Major labels are looking for bands that are also self-supportive. Bands that can market, advertise, sell, bring profit, etc. It will be less work, time, money and effort for the label to do those things.
how to present your band to a....
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Major labels are looking for bands that are also self-supportive. Bands that can market, advertise, sell, bring profit, etc. It will be less work, time, money and effort for the label to do those things.
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
I tried courting the labels with the 2003-2004 incarnation of BACKMASK (slightly more pop-metal oriented material at that time) and the overwhelming response we got back was "You guys are great, but you sound just like every other metal band in the last 10 years, and we already have a great back catalog of this stuff to throw on soundtracks." I kid you not. We had a press kit, a producer, lots of shows lined up, and a lot of connections to work.
After that whole experience I became pretty cynical about labels. I'm sure we were just barking up the wrong tree - we were shopping to the majors and major-indie-imprints. A lot of experienced people were telling me at the time "write hits, you have your whole life to be an artist." Never buy into that bullshit - it will make you very unhappy and jaded very quickly, and you won't have a hit song either. The people who succeed in the pop game are largely stupid enough to believe in their stupid ass music. Ultimately, at either end of the spectrum, pop or underground, honesty is what sells, whether you're Britney Spears or Opeth. And labels want music that sells, so it's win-win if you take the honest road.
Small labels seem like the best way to go these days, if you're going to have a label at all. Put together a solid press pack, with a well-written bio and professionally shot photos. Make sure every facet of your band's branding is consistent, same logo everywhere, same artwork on your websites, ask yourself at every point "does this look like something a signed band would represent themselves with?" Make sure your demos are as good as you can make them, and that they are easily accessible on MySpace, your own website, etc. Register your band's domain name early on and set up a real site, not just a redirect to MySpace.
Whether you go it on your own or sign a deal, I think all of this is equally important. If you don't have a good artist/designer in your band, hire one. Film every show you play and take notes on things to improve and things that worked well.
After that whole experience I became pretty cynical about labels. I'm sure we were just barking up the wrong tree - we were shopping to the majors and major-indie-imprints. A lot of experienced people were telling me at the time "write hits, you have your whole life to be an artist." Never buy into that bullshit - it will make you very unhappy and jaded very quickly, and you won't have a hit song either. The people who succeed in the pop game are largely stupid enough to believe in their stupid ass music. Ultimately, at either end of the spectrum, pop or underground, honesty is what sells, whether you're Britney Spears or Opeth. And labels want music that sells, so it's win-win if you take the honest road.
Small labels seem like the best way to go these days, if you're going to have a label at all. Put together a solid press pack, with a well-written bio and professionally shot photos. Make sure every facet of your band's branding is consistent, same logo everywhere, same artwork on your websites, ask yourself at every point "does this look like something a signed band would represent themselves with?" Make sure your demos are as good as you can make them, and that they are easily accessible on MySpace, your own website, etc. Register your band's domain name early on and set up a real site, not just a redirect to MySpace.
Whether you go it on your own or sign a deal, I think all of this is equally important. If you don't have a good artist/designer in your band, hire one. Film every show you play and take notes on things to improve and things that worked well.
Fredrik-Ablaze
Member
Me and the rest of the guys in the band have collectively released 9 albums before on both microsmall labels as well as renowned labels such as Century Media, Limb and Arise records. Guess that that's what made the trick.
+1,000,000
We've had pretty good success through word of mouth, mainly with national acts themselves rather than lawyers, etc. There have been a couple "scouts" (if that's what they really are) at shows we've played (a couple fests and Jager tours), but the best exposure we've gotten has been through establishing contacts with bands/band members of bigger bands and them liking our music.
Aside from that, I'm realistic about where I am, where my band is and what would be feasible. It seems that all of our friends in signed bands are complete road dogs and pretty much live in poverty...And, there are way too many "popular" metal bands that are closer to them than to where I am at. I have a good job, make good money, and have a family...The other dudes in my band are the same way. So, what could we really offer a label? Hopefully good music, but there's no way we could tour our ass off year after year unless we had enough money coming in to make our families comfortable.
