Have Labels Bit Off The Hand That Feeds Them?

Have Labels Bit Off The Hand That Feeds Them?

The New Business Model: Extract Yet More Revenue From Artists

by Anne Freeman,

MusicDish Network Sponsor

In recent article in the Nashville-based trade magazine MusicRow, Michael Milom, Esq., an entertainment attorney with Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC, observes a "new business model" that the majors and some larger independent labels are implementing to increase their profitability.

In his article, "The Impact of New Business Models on Artists," Milom identifies five contract strategies now being employed by labels for the purpose of increasing and diversifying label revenue sources, and three contract strategies being employed to increase label profitability from existing revenue sources. Unfortunately, all of these new contract strategies come at the expense of new artists. I've done my best to summarize some of Milom's major points, below:

1. Labels are requiring that they own and control artists' "official websites" and labels may generate income by selling advertising on the artists' official websites.

Milon adds that labels may also require from artists that the labels be permitted to license and sell label-created merchandise on official artist websites. But, he warns, if and how the artists will participate in these revenue streams is up for negotiation, not a given. Finally, Milon points out that just a few years ago, labels would have been prohibited from such activities in most recording contracts.

2. Labels are requiring control over the licensing of album cover artwork.

Specifically, the labels are requiring that they control licensing for artwork that incorporates the artists' names and likenesses. Milon points out that the net revenue from licensing deals, which was traditionally a 50-50 split between the label and artist, can now dip to as low as 12 percent for new artists.

3. Labels are requiring that artists pay a portion of their touring and/or merchandise revenue to the record company.

Milon says that the amount of the artists' touring and/or merchandise revenue that labels are now requiring to participate in "varies widely." However, he reminds us that this is a new contractual requirement that "significantly reduces a source of income that has previously belonged solely to the artist."

4. Labels are increasing the market for authorized electronic sales and similar electronic revenue sources such as subscription music services - but are decreasing the revenue share for artists.

Milon states that the artists' revenue share in these cases is often significantly lower than revenue "derived from a comparable sale in CD configuration." He also states that "many contracts still apply deductions for packaging, free goods and returns reserves in calculating an artist's royalties from electronic sales even though there are no packaging costs incurred, no free goods offered or return rights granted by the company or its licensee in connection with those sales."

5. Labels are requiring artists to create new products for the mobile communications market, but with no financial renumeration to the artist.

Milon notes that these products are frequently being used for what labels are considering "promotional purposes" and no royalties are paid to the artists. These products include "voice tones," "ring backs" and "electronic wallpaper for computers." The net result: artists are not gaining revenue from this quickly expanding market.

6. Labels are increasing the percentage of record company expenditures that are recoupable from artist.

Milon warns that labels are both increasing percentages of traditional recoupments as well as attempting to "shift other costs traditionally borne by the label to the artist's side of the ledger."

QUESTION: Can artists survive this new record label business model?

LABELS: Are you implementing this "new business model?" If so, why? If not, why not?

Call for Papers: Send us your thoughts, observations, experiences to the editor at editor

Read Milon's full article, "The Impact of New Business Models on Artists," on MusicRow.

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

Self Home Recording Vs Paying a Recording Studio

Self Home Recording Vs Paying a Recording Studio
by Brandon Drury

Back in the old days (around 'Nam) recording at home was a new miracle. You could actually hit record on a device and capture sound in your own home. Your eyes would light up just like Thomas Edison did when he first invented audio recording. Fast forward to 2005. It's now completely affordable to outfit a fully functional recording rig in your home for the price of a high quality, American made guitar. While the price of getting into home recording is much cheaper than it has ever been before, it's still a lot of money. Is setting up a small studio worth the price? What are the pitfalls of trying to record yourself? Would you be better off just paying a professional recording studio to do the job for you? Hopefully, I'll answer these questions and more.

What It Takes

You are going to need a lot of knowledge, gear, time, and patience before jumping into the recording studio world. I was a computer nerd half done with a degree in electronics when I jumped into the recording world. I understood electronic basics and had run live sound numerous times. I totally understood how to operate a mixer/console. So all I had to do was jump into the recording portion, right? ....Well, it turned out that there was quite a learning curve to go from an empty room to the creative process (which is the fun part) and walk out with a finished CD in hand.

