Need advice from music veterans

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guitarguy101

New member
I have an opportunity to meet with Fat Mike of Fat Wreck Chords (Independent Punk Label) arranged for sometime later in the year. I'm in a high school indie/grunge band with a few other guys. My cousin is Ryan Markley of Old Man Markley (2 year veteran of the label.) He got me backstage at Mike's last concert with NOFX, so I got to meet Mike, Hefe (he autographed a guitar strap and I noticed he spells it wrong), Smelly, and Melvin.
They liked me and asked me to send in my band's demo (I have yet to do this, I want to get it perfect first.) What advice do you guys have regarding this?
 
guitarguy101 said:
I mean how do I not mess up this opportunity by doing something stupid. Have any of you signed to a label before?
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First send them a demo, second, if they show even the slightest interest in signing you, go get a lawyer right away. No mommy and daddy looking over a contract BS, get a lawyer.
 
Read the fine print. There's usually something about anal sex in there.
 
guitarguy101 said:
I mean how do I not mess up this opportunity by doing something stupid. Have any of you signed to a label before?
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There are no magic incantations to keep from 'messing up'. You lack experience to speak language to even know for sure when or how you are messing up . .. those are just evolutionary rules not specifically music biz rules 'in the day' I not only messed up (considering that I was not interested in stardom/celebrity just wanted to support myself via music) but F*cked up spectacularly at least a half dozen times before I was 24 (I've now been making money from music for 40 yr.) Some of those times I would not have known that it was 'I' who was messing up at the time.

I will absolutely reinforce suggestion that you start looking for appropriate legal representation (then you need to find additional people to keep an eye on the lawyer) Unfortunately one tends to need to know 'how' to find a lawyer prior to actually knowing you need one and it is not typically the thought that flits through one's mind just prior to falling asleep until a lawyer needed crisis emerges . .. effort to find appropriate legal counsel needs as much research as the rest of it

Don't sweat the demo too much (I would suggest making sure tunes are copyright protected, unless you're doing covers). Generally even if the 'guys' listen to seriously (and even with personal connection there is less the 50/50 chance of that happening) a irrevocable decision will be made in 15-30 sec. At your level of experience getting the demo to reflect how you sound live is about the best you can do.

At the same time you're shaping up the demo start working on how you can best present your fan base. Regardless of your attachment to your music label response has always been more dependent on exploiting a fan base . . . if you have some awareness of it and some functional strategies for extending and profiting from it you stand a slightly better chance of controlling the next steps of any music career

good luck
 
guitarguy101 said:
Have any of you signed to a label before?
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There's a LOT of people here with some kind of label deal. I released an album on Sony/BMG with my band a few years ago - there's really no way to mess it up or not mess it up. The A&R guy from Sony approached me and the singer in the bathroom at a show in Houston and the deal was done in a matter of hours. If they think they can make money off you, they won't care if you say something silly when they're approaching you. Think of label contacts from their point of view - if you're profitable, you're profitable and they don't care about one single thing beyond that.
 
If your music is good, it's good no matter what you send in. A label or producer isn't normally looking for a perfect mix. They are looking for talent and music that moves people to spend money on your work. Trust me when I tell you this; You can have the best recording out there and it will still be picked apart and recorded again to the label's standards. Go ahead and send in a demo. A demo isn't meant to be a finished product. It is simply a display of your abilities.

I am a session bassist. If I were to give you a few of my bass demos you would hear recordings that lack a good mix and have no mastering. I was aiming to show off my talent. The rough mix has yet to keep me from working.
 
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