The way I see it these days, I just don't know if I feel like I'd need a label. Sure, you have the chance to sell more CD's and play some killer tours, but as it stands now, my band is my outlet/hobby, we have enough endorsements to not have to shell out for gear. And, all the money we've spent on recording (especially since I do it myself), merch, CD replication costs, etc. are all recouped and we have enough to still make another pressing of our newest CD which we'll have to do before long and it's only been out a month. To me, I kinda feel like I've reached my goals already. Now, I'd like to see how far we as a band could take it ourselves. Everything we do is 100% within our group- booking, recording/mixing/mastering, CD graphics, merch art, so for me it's a source of pride to say we are 100% DIY and have done the things we've done and built the relationships in the industry that we have (however small others think it may be).
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
That gets a plus 1000000 inmy book.
All my friends that are in signed bands and on the road just complain all the time to me about how broke they are. They love it and all but I'm all set with that shit. I'd rather just enjoy it and go the DIY at least for now.
Emdprodukt
Member of Dude Castle 69
Friends of mine got signed by road runner records in germany. Even by the fact they do punk. Not like pop-punk... bit more dirty. anyway, they send some demo cd's to different labels, which they produced by themselves. then, some guy from roadrunner checked them live. they got signed. that's the whole story.
Jevil
Pro Evolution Fucker
For Metal it helps to be born in SWEDEN, GERMANY, ENGLAND or USA.
Any well known spanish band? Or french? Some countries seem to be cursed.
In year 2000 with my band VALHALLA we had 4 offers from important metal spanish labels but no one from abroad was interested even in answering our letters.
We finally signed with the strongest one, they paid a cover artwork by Derek Riggs, a mastering in Finland by Mika Jussila, and s.o... but then, nothing. No promotion, no tour support.
Then we moved to another label, but this was even worse and we ended almost killing each others. Now we haven't got any label and we are happy.
I will give a try though for some BIG company for my next solo album with SOULITUDE, but I don't expect anything... I was born Euskadi (spanish terrortory), a land with no good producers, no good bands...
Any well known spanish band? Or french? Some countries seem to be cursed.
In year 2000 with my band VALHALLA we had 4 offers from important metal spanish labels but no one from abroad was interested even in answering our letters.
We finally signed with the strongest one, they paid a cover artwork by Derek Riggs, a mastering in Finland by Mika Jussila, and s.o... but then, nothing. No promotion, no tour support.
Then we moved to another label, but this was even worse and we ended almost killing each others. Now we haven't got any label and we are happy.
I will give a try though for some BIG company for my next solo album with SOULITUDE, but I don't expect anything... I was born Euskadi (spanish terrortory), a land with no good producers, no good bands...
Djabthrash
Member
same question for me (for France though)
never heard about that kind of "lawyer" before
smy1
Member
Yes, my lawyers for example: www.zd-law.de
They don't do metal though. And they don't do unsigned acts either, because they are too busy with their other clients.
Other than them, I don't know any, but there are a number of them.
Radd
Self Portrait
Djabthrash
Member
theblackmoon
Casa Negra
I´m from Brasil, have you ever heard of Sepultura, Sarcófago, Krisiun, Angra? Well there are these guys from Polland called Behemoth, ever heard of´em?
How about Belphegor from Austria? Dimmu Borgir from Norway, Aborted from Belgium, Gojira from France, Avulsed from Spain, Aborym from Italy, Astarte from Greece, Moonspell from Portugal, Cryptosy from Canada, The Amenta from Australia... the list goes on...
all of them signed with mid to big labels, all of them with distribution on most Metal shops on the globe...
some of them are legends...
Jevil
Pro Evolution Fucker
Only Sepultura and Angra are well-known bands from a country like Brasil with 174 Millions of people living there.
Most of them I don't even know. If those bands are the most important bands of each country I think what i said is very sensible. Except for Dimmu, do you think they have the right support of their companies?
I could do a list of real big bands from the countries I mentioned.
Deus.exe
BBQ!!!