I had no idea how much time I would spend cursing Windows audio drivers, failed hard drives, out of sync audio files, clicks and pops, unwanted distortion, etc. Truth be told, I went from an average computer user to a computer master in that couple of months it took me to work out all the kinks in my system. That's right. It took me a few months before I was ready to record my first band. It was that tough. That was in 2001. Maybe things are easier now. I'm guessing that you'll still have quite a road in front of you.

After you get your rig fully operational, you are still going to have to learn the software. I would HIGHLY recommend that you buy a DVD and a book to teach you the software that you intend to use. I could have saved myself hundreds of hours of headaches if I would have just read the stupid manual and had a little instruction. I learned a lot by tinkering (which may be your nature too) but there is no point in learning things the hard way if you don't have to. On my very first recording session, I had my manual in my lap. You could only imagine how stressful it can be if you have 5 guys staring at you while you desperately push buttons on something you barely understand. I'd say it took me a good 3 months of everyday tinkering before I felt comfortable using the software for basic recording. Keep in mind that I wasn't trying anything advanced here. No crazy editing, no fancy automation. In fact, I had very little understanding of audio when it came down to early reflections and multi-tap delays. I'm talking about just getting the stupid song onto the computer.

Okay, so I've kind of prepped you on how the learning curve required for recording music. Let's talk about the gear.

These days, it's a waste of time to use the stand alone recorders you see in the mail order company catalogs. While these boxes promise to have everything you need to record your demo (and they usually do) the learning curve requirements are astounding. Yes, I just wrote an entire section on how tough it was to learn computer recording. However, there is a big difference between the learning curve of computer audio and the learning curve of stand alone recorders. When you learn computer knowledge, that knowledge is useful on just about every computer on the planet. (I've kept myself from starving a number of times with my computer knowledge which I mostly attribute to recording). Also, computer recording software generally uses a mixer that is a fairly close simulation of the real thing. The concepts stay the same. When you are using the stand alone recorders, you end up learning to hold E1 + Function + Menu to get to Aux send page. Why do you need a page for aux send? Anyway, I've had several friends who have used these boxes and don't know anything about audio. They spent all their time learning this foreign language that will be obsolete as soon as the record is. In summary, I highly recommend that you go with a computer for your digital recordings.

Okay, so you need a computer. The good news is you don't need a very fast one by today's standards. In fact, I built my recording computer for about $300 and it's overkill. I need a faster computer than most because I do more projects than most. It makes a difference when I'm rendering down mixes that I can do it twice as fast because I have too many songs to mix on a given day. I don't have 3 minutes to sit around and wait for the computer to think.

On top of the computer, you'll need a soundcard. I recommend a soundcard with a breakout box. This means that a cable will actually come out of the back of your computer and connect to a box where your audio connections are made. Setups with breakout boxes are almost always preferred. In fact, I only know of one professional audio company that does not rely on a breakout box for their computer interphases. I do not recommend Sound Blaster and those sorts. We are not playing games or watching DVDs. We are recording music. The demands are certainly not the same. You will find many Firewire and PCI soundcards in the mail order catalogs that work great. Pay special attention to the number of inputs and optional preamps. This is important. You may only need 2 inputs for your recording. In fact, most projects I do seldom use more than 2 channels 90% of the time. Of course, the other 10% of the time we may be using 19 or 20 channels. If you are recording electronic music and only plan on doing a few overdubs with vocals or the occasional instrument, 2 channels will probably work fine. If you plan on recording your entire 4 piece rock band live with rock drums you are going to need at least 10 inputs (maybe more). So plan ahead and figure out how many mics you plan to use at once.

Next, you need preamps. Preamps boost the signal of a microphone up to line level and are pretty much required. Preamps are usually the top knob on the mixer of your PA. You'll need one preamp for every microphone you plan on using at one time. You'll want to have the same number of preamp channels as you do inputs on your soundcard. There are many soundcards that come with preamps. There are many, many external preamps that CAN improve you sound quality just slightly. If all else fails, use the preamps in your PA mixer. If your mixer uses inserts you can split the signal right off the preamp by only pushing in the cable half way. I'm referring to the cable that goes out of your preamp and into your soundcard.

Next you'll need mic stands. There aren't too many cases where you don't need a mic stand. You have to be very, very careful with mic stands. If you buy a super-cheap mic stand, you may have problems with the mic changing it's position in the middle of a session. The results can be absolutely horrible. So buy decent mic stands. $30 per stand is a reasonable low budget stand. I would not recommend that you spend any less on a mic stand.

