by T. Perry Bowers
I’ve been in bands for over 20 years. I’ve been in the studio business for almost 20 years. I’ve seen thousands of bands come and go. I’ve seen some of them take it very far. Most have withered on the vine, before they even had a chance. Success is different for everyone. This article is not only meant to help people make money or “get to the top”. I also want to talk about inner satisfaction. I believe that you can’t truly be satisfied with your art until someone else appreciates it. If we’re honest, we got into bands because we wanted to be loved. We wanted someone else to be inspired and moved by our music. For some of us, to perform in a show where the audience was entertained and touched or created an album that moves and delights, is enough. For some, the satisfaction is also connected to making money. For this article, I’m assuming you want one or the other or both. It really doesn’t matter. These mistakes are commonly made, whatever your motivation.
Mistake #1 – Underestimating the Competition
Last summer, my son’s band and I packed all of their gear into my little Toyota truck and went on a mini tour of Wisconsin and Illinois. Our first gig was in a church basement in Rockford, Illinois. The part of Rockford where the church was, looks a like a town after the apocalypse. It was mostly barren. There are a few shops, but most of them are boarded up. One might think that there is really nothing going on in Rockford. Well, one would be wrong. That night, my son’s band played second out of five acts. The first one was a singer songwriter; his songs could have been in a movie soundtrack. He sang like “The Tallest Man on Earth” and wrote like Bob Dylan. My son’s band was good, too. Then came an alternative act that could have easily toured opening for the Smiths. Then came a folk band, then a grunge/punk act that was like the Afghan Whigs, but better. All of these bands in this small Rockford church basement were good enough to get signed to a label and promoted. With a little resource behind them, any one of them could have been successful. This is just one town in one state in the midwest. There are thousands of these towns all across the world. The competition is fierce!
You will never get a second chance to make a first impression. If you are a young band and you are coming out with a recording, don’t make excuses for it. Do it right or don’t do it at all. It’s fine to make demos for you and your girlfriend to listen to, but if you intend to release it to the public, make sure it can hang with the plethora of other recordings that are out there. I have bands that come into the studio that say things like, “it’s just our first recording. Or, I’m not going for the polished studio sound.” I say, listen to Jimi’s “Are You Experienced” or “Led Zeppelin I”. Those were their first recordings! We’re not all Guided by Voices or Cody Chestnutt here. Some of us need some technical wizardry in the studio to bring some clarity to our ideas. Make a recording that your fans can load onto their Ipods and play for their friends without making the same excuses you have to make, like, “well it’s just a rehearsal space demo” or “my friend mixed it and he’s not really an engineer.” I’m not saying you have to spend a lot of money on a recording, I’m saying take the time to do it right. If you’re going to do it yourself, do some research. Get good at the craft of songwriting, performing and recording. Even your biggest fan knows there are bands that are better than yours. Trust me.
Mistake #2 and #3 – Releasing Music and Videos that “Aren’t Ready” (aka Suck).
This goes along the same lines as mistake #1. But, there is another level to it. I see some bands release demos and practice space videos on a daily basis. They seem to think that their fans want to hear and see every bit of their process. This takes the magic out of releasing a new song or video. The music business is about suspense and illusion. When a new song is released, there should be an element of surprise. You want your fans to think, “how did they do that?” Or, “what a cool new direction” and “I never saw that coming!”
The web is a tricky thing. These are the days of instant gratification. We want to post something and check the likes 5 minutes later. As entertainers, we should practice restraint. We need to contain the energy like a pot of boiling water. It heats and it heats and in one instant it boils. That makes for an interesting piece of art. Don’t misunderstand me. I’ve seen bands promote a song by inviting the fans into the recording studio with them. They capture the process of recording, on video, and it’s compelling. This is because it is done deliberately. They promote the event, they build up to it. They make a production out of it. It’s not just someone holding an iPhone camera and shakily recording a rehearsal. If I see something shot in a basement from a camera on their computer, I’m on to the next thing. I’m not impressed if you can sing like Mariah Carey or shred like Yngvie. Can you put together and band and write a killer song and produce a killer video to go along with it? Then, I’ll be talking about you to my friends and colleagues. Remember, the competition is fierce.
Mistake #4 – Misdirecting Your Energy
To be honest, I still have an issue with this one. My band Silverseed released a CD in 2012. We still have about 300 copies sitting on shelves in our basements. We should really still be promoting it. We spent 5 years making it. We spent thousands of dollars producing and manufacturing it. It’s a great record! But, we’re already on to writing new songs and thinking of making a new recording. The shine of the old CD has worn off, but, only for us. There are millions of potential fans out there that have no idea that we even exist. How do we get to those people? These are the questions I should be asking myself. This is where I should be focusing my energy. But I don’t because I’m addicted to making music. And, it’s not good for business. In this new DIY world, one needs to have a plan and stick to it. If you’re going to release a CD, then do your best to sell it. Promote it and don’t stop until you’ve only got one left on your shelf. Don’t let your CDs end up in your own discount bin.
Another aspect of this mistake is starting new projects or side projects. Some artists are very good at this. Most of us suck at it. Rather than spending time on the phone or on our computers promoting the band that we have, we want to retreat back into our addiction, making music. And, yes, I do mean addiction. I’m not using that term lightly. It can be very serious for some of us. It is our means of escape and it can devastate our lives. Most of us aren’t lucky enough to have a business infrastructure around us to do the dirty work. We have to do it ourselves.
A colleague of mine used to ask me, “did you eat your peas today?” He was asking if I had done the hardest thing on my list that day. Sometimes the hardest thing is to pick up the phone and ask for a gig, or send an email to a local radio station, or send in that copyright form or ASCAP application. In reality, making music is roughly 20% of being in a band. 80% is business. Eat your peas!
Mistake #5 – Do it for the Wrong Reasons
When all is said and done. Your music is really not about money or fame. It’s not about packing clubs or reaching 1000 fans on Facebook. It’s about expression. It’s about taking what’s inside of you and putting it into a song. It’s a tool to help you realize your authentic self. It’s a prayer and a meditation. It’s a challenge. It’s a journey. It’s your life’s work. It is not meant to be easy.
I’ve played in at least 20 bands. I’ve played to the bartender and I’ve played to 1000 people. I’ve never been able to make a living by playing in a band, but music has been first and foremost for myself. When I am creating I ask, “what is going on inside of me?” “How can I express it in my songs?” My music has never been just simple love songs. It’s never been about beer and bad behavior. My music is about my spirituality because that what touches me the most. I have come to accept that my genuine expression is more important than commercial success. I would rather reach one person with a true lyric than a million with a trite song about love. But, that’s just me, right now. If I would have been signed to a record label at the age of 20 years old and they told me that they were going to change my sound and my lyrics to be more commercial, I would have been totally fine with it. My dream back then was to be rich and famous for music. Thank god that didn’t happen, because, I would be miserable now. I would be confused. I wouldn’t be myself.
If you work hard, you can make a living in music. There is a way and it’s not all just luck. In this new “do it yourself” era, you have many choices. My advice would be to make music for yourself. After you’ve figured out what kind of music that is, promote it and send it out to the world with all the vigor you can muster. And when you “make it”, you will be grounded and solid. Your expression will touch people in deep ways. Your authentic vibration will impact this world like you can’t even imagine. Your message will change the universe. Music is power. Music is love. Never let some guy in a suit tell you that it isn’t. If you can manage this, you are already successful. You have already arrived. There is nothing left to do but be yourself. Welcome home.