Metal Overload
Member
- Sep 8, 2005
- 1,778
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Is true that mid size and big companies, dont even bother to look to third world countries, here in Mexico are really really talented bands, and just a few have signed a deal with medium size companies like Osmose Records, but they dont have that kind of support to jump to the world escene, in other hand, some musicians from the Mexican Scene have jumped like Marcela Bovio from Elfonía, she appeared in "The human Equation" album by Ayreon, and are the frontwoman of Stream Of Passion, a band which have three mexican members, and their little fame or fortune are vanishing since Arjen is not with them anymore.
Or tell me my friends, who of you have heard or know a Mexican Band, and please don´t say Brujeria, because they are not Mexicans, and never had Mexican Members in their line-up, people from a lot of countries think they are mexicans, but they barely speak spanish
Or tell me my friends, who of you have heard or know a Mexican Band, and please don´t say Brujeria, because they are not Mexicans, and never had Mexican Members in their line-up, people from a lot of countries think they are mexicans, but they barely speak spanish
Djabthrash
Member
Jevil said IT HELPS to be from certain countries, not that you can't succeed if you're not from those countries.
The few well-known bands (don't tell me that you compare Sepultura with Sarcofago in terms of worldwide popularity...) from "non-metal" countries that you mentioned have had to bust their ass off a lot more than a band from a "metal country" i think.
If you take an "average" band from a "metal country" in a "non metal country" i think the guys won't make it.
Sepultura, Angra, Krisiun, Gojira, Cryptopsy, Moonspell (Dimmu Borgir is from Norway which is a metal country to me; Aborted and Avulsed are more "underground" than previously mentioned bands and Sarcofago / The amenta / Aborym / Astarte (never heard of this band before) are even more "underground" ) ) are exceptions since they are :
-awesome bands with a strong personality
-very hard-working bands
-they have/had good support from their labels
nowadays metal countries are :
-Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland)
-USA
-UK
-Germany, Netherlands, Belgium
-Brasil has a different situations cuz' there has been no "huge hit" since Sepultura / Angra / Krisiun
and there are some new "metal countries i guess" to the growing popularity of certain bands there that kind of "opened the doors" for the other bands :
-Canada (Cryptopsy...and now bands like Despised Icon, all the technical death metal scene...)
-Poland : Vader.. and now Decapitated, Behemoth, ...
-France could be the next on the list with bands like Gojira and Scarve but French scene seem to be a little "cursed" worldwide for a long time though
theblackmoon
Casa Negra
I think what you guys are missing is the fact that those "metal countries" you guys listed are actually economically stronger countries than the rest. Is Sweden stronger than Mexico just in Metal? Obviously not, Brasil is third-world country, ruled by corrupt politicians, my city has a murder rate bigger than Bagdad! The chances for everyone "making it" here are far more dificult than it´s for someone on the countries you listed. But the point is not just in Metal, in everything, and I actually believe Metal is one of the most globalized aspects of western society.
Moonspell is a big act. Those polish death metal bands we all know are mid to big. If you go to a Metal store in São Paulo you will find cds of all of those bands, with plenty of kids wearing t-shirts from Gojira and such, "underground" is a term dificult to describe, because most people would consider Nevermore underground, and I don´t consider anything to be underground so...
Don´t get me wrong guys, I´m just defending the possibility of someone that was not lucky enough to born in those ideal countries to be able not only dream about it but also be able to actually make it, and many did.
Moonspell is a big act. Those polish death metal bands we all know are mid to big. If you go to a Metal store in São Paulo you will find cds of all of those bands, with plenty of kids wearing t-shirts from Gojira and such, "underground" is a term dificult to describe, because most people would consider Nevermore underground, and I don´t consider anything to be underground so...
Don´t get me wrong guys, I´m just defending the possibility of someone that was not lucky enough to born in those ideal countries to be able not only dream about it but also be able to actually make it, and many did.
Djabthrash
Member
+1
But still countries like France, Spain, ITaly, Germany, UK are almost on the same "development" level, but in the reality it's easier to succeed as a metal band if you're from UK/Germany than from France/Italy/Spain.
But you're right about the general "country's economic development" aspect.
