music industry – and so she thinks

Sonic Cathedral

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:56:09 +0000

Much of the music I listen to would not reach me without the support of independent groups, individuals and organisations In the music business. I am always curious as to how these people tarted out in the music industry, or often found themselves in the said place. One of my favourite independent labels is Sonic Cathedral, a label that like many others has evolved and grown in different incarnations, every guise having the same core tenet at heart – music is visceral, vital, wonderful and to be enjoyed. Shoegaze to the core, celebratory in style, they are the current home of Young Husband, Happy Families and Dean Wareham. I caught up with the guys to learn more and have my curiosity abated…
First off, can you give me some background? When and how did Sonic Cathedral start?
It started as a club night and it was supposed to be a one-off. On October 23, 2004 I put on The Radio Dept at The Legion on Old Street and DJed loads of old shoegaze records, essentially for fun. The place was beyond rammed, people of all ages came along, some wearing dusted off old Slowdive T-shirts that had been in the wardrobe since 1991; it was like all these people had finally got somewhere to go that reflected their love of this music. I felt I had to carry on doing nights and then, a couple years later, the label just came about as the logical next step and has since grown into what it is today. I hate to use the word organically, but it’s the most appropriate. There was no five-year plan. In fact there was no plan at all. One thing has led to another and now I’ve released records for two of the artists I respect and admire more than anyone – Neil Halstead and Dean Wareham. I feel proud and extremely fortunate. (Then I remember I’m still skint!)
And more importantly, why?
See above, really. I started it for fun, essentially; an excuse to dust off all my old 12″ singles that I still loved and played. But when all those people showed up it had to carry on, it was like a public service! The label has taken on a similar feel these days – it’s nice to work with artists like Neil and Dean and release their records with the love and attention to detail that they deserve.
What makes Sonic Cathedral different?
The fact that I don’t have an office or any interns?!
Do artists even need a label these days? What do you do?
Maybe some don’t, but I still think the role of a label is an important one. I do think it’s changed a bit over the years – whereas once it was telling artists what to do and imposing ideas on them, these days it’s more a question of guidance and working alongside bands to help them realise their vision. For example, with the Younghusband album, myself and the band worked really closely with Heretic (the design collective) who did all of the artwork. It’s not just about spending money, either. Especially if you don’t have any like me.
How do you choose a band? Is it sound, lyrics, the feeling you get, or their personalities?
I guess it’s a combination of all those things and more. You just know when the right thing comes along I only ever release records I genuinely love, and as I’m only answerable to myself there are not too many arguments.
How important is a wotk ethic for a band, or should they focus solely on creativity?
Work ethic is important, and it’s great to have a band who are keen and hungry and resourceful. But if a band is more focused on the creative side of things then that is fine too, and that’s where the role of the label comes in handy as in the question above.
As genres and fashions change, is there any type of music that you think defines Sonic Cathedral?
Well, the club night was a shoegaze night. That was the whole point of Sonic Cathedral. But I’ve always resisted releasing straight up shoegaze copies. I always like people to add something of their own. And although that was the starting point for everything, a lot of what I release isn’t shoegaze at all – i guess the label’s grown into more of a reflection of my personal tastes.
What advice would you give a band looking for a label? What about someone thinking of setting one up?
Think about who you approach, don’t just fire off an email to everyone from the Music Week directory, or to a 1000 people on SoundCloud. What’s the point of that? A bit of research will give you a good idea of which label(s) would be right for you. The personal touch goes a long way. Spamming people with random MP3s just leads to deletion. And for people thinking of setting up a label, I’d say ‘don’t do it!’ and then I’d quantify that with a reminder that it’s really hard work, so make sure you really want to do it and you genuinely love the records you’re putting out. It may seem fun to begin with, but if you’re sat there filling in great big sheets of metadata at 2am, it really helps if you strongly believe in the end product.
Who should we be keeping our eye on?
Younghusband will go on to big things – their live shows are getting better and better. I’m excited to see what happens with Happy Families, whose debut single I release over the summer, and I’m also working with some really exciting bands from Mexico (Lorelle Meets The Obsolete) and the US (The Vacant Lots), both of whom will be releasing albums and touring next year.

