concentrate on Quality:
If you send me a full record, it doesn’t really matter that it’s a full record if I don’t like the first song or two. The worst thing you could do is tell me to go to track 11 and then track six and then track 12. You need to give us as much focus as possible when it comes to your music. Don’t send me three songs with a note saying, “This isn’t our best stuff and we’re working on new songs.” You get one chance to make a first impression, so don’t be in a hurry to send your demo in. Take your time and make sure it’s your absolute best.
Hard Work Pays Off:
If you’ve got a story or you have a record made, tell us that. One thing that we look for in our artists is that they have taken the reins of things and gone to work and put the effort into touring and promoting themselves. If I’m going to work I want to know that the artist is going to work equally as hard, if not harder.
Plain Packages Preferred:
I had a band show up in the office unannounced one time in Santa outfits. Somebody, I’m assuming an intern, let them in and we got serenaded in our conference room during the holidays. It ended up being pretty funny. They were really cool people. It didn’t turn into anything else, but it got me to go out and see their show. But I wouldn’t recommend that kind of thing. It tends to be more annoying than anything else. The more elaborate the package, the more annoying it is. I don’t want to spend 10 minutes thumbing through stuff in a package. I just want to get to the music.
Come Original:
The bands that we try to sign really have to have amazing songs. The second aspect is that not only do they have to be amazing, there has to be something unique about them. I hear a lot of bands that I think are great, but it’s just not different enough. A lot of times things just sound way too similar to something else.
Image and Reality:
Having an image is (unfortunately) a reality. You have to market something. Does the band have to be models? No. In the past, people wanted rock stars to be people that they could look up to –– kind of this mysterious superstar; a superhero of sorts. So that definitely plays a role in things. People want to attach music to a personality or an iconic image. If you look at Bono you can see how bigger-than-life he is. If you look at Mick Jagger and other people with personalities, fans latch onto that. Unfortunately, that does play a role in things. That’s just the reality of the marketing side of our business.
Pieces of the Puzzle:
If a band is on college radio, that shows me that they have made an effort and they’re going after it. If things are going well, that means people are reacting to it. Does that guarantee anything? No. But it definitely piques interest and helps to be a part of the story. I definitely think that things like that are good pieces of the puzzle. Touring is also a big deal. If you can walk into a city and pull three or four hundred people, that’s impressive. Some press pieces are great for spreading the word about your work. Licensing usage is good, and exposure is another good piece of the puzzle. It’s a dogfight out there for bands, so anything they can do that can get them recognized is always a good thing.
What Works:
We sign one or two acts a year, so we’re overly picky about what we sign and what we believe in. My tastes are as diverse as can be, but that doesn’t necessarily apply to the label. We have a very good understanding of what we’re good at as a label and we’ve found a very effective relationship with Columbia in how we break bands. So that puts us into a situation where there is sort of a “particular genre”. But, we’re willing to get as adventurous as we can as long as it’s something that we absolutely believe in.
Moving into Management:
As a label, we are involved in all aspects. We probably fight for the bands as much as we fight for ourselves. It’s a natural progression for us to take on a few things outside the label from a management point of view; it allows us to work on a broader range of bands and it also helps expand our relationship base. It benefits the label, the bands and the management company.
Getting Exposure:
Getting a ground swell and a core group of fans into the music is the most crucial thing in giving a band a future. Nothing beats someone telling someone else that they love a record or they love a band. That’s the most natural way. We live in a world with so many advertisements and things being shoved at us all the time that when someone personally recommends something, you tend to listen a lot more than you do from seeing an ad 55 times.
Building a Base:
Websites like MySpace and Pure Volume and band websites in general provide the access to hear music and find information about a band so much easier, and that opens the door for so many more bands to build their story. The Internet becomes crowded very fast, but it levels the playing field. You’re seeing a lot of younger, touring bands selling 50 to 100,000 records faster than they did in the past. The Internet is helping bands build a fan base more rapidly… .