Next is microphones. This is where it gets fun. There are so many to choose from and there are so many tonal options. You'll want as many mics as you have preamp channels and soundcard channels (or you went overkill on preamps / soundcards). Choosing microphones is beyond the scope of this article. You can spend $50 on a mic or you can spend $3000 on a mic and you have no way of knowing which will sound better on a given source. This is a severely big deal when it comes to recording and it's one major area that separates the men from the boys, so to speak. Home recording studios usually have terrible mic selections to choose from.

The most important piece of gear in your studio is your studio monitors. If you try to use a boombox you will be very disappointed when you burn a CD and try to show mom on another stereo system. Of course, you'll probably be disappointed even if you have a $10,000 set of studio monitors because your acoustics will be all wrong in you room and even still you probably haven't mixed enough songs to be any good at actually mixing.

Okay, I've outlined what goes into recording your CD. Guess what, any decent studio has all of this taken care of you. Do you know about audio latency in XP? Do you know anything about room nodes? The studio guy probably does. That's how he makes his living.

So when you walk into a professional recording studio ran by a serious engineer who cares about your music, you can expect to focus on one thing... the recording of your music. You don't have to wonder about the specs of the computer, the cables connecting the preamps and the soundcard. You don't have to worry about wasting huge amounts of time while the bass player stares at a mess of cables. You don't have to buy the mess of cables. In fact, I've recorded entire albums cheaper than you would spend on mic stands. In other words, I've delayed charging a high price so that I could get tons of practice and become well known in my area. You might find a serious recording guy yourself who might work cheaper than you think.

What an experienced recording studio engineer knows that you probably don't.

1) The value of his time - An experienced engineer isn't cheap (but could be much cheaper than trying to record yourself) but he knows that his time is worth X dollars. How is this an advantage? It's amazing how humans rise to meet a challenge. When you go in knowing that you are about to spend $20, $30, or $50 an hour on recording all of a sudden you take the time to get your guitar setup beforehand. You make sure your songs are mega tight and ready to go. You get your butt in gear because you are about to spend some money. When your guitar players tell you that he thinks he has the recording device working right, you don't jump up get busy. You get frustrated while he tries to figure out the problems on channel 1 and 5.

2) Advanced knowledge of acoustics - This is one of those areas that you will entirely put off. At first, you are just trying to figure out how to turn the computer on. Have you really put any serious thought into the comb filtering effects of your room? The odds are minute. In fact, I bet most bands put no thought into their room acoustics. Guess what. Any good studio has spent thousands and thousands of dollars perfecting their acoustics. The only thing more important than acoustics in a recording is the song, the musicians, and the instruments. After that, acoustics is first. Proper acoustics are more important than microphones. I'd gladly record an album with $50 mics in a $2,000,000 room before I did the opposite.

3) Advanced microphone selection - Having the right mic for the job is an extremely important part of being a recording engineer. When you know that a guitar is too bright, you put a mic on it that will reduce this brightness. When a vocalist sounds dull, you put a bright mic on them. It goes on and on. This is what really makes the sound quality part of recording. Recording at home will make it hard to justify a $15,000 mic collection (or much higher). Some studios have $15,000 mics.

4) Advanced knowledge of mic placement - Even more important than the microphone is where you put it. A seasoned pro will know what has worked on the past 10 albums he's done. He knows what he likes and what he doesn't. He doesn't have to wait until after the mixing is complete for him to figure out that the snare sound sucks. You'll be experimenting like crazy, but it will take a while before you get it right, more than likely.

When you combine all this knowledge together, it becomes quite clear that there are serious advantages to letting the pros handle the work. With that being said, if you really want to learn audio, don't mind pumping thousands into a bottomless pit, and are really that excited about taking years and years and years to learn the craft properly, go for it. I did.

Indie News Beat

INDIE NEWS BEAT

April 5, 2006 Edition

* Brian Rolland Announces The Release Of His Latest CD "Dreams Of Brazil"

* Jen Elliot Rocks The House With "This Damn Song"

* After His Triumph At MIDEM 2006, Selasee Is Invited To MUSEXPO 2006 in Hollywood

* Go To Town On Great Island Vibes With Kobo Town And I.an.Eye

* MusicDish Partners with Music Discovery Network For Exposure & Distribution

* Lareau Sings About Changes On New Release

* Help Indiana Save the Bunny This Easter!