BBC Introducing – Musician’s Masterclass 2013 – need to know

admin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:21:14 +0000

On March 21^st the BBC ran sessions around the UK inviting musicians, industry experts and fans to learn about the industry, in a day of advice sessions, expert panels, and conferences. Here are some of the highlights and learnings. Some are obvious, some may change the way you have considered things, all are worth reading. (Plus, it will save you the two and a half hours of your life that it will take to listen to the videos here).

–          Be persistent and hungry, and show that hunger. Don’t bug people, but show them you want to succeed and love music, and they will react.
–          No one is going to bump into A&R, they will take years to find you. It is about making waves with your music…it all starts with one ripple etc…
–          If your music is good enough, people will find it. Record companies are perfectly right to expect you to have done something yourself – the tools are there. The label can take you from 20 to 100, but you have to do 0 to 20.
–          The record deal is one tiny bit – it’s all about what you do before and what you do after that really matters, so don’t just hold out for that deal and think it will change everything.
–          The industry is shrinking, all falling apart, as people don’t work together – if the thing we love is music, let’s keep listening to each other and moving forward.
–          There is no money for new artists – you have to enjoy what you do.
–          This means that most musicicans needs work elsewhere to finance themselves. Pick flexible jobs that will teach you skills that will help. Spreadsheets, plans and accounting may sound irrelevant, but as an independent artist you will have to do it all. Even The Beatles worked – dirty finger nails, starving hungry, breakdowns in the middle of the night – all are part of it.
–          Make sure monetise your live dates – be members of PRS, and submit your set list.
–          Consider syncing – it’s not a dirty word any more as there are so few ways of making money.
–          Share your music via Spotify and radio etc – the reach of exposure from one and better compensation from the other balance out.
–          Similarly, although more people may download a song, you make more money from CDS at gigs – £5 rather than 79p – so don’t forget them. Make an effort with the CDs – make them different, eye catching, and easy for people to listen.
–          Give your band page and website personality – not a robot. Just be normal, and respond to people in real time. Complete conversations and journeys, and have them wanting to come back to listen to you, rather than just push out content.
–          All bands need a website – it is all very well having ‘enigma’ but you need a way of communicating with fans.
–          Build up a profile amongst your local scene – if can sell out 300 seats in local town, promoters will believe that you can do elsewhere and take a risk on you.
–          Hand to hand flyering can’t be beaten – if something is in your hand you have to look at it.
–          There’s no such thing as an official single launch any more – the music is there for people to find.
–          In a manager you need trust, to be going in broadly the same direction, they need to be someone you can battle with but not too businessy – but you do need to be able to trust them and their capabilities.
–          Pushing yourself forward is all about having momentum with right people who have same passion.
–          Your friends will always be your biggest fans, but it is important to go out of your comfort zone and communicate with people who aren’t your friends and reach new people.
–          All of your friends have a network, hook up with other artists, do a cover – you are getting into other networks and reaching new people.
–          Making amazing music matters more than having hits. Easily forgotten.
–

Girls, girls, girls

admin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:31:38 +0000

There’s no denying that the prominent hormone in the music world is testosterone. There’s more that the fairer sex can offer the music business than just groupies, and there does seem to be more and more females wielding a guitar or banging the drums. But why has it taken so long to see women at the top in the music media and business fields? After 57 years, the recent appointment of Nichola Browne at the helm of the NME sees the first female editor. As one of the most influential and prominent brands in music, this puts Browne in an enviable position of power. Whilst Browne’s appointment is politically and socially notable, and prompts the question as to why it hasn’t happened before, the real focus will be on seeing if this change of personnel can reverse the dwindling fortunes of a magazine that has seen a 27% decrease in circulation in the first six months of 2009. Or have women been given only a token chance only at this terminal stage, when the magazine industry seems unlikely to resurrect itself. Cynical, but sadly possible.

Francesca Baker