When I was a little kid we moved every year or so. My dad was in the Air Force and they were throwing darts at a map and telling us to go there. By the time I was 6 we had lived in 6 different places including overseas in Frankfurt, Germany. Getting up and moving was something I had become very accustomed to but I was glad when we finally settled in and stayed in Arlington, Texas.
Eventually I moved down to Austin to go to school and this was where I started playing in bands and ultimately Freakhouse. We would tour, mostly regionally, and had put out a record on our own which can be worth some bucks these days on the used market. As bands do, we went through some lineup changes and changed up our image. We were now wearing gas masks on stage and black jump suits and made our music more heavy/industrial. We were attracting a lot of attention. This was pre-Slipknot mind you. Their success was the reason we abandoned the gas masks because we knew we would be seen as copycats.
Eventually after working with a name producer and making the “Subsculture Revolution” ep, we caught the ear of a production company in Los Angeles. We signed a production deal with them which if you don’t know is a way for them to showcase you to major labels and possibly become a division of said label. This is of course comes with you giving up a percentage of the record deal to them. I don’t remember the exact terms but sometimes these deals change their percentage as you make more records, etc. The production company was a couple of great guys that really believed in us. Belief is the key word. You want to get a strong sense that whoever you do any kind of record deal with is completely psyched to have you on board. Labels sometimes just pick up bands because they need another act for whatever reason. Beware of this kind of deal because it can go south quick. Most deals are structured in a way that you are locked in but they can kick you to the curb anytime. Sucks I know.
We had a long distance relationship and did a number of private showcases they had set up during SXSW. All the venues were full so a realtor found us an old Shlitz Beer Warehouse and our production company guys brought the major label execs over in limos. That place was insanely big. It was a unique and memorable scene. We played like our lives depended on it, but no deal.
So, now it was time dust ourselves off and showcase for as many labels as we could. In the midst of all this we decided that it would be easier for us if we were closer to the action in Los Angeles. So we loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly… Nah, we moved to North Hollywood. If you know L.A. this is where lots of newbies land. You see L.A. was expensive compared to Austin and this was a good, fairly safe place to live and didn’t completely break the bank. Another reason that we came out to L.A. is we had just gotten a new drummer who had just had his first Modern Drummer cover: Virgil Donati.
Let me back up a little and say this. Picking up and moving an entire band half way across the country was not easy. I always knew I would end up in Los Angeles since I was a kid so this was my destiny. But, It was still very difficult to pull off. Logistically for sure, but primarily mentally. Talk about culture shock. This is where you really find out the strength of your desire. We had the desire and we were on a mission.
More on moving and making moves in your career next time…
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I want to talk briefly about producing. If you’re producing yourself it’s hard to be objective, but if you insist on taking on this role, this is what you must fight for. If you can’t be completely objective, like the vast majority of people go hire a producer. You’ll save yourself some grief. That extra set of ears, not to mention experience and vision can pay dividends. I’ve done it both ways. Working with an outside producer can be awesome, but prepare for your vision to be slightly altered. This can be a double edged sword. Hook up with the right person and you’ll be glad they altered your vision a bit. One of my favorite things about a good producer is they really know about song structure and arrangement. Their “spidey sense” goes off when they hear something that doesn’t sound like a record. Then they fix it.
They also know about things like the element of surprise and making hooks really grab the listener and not let go. Often they are really good songwriters themselves. Their role is to coordinate a record’s production so this includes things like finding the right studio, hiring the right engineer (or themselves), keeping the band happy and on track, and perhaps most importantly, knowing who delivers the best food and beer. Keep the team happy and you get great performances.
The vast majority of the time, one way or another, the band is paying for the producer. Some producers will try to make a band feel like they are working for him so keep this in mind. Not the producer you want, unless you are a masochist.
If you aren’t on a label a producer may want you to sign a production deal so he can be compensated if you get signed, etc. from the songs you just recorded/created together. This is normal and you should consult an entertainment lawyer. Burn that into your brain!
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Also, in case you didn’t know, I mix singles, EPs, and Albums for Rock and Metal bands.