* Airplay Direct And The Guru Project Announce Strategic Partnership

* TagWorld Announces Five Los Angeles Area Billboard Contest Winners

Musician, Composer Brian Rolland Announces The Release Of His Latest CD "Dreams Of Brazil" (On Full Moon)

Brian Rolland, accomplished musician and composer masterfully blends folk, jazz, flamenco, classical and Latin flavors on Dreams Of Brazil ().

Dreams Of Brazil is garnering International praise from radio with airplay spanning the US , Europe and Japan. Dreams Of Brazil features a spirited Rolland with sheer musical relaxation and radiance. The CD has received a warm welcome from radio and fans who have eagerly awaited the newest release since 2001 when Brian released his last work Long Night's Moon. (On Full Moon)

With a BA in Music Theory and Composition and Classical influences Brian's musical journey Dreams Of Brazil triggers a wave of global success with the CD making it's debut at #54 on the New Age Reporter radio airplay chart in February 2006 . www.newagereporter.com

Brian recently contributed music from Dreams Of Brazil to a Worldvision documentary which is a project to help feed the children of Haiti.

Brian is exploring possibilities of creating Dreams Of Brazil into a dramatic work for the stage.

Dreams Of Brazil ­ Instrumental; infectious Brazilian rhythms.

Brian Rolland -guitar

John Lockwood ­base

Bob Weiner ­ drums/percussion

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Jen Elliot Rocks The House With "This Damn Song"

City Canyons Records announces with great pride the arrival of Jen Elliott and Bluestruck's soulful and hard-hitting new EP, This Damn Song, formally released by City Canyons on April 4, 2006.

Manhattan based Jen Elliott and her band Bluestruck deliver a wicked mixture of pop, blues and straight up rock that is nothing but pure emotion. She is "a 21st century siren" and her energy shines from inside each and every song...vivid, honest and seductive. Raised on traditional gospel in Jacksonville, Florida, Jen still writes and sings straight from her soul.

All this is wonderfully apparent in her new EP, This Damn Song, now available exclusively on CD Baby and at the City Canyons Records Online Store. The EP is an exciting prequel to an extraordinary full length album, 8 DAYS DOWN, coming out in the fall of 2006. New material from Jen and her band have been early awaited since her November 2003's debut album, The Secret's Out ().

The album, backed by Jen's incredible band, Bluestruck, received Top 30 college, indie and international radio airplay and critical acclaim by the press in North America as well as the global media. Jen has been featured in issues of Entertainment Today, The Sun Herald, Inside Connection, and Keyboard Magazine.

Jen and her frequent songwriting partner on "The Secret's Out", Bluestruck guitarist Anne Husick, were also recognized in 2004 by the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in their prestigious New Writers Showcase.

Release of This Damn Song will be supported by an April/May 2006 tour of the Northeast by Jen and Bluestruck to be followed by a Fall 2006 tour in support of 8 Days Down, a tour where she will be joined by such extraordinary talents as The Alrights and The Velmas. More details to come!

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After His Triumph At MIDEM 2006, Selasee Is Invited To MUSEXPO 2006 in Hollywood

After being selected for the famous international MIDEM 2006 Buzz Bands Showcase competition in Cannes, Selasee has been invited to the prestigious MUSEXPO that will be held in Hollywood, California, from April 30th to May 3rd, 2006. Selasee will showcase with his Montreal band at the renowned Viper Room, where several international artists have performed since the club's opening in 1993.

Originally from Ghana, Selasee suddenly became a star when his song "Run" was chosen by Electronic Arts for the FIFA 2006 soccer video game.

"When Electronic Arts Inc. bought Selasee's single Run for its FIFA 2006 soccer game,... sales of his first album have taken off since the game's October launch; iTunes and Napster now stock it." (Laurence Frost, Associated Press, January 26, 2006)

Selasee continues his rise to stardom. He is currently a finalist in the 2005 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) with his song "Run". The ISC has been described by the New York Times as "the songwriting contest to take note of". Finalists in this competition represent 1.4% of the 15,000 entries coming from 80 different countries. Winners in each of the 15 categories will be announced in April 2006.

Selasee has just returned from a trip to Ghana, where he made an appearance at the "Ghana Music Awards".

