3/26/07

Vol 1, Issue 16: Making Merchandise

Have you ever noticed that it’s the 14-year-old high school bands who are totting around the best gear at shows and are stocked up with a full selection of merchandise? Perhaps these purchases were graciously donated through the generosity of their parents, or maybe a collection of the profits they’ve earned from babysitting gigs fronted the bill. It’s one thing to have top of the line gear, what musician doesn’t want to rock out like the professionals do? But, to travel with a mini retail store of your band’s paraphernalia before your band has even developed a reasonably sized fan-base or released an album, well, that’s just foolish.

From my fun and not-so-fun manufacturing experiences, I’ve learned a couple of things about developing merchandise that I’d like to share with you.

#1) Do not, I repeat, do not order any merchandise without proof that you are getting exactly what you requested.
A few years back, I decided to order some t-shirts for my band for the first time: a relatively simple design with two colours. I ordered both male sports tees, and female baby tees, which ended up costing me a few hundred dollars (which would not have been a problem seeing as I priced it out so that profits could be made). However, upon the much-anticipated delivery of my t-shirts, I noticed a critical issue when opening the package. Despite several attempts for clarification on sizing on the women’s style, I somehow ended up with 50 child-sized tees that were UNSELLABLE! Considering that I, myself, am a petite woman, and I was not even able to get my head through the neck hole of any of these shirts, I’m sure you’re getting the picture. I pleaded with the manufacturer explaining that he had made a huge mistake with my order, but guess what? He had already been paid, and therefore, could care less about my complaint. Luckily, I was able to salvage some of the funds through creative innovation. However, we still lost a substantial amount of money on that purchase, and suffice it to say that I will never work with that manufacturer again.

So, what I learned from that experience is this: Prior to finalizing any merchandise order, ask your manufacturer to send you a sample of your desired item to ensure that it is properly sized and has your desired appearance. Photos are not accurate representations of products. If your manufacturer refuses to comply with this simple request, I suggest you take your business elsewhere.

#2) Try to stick with companies in your region.
At first glance, many of the per-item rates that U.S. manufacturers charge for merch products seem substantially cheaper than that of the Canadian companies, and in some instances, they are. However, one must realize that customs, shipping and taxes are being left out of the equation. From my experiences working with both sides of the border, I’ve learned that there are hefty tariffs placed on imported resale goods. Thus, sticking with local companies will guarantee that your band will be able to profit with its sales, instead of just breaking even.

#3) Do a test run first.
It’s hard to predict what your fans may or may not be into in terms of merchandise. Asking their opinion is one thing, but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding: what are they actually willing to spend their hard earned money on? Because it’s difficult to judge this in even the best of situations, I recommend that bands never place bulk orders on new items. Even if all of your band mates agree that your new idea to get customized wristbands is fantastic, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your fans will buy them. As a good starting point, I recommend getting no more than 25 - 50 copies of a new item (generally the minimum amount that can be placed in a merch order for a reasonable price). This will allow you to gauge an item’s popularity without taking a huge financial loss if it doesn’t sell.

#4) Be as specific as possible.
When placing orders with manufacturers, it’s important to provide as many details as possible to avoid errors and potential delays. For example, the difference between vinyl, litho, latex and thermal stickers may seem trivial from your point of view, but it can substantially affect how a design will look once it’s printed, as well as the longevity of a product. Being knowledgeable about different stocks (the materials on which items are printed) is therefore extremely important to ensure that your order precisely matches your idea.

#5) For all of you black fans.
This is a tricky one. Although black is a very popular colour used amongst band designs, trying to find manufacturers that will print colour on black backgrounds is more difficult than one would anticipate. As an added bonus (note the sarcasm here), all products with black backgrounds are always more expensive to print than products with white/transparent backgrounds. No one likes sacrificing their design scheme because of cost issues, therefore being aware of this fact while developing a logo/concept for your band is essential. To help minimize what I refer to lovingly as the “black factor,” sticking to companies that regularly deal with band merchandise as opposed to generic screen printers is recommended, as they will be more sympathetic to your situation.

Manufacturing merchandise is a big step for any band, and something I do not recommend until you are in both a financial and professional situation to do so. Also, remember to always provide manufacturers with two weeks to a month's leeway time in the event that there are complications with your order. Bands tend to overwhelm manufacturers in the springtime to prepare for summer touring, so getting in before the crowd will ensure you don’t find yourself on the road with nothing to sell.

