Signing with Independent record label SDR
What is the history of your company? How were you formed?
First we are fairly new label which was formed by musicians and producers
from the Houston / Galveston area. At first we were an informal group of friends
and colleagues who had been doing underground demos for local bands to sell at
gigs and small record stores in the area. Most of these demos were done as
favors for friends with no monetary compensation. Some of the bands like Pseudo Quack Axiom (now Lazarus X) are still around and others have fallen
into the waste bin of obscurity. One of the founding members of the label was
David Lazarus who was known locally for his band Pseudo
Quack Axiom which had a pretty huge cult following. One night after a jam
session a large group of us were talking about how so many talented bands had given up music
because it had become impossible to "break out". Music marketing had become so
huge a task that small bands just couldn't get a foothold at the national level. He had the idea to
make a label for Houston bands where they could attempt to compete with the
juggernaut of corporate rock by cooperating with each other instead of working
against one another. By sharing some of the responsibilities and attempting to
work with both struggling and highly successful bands we could create a
community of musicians committed to mutual success. It sounded like a pretty
good idea and it turned out that it was.
What is your studio like? What equipment do you have?
As to the specifics of the studio, etc. we have 3 main rooms to record in and an
isolation room for amplifiers and a small vocal booth so we are able to
accommodate most 4 or 5 piece bands pretty nicely. We have the option of adding
two more rooms later on which are office space now and a large space for future
development. We are in the process of converting the building into a full time
studio now which is part of the reason for the delay in signing bands. We are
using computer audio recording (who isn't) with lots of plug ins and other
digital and analog effects to get the best of both worlds. Our recordings are
not the over compressed and hard processed commercial radio fodder that you hear
from many producers and we are proud of that fact. Of course you have to use
enough compression to make the recording compare well to other CD's and be
playable on radio. We think we walk the line pretty well between the two. We
like to get an almost vintage sound by using tube mics and some other very hush
hush gear. We use only top of the line stuff like Avalon, Audio Technica,
Mackie, M-Audio, Focusrite, etc. Each of our producers has their own magic
recipe which they bring in terms of personal gear. If we need to we can rent a
studio although we try to avoid this if possible to save money for promotion,
etc.
Who does your artwork? Do you hire out or do in house art?
We have a couple of artists that we work with to do in house artwork but we
also hire out on occasion depending on what the album requires. We like to let
our signed artists have lots of input into the promotion and marketing process
and we are always looking for good artists or ideas for that matter.
What type of distribution do you have?
We have various contacts in the distribution end of things but we have yet to
finalize who we will go with to distribute these new releases. Of course it will
come down to who offers the best deal with the largest distribution area. In
addition to traditional marketing we will also sell our products direct through
the internet and at local and national shows and small record stores and select
specialty shops. Like most labels we are always looking for new contacts for
distribution and delivery of our product to keep the profit where it belongs in
the pocket of the artist.
Can you shop us to a major label?
If a band were looking for a large studio deal we could help them shop with
major labels for a distribution deal with one of the big five (the five major
labels) although there are reasons why this is sometimes not a good idea for
artists. The industry consensus today is that small independent labels are
making much more money for bands and that they are able to control their
artistic integrity in the small label. They can also
put money in their pocket much sooner. We hope with a smaller label to keep
costs very low for bands and allow them to control more of the rights to their
own music and publishing.
How much can we expect to spend for a demo?
Our target is for our signed bands to spend 0$ out of pocket for the recording. Of
course any money you spend towards the CD can buy studio time or equipment
rentals for key vocals or other things and increases the albums chance of
success.
Are you signing only local bands? Can you pay for us to relocate?
Since we are a small label and we can not afford to fly bands to Houston
several times a year so we are expecting mainly bands that already live in the
Houston area or are willing and financially able to relocate. Of course there is
nothing to stop you from paying these expenses yourself and remaining where you
are although you probably wouldn't get the full benefit of the
label.
Are you signing international bands? Are you touring internationally?
Yes we are considering signing international bands but we are warning them
they might not get as much out of signing with us as a band based close to us
would. Most of our contacts are here in the US and international releases are
not our primary focus at this point. That does not mean they don't have a chance
at being signed but just to be honest about what our focus will be. We will do
most of our promotion here in the US and plan to tour largely in the US.
Information about their marketing plan or whether they plan to and are
financially able to relocate to the US will be necessary before we make a final
decision.
What type of radio play are you targeting for signed bands?
We are targeting radio play all over the US and some parts of Europe with
focus on commercial and noncommercial radio like college and independent radio
and other untapped markets in the US and abroad.
