Local Band 101

[localband101]

So I use Tunecore to upload my music to iTunes, Spotify, etc.  I’ve been releasing singles for $10 a year.  Tunecore LOVES to upsell you whenever possible and its a fucking ripoff.  

Let’s say in January I release “Antithesis” by Nova Eyes.  In April Tidal launches.  Tunecore now wants to charge me extra to add it to Tidal.  It won’t do it automatically.  It’s about $1.98 per song, per store.  

Also - mark my words - Tidal is gonna FAIL.  Like hardcore.  They don’t have a free subscription - only paid.  That’s not what people want.  (I pay for Spotify).  Tidal is supposed to pay the artists fairly.  THAT’S their focus - not creating the end all to be end all streaming software.  #tryharder

[localband101]

You payed someone to do work for you and they bail. Now what?

A friend of mine just sent me a sad message, but one I've seen frequently.

My friend has payed someone to record some songs for them upfront, and got one, and then Mr Studio Producer went MIA.  Phone number changes, stopped responding to e-mails and messages.

I've seen this happen to people who payed for wedding photos (you're a fucking prick if you screw with someone's wedding), music videos, etc.  It happens across the board.  How do you deal with?

I'd love to hear your opinions but here's my thoughts.

We'll start nice and move towards scorched earth status.

Let's say someone owes you new mixes and they missed the agreed upon time frame.  Sometimes shit happens.  If they're in communication and especially if they let you know in advance, I tend to be pretty forgiving.  If you have deadlines for pressing - you gotta make sure they know.

If the person doesn't let you know in advance, start asking for the price to be knocked off.  Its up to you to force that, but it will let them know delays and missed deadlines will hurt their wallet.  Stress communication.

Let's say they just start disappearing.  No response, or its been two weeks of "I'll get it to you" with no results.  At this point I'd recommend the following:

E-mail, txt, facebook, and call them and let them know if you don't get your services by such and such date you'll:

Put them on blast on facebook, twitter, tag friends, ask others for similar stories - chances are they've done this before

Two things will most likely happen

1 - They'll meet your deadline and play the victim, turning it around on you

2 - You won't get it and you should totally burn them.

People need to know its not OK to do this.  

Just know you'll burn that bridge - but it's worth it in my view.

And lastly...there is always small claims court.  Probably not to effective but it can send a wake up call.

[localband101]

I enjoyed doing the VFX for this awesome video.

[localband101]

Have a music video? Don't stop people from watching with ads!

I've seen a few bands around town who just released music videos shoot themselves in the foot by having ads in the beginning of their music video. You won't really make much of anything from it, and all it'll do is turn people off from watching it.  

So don't do it!

[localband101]

My new song. Uunnnnhh I love it. Listen/purchase: Sunspot by hkproductions

[localband101]

And there you have it.  Make music videos!

[localband101]

Listen/purchase: Fail by hkproductions

New song with Chris from Defeat the Low (Rise Records) on vocals.

[localband101]

Mixing notes - how detailed are you?

Here's an e-mail between the producer and I on about a track he's mixing:  (This song has tons of piano on it, and tons of vocal groupings) 

Gabe: "Was this the tune that you mentioned having less solid double kick?  Because, yeah.  I have an idea I think will be very cool for the verses and one other section.  :)"

Yes, this is the tune that has too much double kick.  My favorite drum part is the section at 2:56-3:12.  

The octave build up at 1:45-2:00 and later in the song lose impact because of the constant kick drum beat.  The first half of that riff is straight through, then the 2nd guitar harmonizes - maybe we should just make that part double time and the part before regular?

While I like the new piano part it doesn't fit the vibe of the song - but I like how you have in the background during the 2nd verse 1:12-1:28.  So lets ditch it for the intro and leave it during that 2nd verse?  

The song is sounding better and better.  That woah-oh woah-oh-ohoho-hoh singing part seems funky now (I feel like it fit better in the earlier mixes, not sure what changed).  I know the song isn't mixed fully, but I'll just give you my impressions.  :)

1:04 -1:12section - lets go back to the original piano.  1:12-1:28 leave the new piano part (I think it'll build it really well).

2:17-2:34  the vocals are really low in the mix. I know its not done.  Just saying.  ;)

That choppy scream at 2:50 should be loud - I love it.  The delay sounds great too, not sure if that's new or not but it works killer.

I love that doubler you added at the build up part at 2:57 (the part I was messing up last time I went in).

3:28-end of song - I changed the melody at the end - should we just make it the same as the previous chorii?  

So yeah, great job and awesome improvements.  I bet this is a bitch with the piano and 800 vocal groupings.  :)

[localband101]

So I did some advertising with this video - I tried YouTube ads through google's adwords service - it was a mess and for the money spent the Facebook promoted post seemed to do much, much better.  I spent $50 on each to see what they did - the Facebook one rocked it.

[localband101]

This is what I've been up to for quite some time. Give it a watch/listen!

[localband101]

This is what I've been up too!

[localband101]

Awesome plug in alert!

http://www.joeysturgistones.com/product/jst-gain-reduction

Love the bands Joey Strugis works with or hate them (Emmure, Asking Alexandria, etc) - dude is in his prime right now.  He just released this plug to help with vocals.  Along with Eyal Levi and a handful of others - so much knowledge and expertise is at your fingertips.  Well...keyboard/mouse clicks.

Neat article here too from Joey Sturgis:

http://geargods.net/features/interview-joey-sturgis/

[localband101]

Whats your band's two year plan?

Does your band have a two year plan?  Do you have a plan at all?  Play shows, get signed?  Ruh roh...you'll spin wheels.  

Get everyone together, talk about goals.  Be realistic.  Don't talk grammy's if you aren't opening for national shows yet. 

Set a few goals - some easy ones, medium difficulty, and then some really big ass goals.  Then work on coming up with a plan.  The plans should line up towards the goal.  

[localband101]

Get real fans, not just other musicians to come to your shows

You're in a local band, doing well.  You've got a good following of people who roll out to each show.  Great.  Look at that crowd.  How many of them are musicians themselves?  50%?  70%?  90%?  It happens and is totally possible.  Your goal is to break out of that.  How?  It depends on what your genre is - but ask yourself how many non musician fans you really have.

That may be the question you should have been asking without realizing it.

[localband101]

Here's a new song I wrote - just putting drums on it.  

[localband101]

Gabe helming the con.  

[localband101]

Rommel changing the snare head.  He broke it tracking "No redemption"