Some great (and reasonably priced) merch manufacturers that I regularly work with and strongly recommend are:

CDS
Indiepool
http://www.indiepool.com/

T-SHIRTS
Last Man Standing Clothing Supply
http://www.myspace.com/lastmanstandingclothing

STICKERS
JDBuilt Signs
http://www.jdbuilt.com

PROMO PHOTOS
Forest City Image Centre
http://www.imagespin.com

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

3/12/07

Vol 1, Issue 15: The Rules of Rock

Your albums are your livelihood, your art, your creation. Inspired by your feelings and decorated with your thoughts. They are you in a musical form: a reflection of what you stand for, what makes you tick, what breaks your heart and what will repair it. A simple compact disc can embody one’s full range of emotions: the good, the bad and most certainly the ugly. Because of its power, due time and consideration must be taken when getting ready to record your masterpiece. Whether it’s selecting the right producer, or deciding which songs should make the cut, taking your time will be time well-spent. If you want to release an “all killer, and no filler” album, then I recommend taking the following rules into consideration.

Rule #1: Don’t be in a rush to record.
There’s nothing worse than an album that grabs your attention immediately with its screeching distortion, but come track five has lost you somewhere in the translation. To avoid finding yourself in this scenario, I would advise you not to be too anxious to get into the studio. The best art, like a fine wine, grows in taste and refinement as it ages. So, take your time and make sure that every single one of your tunes is sickeningly addictive, gets stuck in your head on repeat, and makes you want to partake in a full-body gyration before you book your studio time. There’s nothing wrong with having a token soft acoustic track in the mix to demonstrate another side to your act, but for the most part, I’d recommend sticking to what you do best. Additionally, there’s no faster way to piss-off a producer than to go into a studio unprepared, but hey it’s your money, so if you want to waste it, that’s your prerogative.

Rule #2: The first 30 seconds will make or break you.
Because of the overabundance of artists vying for the attention of few labels, your act is left with very little time to make an impression. When labels receive artist submissions, they hold listening sessions in which they listen to hundreds of bands back-to-back in order to make their roster decisions. Due to the design of this process, it’s extremely easy for bands to get lost amongst one another. After listening to music consistently for hours, one’s ears start to get tired (especially if the music is poor in quality), and thus, one’s attention span is shortened. I cannot state enough how important it is to be able to grab your listener’s attention the moment the disc begins to spin. Every song needs to have a strong catchy intro, and it is recommended by musicologists that the vocal melody of a track kicks in no later than the 30-second mark.

Rule #3: Always put your best song as track two.
Rarely do labels listen past the second track on your disc unless you’ve truly peaked their interest, and even still, time constraints may prevent them from doing so. Therefore, the first track on your album is designed to act as an introduction to your band. Ideally, it should be a strong song that demonstrates a synopsis of what is to come. It shouldn’t be too heavy, or too soft, but rather right in between. This opens the door for your act to be able to expand in either direction, without having the listener form too many preconceived ideas of how the rest of your album will sound. Your strongest and/or title track should follow closely in line as the second track in rotation. This allows listeners to get a sense of your act's full potential from the very start. As record execs don’t have the time or patience to go through a half hour of your music in order to find your band’s high points, I recommend using this formula if your intention is to solicit your material to labels.

Rule #4: Come prepared.
If you are recording with a professional producer, it will undoubtedly be expected of you to arrive with new strings for your guitars, new skins for your drums, and your vocalist well-rested. Your gear and your band members need to be in tip-top shape to be fully productive and to work to their full potential. Make sure you get plenty of rest, eat well, and don’t overexert your energy. As for your gear, revive what you can. It is not expected of you to purchase brand new studio equipment, but considering that gear undergoes wear and tear from practicing and touring, a band needs to ensure that their equipment is as fully restored to new as possible. If that means spending a couple extra bucks bringing it back up to par, I assure you its worth it. Don’t just trust me, trust your ears: you’ll be able to hear the difference.

Rule #5: Bring your producer a CD by a familiar artist that illustrates how you want your album to sound.
This is especially important if this will be your first recorded album, and if you are working with a producer who is new to your material. By bringing along an example of a disc that demonstrates the production quality you wish to obtain, you are creating a framework for your producer, and also likely setting your budget. When it comes to selecting an appropriate example CD, it’s clearly important to consider the production/technical side of things, but as well, finding an artist that is similar to your act in sound will assist in this process greatly.

Rule #6: Just because it’s free doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bargain.
In my opinion, there are certain jobs that should be left to the professionals, and recording/producing a band’s album is definitely one of them. No matter how many recording programs you’ve managed to illegally download onto your computer, you need to face the facts, basement and at-home recordings simply cannot render the same quality as a professional in-studio recording. Aside from the disc’s sound quality, a trained sound engineer will be able to pick up on things that you may not even notice. They are educated to be sticklers for perfection, so if you want your band’s album to be able to compete with the big leagues, hire a professional. However, not just any professional producer will do. Do your research, know which bands your producer has worked with in the past and be sure you are selecting the man/woman you feel is best suited to the job.