###Buzz in the Biz
AUDIOSLAVE IGNITES THE GARDEN IN NYC: Guitar god Tom Morello and singer Chris Cornell headed Audioslave as they performed before a sold-out crowd at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City. The band rocked through a set that included songs from their latest album Out of Exile on the Interscope/Epic label. Not many bands can stand up to the skill these guys have on their instruments and perhaps stand as the closest act of late to hit arena status.
PEARL JAM, ROBERT PLANT RAISE A WHOLE LOTTA BREAD!
Fans who paid $1000 per ticket to see Pearl Jam and opening act Robert Plant (yes, we said opening act Robert Plant…yes…that Robert Plant…of Led Zeppelin!) were treated to an incredible show Wednesday at the House of Blues in Chicago. The steep ticket price was justified not only by the talent onstage, but because the show was a benefit for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with proceeds going to the American Red Cross, Habitat For Humanity and the Jazz Foundation of America, according to Reuters. At one point during Pearl Jam’s 2-hour set, singer Eddie Vedder joked with the 1,300 packed in the club, saying, “It’s good to know people still know how to have fun with their money.” Plant’s 45-minute performance consisted mostly of music from his current Mighty ReArranger CD, with a couple of Zeppelin gems (“Black Dog” and “Four Sticks”) tossed in as well. However, the crowd really got its money’s worth when Plant joined Pearl Jam for encore performances of Zep classics “Going to California,” “Fool In the Rain” and “Thank You,” before wrapping up the evening with a spirited version of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In the Free World,” featuring a very rare appearance of Plant playing guitar.
EX-ZEP BASSIST PENS “BONZO” TRIBUTE!
Former Led Zeppelin bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones has written a touching tribute marking the 25th anniversary of drummer John Bonham’s death. Jones writes in part: “It still seems only yesterday I was standing on stage next to him locking into another earth-moving groove. He is still with us.” The full tribute can be read on www.led-zeppelin.com.
OH (MIS)BEHAVE! MYERS TO PLAY ROWDY LATE WHO DRUMMER!
According to Variety, Mike Myers will trade in his swinging 60’s Austin Powers character to portray another real life 60’s icon, late Who drummer Keith Moon. The as-yet-untitled feature is being produced by Who frontman Roger Daltrey, who’s been working on the project on and off for close to a decade and who currently is searching for a director. The incredibly outrageous Keith Moon died of an overdose in 1978.
CELEBRATING A 30-YEAR JOURNEY AT THE GREEK: Concluding their tour in support of Generations, an album celebrating three decades as pop/rock icons — and second full-length work with current lead singer Steve Augeri — JOURNEY offered some historical context and explosive surprises amid the expected nonstop euphoria of classic hits at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park. Playing bluesy, progressive rock cuts early in the set from three pre-Perry albums gave founding members Neal Schon and Ross Valory, and keyboardist Jonathan Cain a chance to stretch vocally.
The DAVE MATTHEWS BAND recently performed two nights in Carson, CA, at The Home Depot Center, skillfully entertaining the audience with songs from their past 14 years together as well as their latest album Stand Up. The talented members of the band recently joined with CARE, one of the worlds leading humanitarian organizations, to assist impoverished communities in Sri Lanka. The Dave Matthews Band and CARE are calling on fans to support this long-term effort by encouraging them to make donations directly through the band’s website. Donations by fans will be matched 100 percent by the band. Make all donations at davematthewsband.com.
ESTEFAN HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: At a recent dinner on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C., beloved pop diva Gloria Estefan was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in promoting music education in public schools.
An elite corps of Hollywood vocalists honored composer and songwriter RANDY NEWMAN at the first-ever “Meet The Composer” event presented by the Screen Actors Guild Los Angeles Singers Committee at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills. Following an irreverent and uproarious speech by Mr. Newman, an ad hoc gospel choir –– 44 voices strong –– raised the roof with “Glory Train” from the Randy Newman musical, “Faust”.