When will you announce who is signed?
The announcement date for the three bands we will sign will be on
January 1, 2006. The reason for this delay is that we are remodeling our studio and offices
and working hard to prepare the marketing, promotion, distribution network to
handle these releases with the utmost care and attention. We will only sign
bands if we feel we can help them succeed. While we could possibly sign bands
sooner we decided we should wait until we have laid the groundwork for success.
That way when a band commits to us we can give them 100%.
What will you offer to signed bands? Will you customize the deal for our
band?
As far as what we will
offer to the bands who are left after the final elimination, of course we will offer deals
custom made to serve the needs of the bands we sign. These may include
promotion, distribution, radio support, tour booking, etc. depending on what us
needed. Of course the band may pass on the deal if they decide it is not right
for them. For most bands we will be recording a full length CD of
original music in our in house studio or perhaps in a commercial studio. Then we will promote that project through
radio, advertising, tour dates, etc. We intentionally left ourselves some
flexibility to better meet the needs of the diverse group of bands we are
considering. Our greatest priority is making great music and helping bands to
reach their full potential.
Will you eliminate any bands before then?
Yes. Because of the huge number of
submissions we received we have decided to immediately eliminate any applicants
that we feel don’t quite fall into the specific sub-genres chosen by our
producers. Then on August 1, 2005 all the producers from SDR and band
members signed to SDR will meet to narrow the hundreds of remaining submissions
down to few dozen entries. As much as we would
like we can’t sign all of the great bands we have heard in the last few months.
We don't feel it's fair for these bands to wait missing out on other
opportunities if they don't have a very good chance of being signed.
Producers will champion the CD's which they have been assigned and a panel of
musicians, producers, and staff will decide what remains. Then the final
CD's will be decided on in December by the same method.
Are you eliminating all unconventional artists (i.e.. no drummer)? Do I have
to have a band?
No. We are very interested in all types of artists
conventional and otherwise. We will consider signing bands which need a member
or solo artists who need a band although we advise them to find a full band if
possible. Whether the band is ready to perform and band chemistry are two of the
considerations for us when signing bands so chances are a little better if you
have full band who is ready to perform.
Will we have help in promoting our band? Will we have to
help other signed bands?
Yes. SDR promotes all of their signed bands and will set up
a promotion strategy for your band and their album and other products. Like all
labels in the current market we like bands to help by promoting themselves in
press interviews, radio, to local fans, etc, whenever possible. Also we ask many of our bands
to help with the promotion of other signed
bands helping to cut the cost of promoting projects further for all of us and
helping to build a community of musicians, which is the main goal of our label,
not profit. Some of these are events we want all bands to participate in and
others are just for fun. The required events occur every two months allowing us
to make our presence felt in the local scene and to help get the word out about
our label. We are planning some large festival style shows, local charity
events, promotional events, etc.
How old do you have to be to get signed?
At this time we require all band members to be eighteen
because of the laws regarding minors and contracts makes it too expensive. I
know that it's hard trying to find a deal when your under 18. Don't think we're
picking on you. The reason for our age cutoff is that contracts with minors have
to be approved in federal court even with the parents permission and can be very
expensive to draft and almost unenforceable for the label. As much as we would
like to consider all entries we are forced to eliminate bands with members under
eighteen.
What can I do if I'm not 18 yet?
Even though its very hard to get signed until all members
are 18 there is a lot you can do in the meantime to promote your band. First
don't give up. One of the best things to do before you are 18 is to record a
demo. (There is help on this on our website if you need it.) I would recommend
recording a demo on your own for now if you haven't done so but if you can get
professional help then do so. Also play shows as much as possible and develop a fan base. Sell your
demo to friends or at school. Start a contact list and correspond with people in
the music industry. Also start a website, etc. Then when you turn 18 you
will be ready to sign with a label and take things to the next level.
One of the best ways to
get signed is to have an established fan base and play as many shows as
possible.
Do you offer booking?
We are going to provide that service for bands at a prearranged price
(industry standard is about 10%) and plan to target both regional and national
clubs for large tours.
What makes SDR different than other independent labels?
One of the great things about working at SDR is everyone
here loves music much more than profit. We offer free resources for musicians and want
to do everything we can to help struggling bands to succeed whether they sign
with us or not. We consider
ourselves innovators and will not settle for copying the current trends or fads. We want
to remake the musical landscape allowing artists to control their own destinies
and allowing them to thrive in the ever changing musical market while making
truly great original music.
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Records - All rights reserved.
