An up-and-coming band is always looking for its big break. Whether it comes in the form of a “Battle of the Bands” victory or a chance encounter with a producer, independent artists are constantly waiting for their shot at the big time.
Last December, National Public Radio’s music division began holding a contest to find the newest addition to its “Tiny Desk Concert” series. The series features performances from artists, both new and known, at the desk of Bob Boilen, who hosts NPR’s “All Songs Considered.”
Since its start, the contest has received thousands of video entries from no-name bands and singer-songwriters around the country. One of those many hopefuls is Baton Rouge’s own Burris. The band’s lead singer and University student Chris Hochkeppel sat down with The Daily Reveille to explain the submission process and his hopes for
Burris.
The Daily Reveille: When did you decide that Burris needed to make an entry? Was it a long time coming or when you first found out about the contest?
Chris Hochkeppel: “Tiny Desk” has always been something that I’ve watched. I’ve seen a lot of them. A lot of our biggest influences played on there. It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do. Always waiting for
that email.
TDR: What exactly are the criteria for a “Tiny Desk”submission?
CH: It had to be an original song. You couldn’t be signed or anything like that already. There were little things. You can’t have extra marketing or … other names of companies or people that sponsored [you].
TDR: Did you end up submitting a brand new song for this or something you have in your repertoire?
CH: It was something that we had had. It’s a relatively new song, but we’ve been playing it around live lately. We had never recorded it before, though.
TDR: How did you decide that the song “I’m Alright” was good for submission?
CH: I think what it came down to was that it kind of featured everybody, with there being so much talent in every instrument. We could do a solo for both horns, the sax and the violin. It’s got a really grooving bass-line. Drums are definitely a key part of it. Then it still has my voice pretty prominent. I think it’s just a good all-around song to showcase what we have.
TDR: Were there any major challenges in making the submission?
CH: Minor things. Getting everybody together — that’s always tough. We did it with multiple mics and equipment. There was a discrepancy for us to decide [on a song]. “Tiny Desk” is kind of an acoustic atmosphere. We were thinking, “Should we do a stripped-down song?”
TDR: How is Burris looking up against some of the other entries?
CH: They have a Tumblr that I’ve been checking out, and I think they post a couple a day that they like. There’s just a huge variety. It seems like five bands in every town in every state submitted one — Obviously, I like ours, but it just depends on what the judges are looking for.
TDR: If Burris isn’t selected, what do you think can be taken from the experience?
CH: Well, we got a great video. That’s always nice to have something up on YouTube that everybody can see. At least producers of NPR are seeing it. There are two producers watching every video. It’s getting our name out there, and I think other bands are doing research trying to find the competition. That builds connections in other towns.
The “Tiny Desk Concert” contest deadline was Jan. 19. NPR plans to announce the winner on February 12. Fans interested in the results can watch potential winners at tinydeskcontest.tumblr.com.
You can reach Gerald Ducote on Twitter @geraldducoteTDR.
LSU music education senior Matt Murray plays the Burris orginial song "Burning Rays" on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2013 in the Tiger Band Hall.