JAMES TAYLOR will be honored as the 2006 MusiCares Person of the Year. Taylor, chosen for his professional accomplishments, as well as his commitment to various philanthropic efforts, will receive the honor at a gala tribute dinner, concert and silent auction held Monday, February 6, 2006. The MusiCares tribute dinner is one of the most prestigious events held during Grammy week, a celebration that culminates with the 48th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8th. The telecast will broadcast on CBS from Los Angeles.
ASCAP is presenting the “I Create Music” Expo –– a national conference dedicated to songwriting and composing that is designed to bring music creators with music industry professionals who want to work together to achieve greater success. The Expo will take place April 20-22, 2006, at The Hollywood Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles. Marilyn Bergman (”The Way We Were,” “The Windmills of Your Mind”) will be among some of the songwriters, composers and producers participating in the conference, along with Glen Ballard, Bruce Broughton, Stephen Bray, Desmond Child, Hal David, Mike Elizondo, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Jimmy Jam, John King, Johnny Mandel, Rick Nowels, Rudy Perez, Linda Perry, Stephen Schwartz, Paul Williams, John Shanks, Jimmy Webb, and Matthew Wilder. For additional information, go to www.ascap.com.
The ASCAP Foundation’s 2006 Lester Sill Songwriters Workshop is now accepting submissions. Geared to advanced songwriters, the workshop will be held at ASCAP’s Los Angeles office and, for the first time, will be under the guidance of music publishing veteran and Warner/Chappell Music Senior V.P. Judy Stakee, as well as ASCAP executive Brendan Okrent.
Stakee’s signings at Warner/ Chappell alone, where she has worked for over 16 years, include Sheryl Crow, John Shanks, Jewel, Michelle Branch, Kellie Coffey and Franne Golde.
Renamed in 1995 to honor ASCAP’s late board member and industry pioneer Lester Sill, the workshop will consist of eight sessions to take place over a four-week period in early 2006. The workshop will feature prominent guests from various facets of the music business, including master sessions led by Judy Stakee. The workshop is designed to enrich participants’ knowledge of the industry and to help them establish contacts, confidence and possible collaborative partnerships.
Past guests have included George Martin, Don Was, Rick Nowels, Glen Ballard, Jackson Browne, T-Bone Burnett, Billy Steinberg, Ben Harper, Jonatha Brooke, Donald Passman, Matthew Wilder, John Rzeznik, Jon Brion and numerous others.
Writers interested in applying for participation are required to submit a CD containing two original songs, along with typed or neatly written lyric sheets. Applicants are also required to include a brief resume or bio in addition to a written explanation as to why they would like to participate in the ASCAP Workshop. Entry deadline is December 16th. CDs will not be returned. Applicants are asked to include an email address and a telephone number. Only a limited number of applicants can be selected as participants. Materials should be sent to: ASCAP Foundation Lester Sill Songwriters Workshop. 7920 Sunset Blvd., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90046.
Universal Motown has appointed Elise Wright Vice President of Marketing. Previously Wright was Vice President of Video Promotions for Universal Motown.
Virgin Records has appointed Jeffrey Kempler Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Development. In this newly created position, Kempler oversees all of Virgin’s business affairs and business development initiatives and activities.
RCA Label Group Nashville has appointed Skip Bishop Vice President, National Promotion, Arista Nashville. At his new post, Bishop is responsible for the development, implementation and supervision of the strategic and tactical radio promotional plans for all of Arista Nashville projects.
BMI has promoted Ray Yee to Senior Director, Film/TV Relations. In his new position, Yee continues to work closely with BMI composers, music publishers, music supervisors, agents and other members of the U.S. film and television industry. He is also responsible for overseeing the production of BMI’s annual Conducting for the Film Composer workshop, as well as various other outreach programs designed to educate and enhance the film music community.
Island Def Jam Music Group has promoted Daniel Kruchkow to Vice President, Digital Media & Commerce. In this newly created position, Kruchkow oversees all operations of IDJMG’s Digital Media Department, including online marketing, mobile sales & marketing, digital music retail, web production, consumer acquisition/direct marketing via internal websites and databases, as well as exploitation of new digital revenue streams… .