The days of major labels and A&R reps are over.
Instead of jumping through hoops to impress a record label representative who may or may not actually come to a show, more bands are turning down avenues they know they can trust — friends.
More often than not, bands find friends who have some sort of equipment used for sound recording and, if they have the right connections, sometimes those friends will even start their own labels.
That’s what happened with Saddle Creek Records, a label started as a class project. Saddle Creek produced records for bands solely in its local scene until it got on its feet. It was started by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst — Mogis is one half of the indie acoustic outfit Bright Eyes, and Oberst is the brother of the other half, Conor Oberst.
If a band doesn’t have recording equipment or famous friends. Crowd funding is another solution.
When T-shirt sales and basement recorded demos aren’t enough to keep a band on the road, some turn to “crowd funding,” a phenomenon that has spiked in recent years. Crowd funding is a quick alternative to the demanding process of thinking up creative ways to ask fans for money at shows. A band will say up front what fans can expect when a certain donation amount is reached.
Crowd funding is also a more universal way for bands and musicians to raise money for recording. Instead of having a tip jar at shows and hoping for the best, bands can utilize the Internet. One such avenue many bands and musicians are using today is Kickstarter, a private for-profit company whose website is used exclusively for crowd funding.
Kevin Devine, a musician from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a prime example of how quick and effective a crowd funding campaign can be. Earlier this year, Devine started a Kickstarter campaign to fund his projects. He promised two albums, one with Rob Schnapf, co-producer of two Elliot Smith records and one with Jesse Lacey, vocalist for Brand New and co-owner of the label Procrastinate! Music Traitors, both of whom Devine has worked with in the past. Devine also promised a tour scheduled for later this year.
As a result of his crowd funding campaign, Devine raised $114,805 to produce the two albums.
Part of the reason so many bands and musicians are looking for other ways to get their work out there in demos and MP3s is how fast the music industry is moving in our generation. Bands and musicians don’t have the time to wait around and hope their music is discovered — they have to go out and make sure people discover it. Being creative with your friends and crowd funding are two fairly simple ways to make this happen.
Rebecca Docter is a 19-year-old mass communication freshman from Brandon, Miss.