Rule #7: Your producer should NOT be the same person as your mixing engineer. The more the merrier is definitely an expression that is fully embraced when it comes to recording. Because it is such a tedious endeavour that requires listening to the same sections of songs over and over again, it is strongly suggested that several engineers are hired to work on your full-length as opposed to just one. Producers are only human after all, and the more that they hear something on repeat, the less likely they will be able to pick up on imperfections. Therefore, hiring at least three different people to cover the jobs of producer, editor, and mixer/masterer will ensure that your album is as close to perfection as possible. As a bonus, producers often have their own staff with which they work or at the least will offer you a referral to a sister-company that handles the aspects of the production that they cannot.

Rule #8: Be in the studio at all times.
Even if you’ve already recorded your instrument, it really makes no sense to abandon the studio. Not only it is disrespectful to your fellow bandmates that waited patiently for you to lay down your tracks, but as well, this is your art. If you take off in the middle of recording, you might as well sacrifice your say in terms of how you want the album to sound because if you were not there, then you’ve got no business complaining about the results. Some of the best ideas for albums have spawned purely from being “in the moment” or on account of a minor suggestion from a producer. So, if you want to see the magic as it unfolds, I recommend sticking around. I wouldn’t want to leave my art into the hands of others, so why would you?

And finally...

Rule #9: Have fun.
Recording can be a stressful experience if you let it, but truly, it’s meant to be satisfying. Let your creative juices get flowing, and experiment with different settings and effects. Ask your producer questions, get involved, take pictures and make it something to remember. If you’re getting worked up over a note you just can’t hit, relax, take a break, and let someone else take over for a bit. Don’t rush yourself, you can take all the time you need. It’s your album, you set the deadlines. Never record for more than twelve hours straight, and if you aren’t happy with something, speak up. Remember, your producer is there to work for you, not against you and your vision.


About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

3/5/07

Vol 1, Issue 14: Ready to Record?

With the surge of indie artists, and the decline in label wealth due to illegal downloading, the competition for getting signed has reached an all-time plateau. No longer can record execs wage a band’s talent and marketability based upon a mere three to five track demo. Instead, the demand for strong full-length albums (ranging from 10 - 15 tracks on average) and/or E.P.s (extra-play) has been resurrected forcing artists to spend more time polishing their material and defining their sound prior to getting into a studio.

In my humble opinion, this movement is for the better as the one-hit wonder groups of the 80s and 90s continue to leave a bad aftertaste in my mouth. Although the idea of shelling out extra cash is definitely not “music to the ears” of any artist, there are several benefits that go along with releasing a full-length.

For starters, there’s the much-hyped CD release party. These are not only a great way to garner press and develop a fan-base, but if planned and executed successfully, a CD release party can generate huge bragging rights. Additionally, label reps generally prefer to attend special events over just any given gig. So, if you, as an act, feel ready to play to the movers and shakers in the industry, you’ll be more likely to receive a response from a special event invite as opposed to the generic “hey come see my band play at our local club” type message.

Along the same lines, tours (which can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few years) are generally booked in support of the release of an album. You’ll find you will have a significantly higher success rate of clubs willing to book your band when your appearances at their venues are affiliated with a tour. To state it blatantly, it just sounds more professional: like you’ve got your shit together and you know what you are doing. If you can continue to ride the success of an album’s release for two or more years all the power to you. Touring will only help you establish a reputation and a long list of contacts.

On a similar note, just as venues will be more likely to book your act, the press will be more likely to provide you with coverage when in conjunction with an album’s release and tour to support it. Again, it comes back to professionalism. The media does not have the time nor energy to waste on acts that do not know how to solicit their material properly.

If that didn’t convince you investing into a full-length album is an investment in your band’s future, perhaps this will: by having full-length discs available at shows for purchase, a band can start to regenerate an income thereby minimizing the time-frame of their debts.

Even with retail and online distribution, my band continues to earn the majority of its funds through selling merchandise directly after our live performances, which is quite a common phenomenon for indie artists. Fans are able to relive their concert experiences by listening to a band’s album whereas a demo cannot reproduce the full effect because it’s incomplete and therefore, leaves you feeling unsatisfied. Having cds available for purchase at shows is a fantastic way to be able to spread the word about your act (all it takes is one person to buy it and share it with all of their friends), and if you can make a little extra money to keep your act on the road (god knows the venues won’t pay well), I say go for it. You never know when your van is going to break down in the middle of nowhere at 3am, and that money is going to come in handy for a tow-truck or hotel room.

In order to survive in this cutthroat industry, one of the most important things a band must do is stay with the times. Though popular in the past (primarily because of their cost effectiveness), demo CDs have become passé. Giving record execs demos when they want full-lengths will get you nowhere fast. Even if your primary motivation is not to get signed right away, I’d still say that going with a full length is a safer bet as you never know who you might meet or what opportunities may come your way. Being prepared for everything (and I mean everything) is what being a musician is all about. On top of the countless benefits that I mentioned, full-length albums also make bands eligible for government grants and awards. Full-lengths act as great sales tools for bands, and above all, they prove that you can rock a record from start to finish, which these days seems to be a rare thing indeed.


About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/