Press Kits sent!! ... now what??

[Instrospection]

First off I'd like to apologize to mr Introspection for initially coming off like a dickface. The number one thing is that I don't want to start my own label because no man is an island, to be successful in anything you always need people to help you and no matter how crappy labels are they have way more know-how and know-who than I can hope to have. I can accept the fact that we may be broke for the first few albums but I see us as a long term band because we come up with a lot of good material quick. Here's the plan as I see it... We just recorded with a great producer (he just did Job for a Cowboy check out www.myspace.com/jobforacowboy for the production value.) We're a well established band in Phoenix for 6 years, we have a massive following, we've had 5 songs on KUPD, we've had 2 listings in blabbermouth (yeah talk all the crap you want but everyone knows about it so it's legit.) All without a full length CD. We're paying for the CD on our own, getting a super-pro artist to do our CD and make it look sweet... so we want to find a label to take this finished product and instead of spending cash to record it they can use it mostly to promote it. And sorry, but no matter how much DIY you can do, you can't get the word out about a band as much as a label. We plan on touring our asses off after the albums out (that's the catch, we haven't done too much touring, just about 6 dates in San Diego and various towns all over AZ) But we've played hundreds of shows in town and I think we're pretty much ready to get out of here. Oh and my buddy is selling us a Winnebago for cheap as hell... so yeah... we wanna quit our day jobs.

No problem man! Just here to help. I feel your pain; i've been turned down alot, too. Sometimes it's really frustrating--from finding a band, to dealing with the industry bull{censored} (people being nice to your face but not so behind your back, etc). I'm just trying to advise what i've found to be the most effective way to minimizing the frustrations.

Well, it certainly sounds like you're out there working hard. That's the main thing. Apologies if I assumed that you weren't out there working!

The best advice that I have is to register as a label in the meantime. At least you can write off expenses and a whole pile of things that you'll get back next year, and if you need advice, just PM me. You can actually write off a bunch of back expenses--for your recording, gear, everything. The rationale is this: you paid for that amp, and you need it to succeed as a musician. Think of everything that you needed for this--I think that as long as you have pictures, you're more safe, but a buddy of mine spent 7 grand on recording school a few years ago, and didn't have a receipt. I said, "write it off anyways. The worst that they can do is ask for proof". I'm now thinking that I could have even written off my guitar lessons--I don't have the receipts, but I could just get them to talk to my guitar teacher. Don't get too outrageous, but basically you get back the money that you put into it. A music tax expert can really get you the most back on your return.

If you get your band members listed as label mates, they can write off their equipment and expenses, too. You're all a business, an enterprise together. Then pool all the money into the tax writeoff and then save up to get some names on your recording. This may take a year, probably two, maybe three. Maybe a Jack Endino, Andy Wallace or Devin Townshend or however much your budget allows. Townshend would be a really big "in" at Blabbermouth--he seems to have alot of prestige. Names help alot--at some point, you need bigger names to gain an instant "in" for some fans that may not have heard of you, plus it will look great on Blabbermouth: "Fracture Point set to record with Devin Townshend" or something like that. Those types of name guys also have great advice and good connections....they're still music fans and if a band blows them away, sure it's a client, but they're there to work with great bands, because it makes the process more fun for them. And they'll get the most out of you for your record and get it to sound amazing; not that other guys can't, but you do need "brand names" as soon as you can possibly afford it.

Plus, you can write off the tax preparation AND the business name/ business registration, too. And instead of claiming that you're unsigned, just mention that you're signed to whatever label you've created. That way, it looks more professional....that was advice that someone told me that made alot of sense. Instead of saying that you're unsigned, sign yourself to your own label and DIY, because it looks better.

The industry side is a bit of a pain in the ass, but it's kinda fun, too. Pushing the music is alot more fun than I thought, because interviewers and critics are always looking for bands with an interesting angle (for example, our next album is an Egyptian themed metal album) that makes for some good press. I've found that you don't necessarily need to have the absolute best product; just being out there working--as you are--things are much more likely to work with you for being nice to work with, an interesting angle or schtick. Interviewers, in particular, are quite easy to work with--they get so many "regular" type bands, that it's easy for them to work with bands that are doing something even slightly off the beaten path. Good interviewers with your taste in music will be even more thrilled to write up about you. It really is about networking with likeminded people, and even going up to people that write cool music review blogs and saying, "hey, great taste in music you have! You may like our music; I can send you a copy of our latest cd".

Hope that helps! Some of this you may know already, some not--sorry if any of it is repeating what you already know, but it's there if you need it.

[fracturepoint]

thanks for the advice dude. yeah we're already an llc and I write off our stuff for a fat refund. helps fund the album! hey you should check out our studio video blogs if you get a chance: