MAKIN’ IT HAPPEN
Posted October 26, 2007 — in KOAR Rants, Music News
Today with the internet a good artist can find fans work with big producers and maybe even find themselves on internet radio and mainstream radio rubbing shoulders next to the big national artists. In the old days, these types of opportunities were next to impossible, now its attainable. This is the true benefit when an industry is in chaos. Chaos is a breeding ground for opportunity. True winners will succeed and the mediocrity will vanish.
For instance, a lesser known band who formed in a small town in PA called
The Drama Club worked on some demos eventually catching the ear of producer Rob Caggiano who has worked with Jesse Malin, Anthrax, and Cradle of Filth. Rob Caggiano and mixer Jay Baumgardner (Evanescence, Papa Roach, Godsmack) eventually produced the EP. The EP also features guest appearance from Ben Burnley of top rock act Breaking Benjamin who sings on the song “Brand New Day”.
Of course having a strong EP isn’t the end of the story. Exposing the music is the next crucial process. This process truly separates the winners and the losers. Many artists fail miserably at self promotion or just suck live. In order to get to the next level or achieve the next level of success a well oiled machine must exist.
The Drama Club began performing shows in their region and soon were known to be an exceptional live band which led to increase popularity known as the ’snowball effect’ - and and being a promotional machine for themselves the shows began to sell out regularly.
Once an artist begins making noise and shows begin to sell out then national artists who come to town rely on those artists’ to assist in ticket sales. Most national acts cannot sellout clubs to the fullest capacity and always need artists that can sell an extra 75-250 tickets. The Drama Club began opening up for bands including Breaking Benjamin, Velvet Revolver, Flyleaf, and many others including a 30 date North East tour which included a stop at the Warped tour in their hometown.
Basic logic says with increased exposure more opportunities will arise, especially in you’re hometown, and thanks to the internet - opportunities can be limitless. The Drama Club has been featured many times on their hometown radio stations 97X, and WZZO, as well as Metal Edge Magazine, Purevolume, Puregrainaudio, Origivation, and other regional press. Not only that
The Drama Club teamed up with a manager as was just added to ‘POWER ROTATION’ on AOL Radio “New Rock First” station. This is when the internet can be you’re best friend because AOL isn’t localized.
If you play by these rules, success can almost be guaranteed. You will be able to quit your day job, even sign some autographs. If these rules fail you, it’s not because the rules are broken, its because something within the artist is not connecting. Maybe its not your destiny.
Artists that are armed with good music and a strong desire can make it without the big man today. The door is opened to anybody who is willing to walk through it.
I think this post said it best about bands not being good promoters of their own music and/or horrible live.
Every Warped Tour that I do, I always ask bands that I know if they are coming to their cities Warped. About half the time, I get a “no” response. What??
Every band should be hustling and promoting their band at Warped Tour (if you fit the Warped genre). You should AT LEAST go to meet people and get connections. Those people working those tents have real jobs. A lot of them work at labels. Some work for bigger bands that are off at that time. Some have their own music companies.
Promoting your band shouldn’t be a “job.” It should be something you want to do. It’s your music and your band.
A lot of the time, playing live can be fixed by playing as often as you can. You should also practice at least 3 to 4 times a week.
Comment by Tim Towner — October 26, 2007 @ 7:04 am
cool column and dig the band too!
Comment by lilly — October 26, 2007 @ 8:02 am
Exposing the music is the next crucial process. This process truly separates the winners and the losers.
This is so true. I know so many artists that track songs then break up. The work has just begun.
Comment by tina — October 26, 2007 @ 8:05 am
Some markets are easier to break into than others. Pa is not the easiest to penetrate. Breaking Benjamin broke out of pa as well.
the radio station began playing breaking benjamin and the radio dept at hollywood records saw the reports flew down and signed the bands.
Comment by at — October 27, 2007 @ 8:02 am
Good column koar, but opportunities always came to really good bands even in the old days.
But I agree, being that the industry is in chaos artists have more opportunities because we are sitting on a playground that has its doors opened to anybody.
I like that track november by the drama club. They are a radio rock band.
Comment by tina — October 27, 2007 @ 8:07 am
Jay Baumgardner is a great mixer. Love his work.
Comment by allen — October 27, 2007 @ 8:20 am
Great article here.also thanks for the new music. I really like this band and just purchased brand new day and november. Are they planning on completing a LP?
Comment by tom — October 27, 2007 @ 8:31 am
did you watch the American Idol band show ?
thats what the public is going to think “good ” is.
Comment by larry anderson — October 27, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
Lead vocalist Nick Coyle’s former band Lifer actually was comprised of Breaking Benjamin’s guitarist and bassist. Nick went on to form another band, myDownfall before settling into The Drama Club. Nothing notable, just average generic radio rock.
Where’s the news on 32 Leaves signing with Universal? “Welcome to the Fall” was a pretty good album they’re very compareable to Dean’s 10 Years.
Comment by BW — October 27, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
“If these rules fail you, it’s not because the rules are broken, its because something within the artist is not connecting. Maybe its not your destiny.”
This is the most important line in the entire article. There are bands who can bust ass for years and never get anywhere, and its simply because they are not destined to be great artists. Sure, every kid dreams about it at some point, but ‘legendary’ is a very short list of elites. Knowing how to play guitar and being a truly talented guitarist are very different things.
We have made this point on KOAR a few times, and it’s one that certainly shouldn’t be forgotten. Not every band will make it and not everyone working in the industry will be on Behind The Music or have a book written about them. It doesn’t have anything to do with how good you are or how bad you want it. Yes, those things matter, but it really comes down to whether or not that’s truly what you’re meant to do. Is it luck or is it magic? Did you force it to happen, or did the planets align for you?
The problem with labels losing all of their power is that ANYONE can be in a band and develop some sort of fanbase. I think this is giving false hope to crappy bands who 15 years ago would have had door after door slammed in their face. I get demos from ‘new’ bands that are in their mid 30s, sound like Nickelback’s retarded cousin, and are all about 150 lbs overweight. The songs aren’t good and the band can’t land anything other than a few local bar gigs. Or the teenagers who just learned how to play the guitar and copied a couple song styles from the radio. Those are the ones who always have more endorsements and merchandise than fans. You shouldn’t have more t-shirt designs than you do songs. Why do these guys even call themselves a band? And more importantly, why are they sending out demos? They clearly have nothing to offer. They need to get jobs. Getting demos THAT bad from bands who are THAT pointless is almost offensive.
Same goes for people working in the industry, because these bands ALWAYS have someone working for them. How long do you think you can go without a hit artist before people stop taking you seriously? No big projects, no big bands, maybe a short stint at a label where you got to work on someone else’s find, but what have YOU brought to the table? What have you unearthed and how have you impacted music? These days, no matter how bad the manager, producer, publicist, booking agent, etc, you will ALWAYS be able to find a band dumb enough to pay you. But again, it’s false hope. You may be paying your bills, but that ‘not good enough’ microcosm of bad local/myspace bands and wannabe industry is utterly irrelevant to the bigger picture.
If you’re working on that level, your time would be better spent scrapbooking your glory days so you can prove to your grandkids that you’re not making it all up.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — October 28, 2007 @ 10:52 am
Amen, sister! Amen.
Music isn’t like carpentry. You can’t just follow blueprints. You either have it or you don’t. And even when a band isn’t yet technically proficient, you know whether there’s a spark or not.
Just because you can get a thousand plays per day on myspace doesn’t mean you don’t suck. ESPECIALLY when all of those plays are 13 year old girls.
Comment by Jon Cole — October 28, 2007 @ 11:44 am
I really like the drama club because they seem intense. I do love 10 Years as well. When are they coming out with a new record? The Autumn Effect was a amazing.
Comment by adam — October 28, 2007 @ 5:50 pm
Yeah, i agree. The Drama Club seems like a great band even though i never saw them live. The songs I heard on myspace are really good. I see 10 Years is performing in Scranton, PA. Im going..
Comment by sister — October 28, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
Amen!! Amen!!
Comment by Michael Barile — October 29, 2007 @ 7:20 am
I think what’s interesting now is that people expect if they put in the work they have to make it.
Sadly that’s not always true.
In the old days you were spotted by a record company A&R which was route one and the only route.
Now there are so many things that you can do to promote your music that people think by running 100 miles an hour and doing everything they will always get somewhere.
It doesn’t always work out like that.
Comment by Alterhit* — October 29, 2007 @ 10:39 am
Lets see how good the band would have done if it weren’t for certain people like Ben and the fact that the lead singer was in “LIFER” with Ben’s bassist. It’s all politics and I personally know bands that gave done so much more but without the help of signed artists. It’s just that without the help of friends in the business, NO ONE will get signed. So bands that don’t have money or connections, give up now…..
Comment by Joe Bividabovidakovichz — October 29, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
There is music & then there is the music business. These are two different things. You can be a great band, but to make it on the business side you have to have the social skills to network. If you don’t want to network, don’t expect a deal. Learn to be content playing music for yourself & your friends.
But it’s not hard, especially if you make good music. The thing about the music industry is that when you have something to offer everyone introduces you to everyone because it makes them look good. And if you’re really passionate about it, it tends to come pretty naturally. I eat, sleep, & drink music, so of course 90% of the people I hang out with are musicians, in the music industry, or are passionate music fans.
I think the “you have to know someone” excuse is one that bands who don’t have what it takes use. The fact of the matter is that if you have what it takes, people will want to know you. That’s just how it works.
Sure, mediocre bands have gotten deals based on who they know, but what normally happens? The record gets shelved or bombs. And then the band breaks up. Whoopty doo.
Comment by Jon Cole — October 30, 2007 @ 10:37 pm
Joe Bividabovidakovichz,
Correction: Nick was in Lifer with both Aaron Fink and Mark Klepaski of B.B.
We know The Drama Club personally and they’re great guys/musicians.
Comment by Scott — November 2, 2007 @ 9:13 am