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Go To Town On Great Island Vibes With Kobo Town And I.an.Eye

MusicDish - ComPosition Live @ Lula ­ The Accidental Festival present Kobo Town with I.an.Eye / DJs Chocolate (CKLN 88.1 FM) & Patrick Roots (CIUT 89.5 FM)

MusicDish and ComPosition Live @ Lula unite to present this evening of authentic calypso, reggae and dub music, with two of Toronto's fastest-rising live island bands joined by two of its most respected riddim DJs.

Thursday, April 13

Lula Lounge

1585 Dundas St. W.

Dinner @ 7 PM, doors @ 9:00 PM

Dinner reservations guarantee best seating ­ call 416-588-0307 to reserve your table

Tickets - $10 online @ Ticketweb.com / $12 @ door

Founded by bandleader Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town is named after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where traditional calypso (kaiso) was born amid the boastful, humourous and militant chants of the roaming stickfighters. Situated near the fishermen's wharf, the area was a site of constant defiance and conflict, a place where sticks and stones, songs and verses clashed with the bayonets and batons of colonial rule. For the members of the eight-piece outfit, the name suggests an origin as well as a destination.

Since Kobo Town's formation in 2004, the group has been in the studio recording its debut album between Toronto (August 2004) and Port-of-Spain with Trinidadian (Oct 2004 & March 2005) with producer Lyndon Livingstone, where they performed with Orange Sky and the Gayelle TV network. The band has also performed at several clubs in Ontario, including Kaiso Breakfast Lime (Scarborough), The Studio Theatre (Perth), Clinton's Tavern (Toronto), Mercury Lounge (Ottawa) and has been scheduled to headline the University of Toronto's "Hurricane Relief Concert" this December.

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MusicDish Partners with Music Discovery Network For Exposure & Distribution

MusicDish LLC, a leading industry magazine publisher and artist development company, announced a partnership with the Music Discovery Network, serving the music community by providing alternative marketing and distribution. Under the partnership, MusicDish Network artists will have their albums included in the MDN catalogue, available through MDN's online store and listed in MDN's AfterTouch, a new music catalog/magazine (catazine) incorporating artists interviews and industry articles.

In addition to publishing featured articles on selected MusicDish Network artists, AfterTouch will include a MusicDish section highlighting new releases available from its artists. MusicDish will also provide MDN with industry articles for publication in AfterTouch. AfterTouch has a circulation of 10,000 readers - 35% artists, 25% other industry professionals and 40% consumers.

"AfterTouch has done an impressive job over the last decade cultivating a very valuable audience of music buyers we feel are underserved by retailers and online stores," explained MusicDish founder Eric de Fontenay. "MDN has really worked with us to provide a complete solution: a music buying audience to whom we can market and sell our artists CDs."

All MusicDish Network artists will also be featured on MDN sites CreativeMusiciansCoalition.com, MusicDiscoveryNetwork.com and MDNStore.com. In addition to supplying content from its music magazines, MusicDish will prominently expose MDN through its online portals and associated newsletters, as well as expanding AfterTouch's readership through its syndication network.

"Marketing is the life-blood of success," says Ron Wallace. "It's absolutely mandatory for artists to keep their faces in the public's eye to get anywhere in this competitive world. The combined muscle of the MusicDish Network and the Music Discovery Network is an excellent opportunity for MusicDish and Creative Musicians Coalition artists to grow their careers far, far beyond the ordinary."

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Lareau Sings About Changes On New Release

At first glance Larry Lareau looks like an ordinary guy, very relaxed and sure of himself. Looks can be deceiving, inside there is a tiger on the prowl, and he lets it loose on the new album from his band Lareau titled Changes.

Right from the outset Lareau decided that they wanted to make music with a focus on quality. If you were to judge them by their recording Changes, you would have to agree that they succeeded. The band believes in tradition, craftsmanship, and above all, delivering a package that speaks to its audience.

Larry was influenced heavily the Beatles, Moody Blues, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Hall & Oates. When you listen to Changes, from start to finish, you can hear how it infuses their approach and sound. Darrin Payne (drums, percussion, keys, supporting vocals), Chris Saxton (guitar), Pete Gool (guitar), Anthony Brown (keyboards), and Tim Reed (bass), are Lareau's supporting cast for the recording. It becomes evident rather quickly while listening to their music that the fairies visited the studio and sprinkled some dust around before they arrived because the chemistry and magic are all present during this session.

Changes is the kind of music you would expect to hear on the radio five times a day, blaring out of your next door neighbor's window on a hot summer day, the kind of rockin' fun that your hear driving by every night because they have their windows rolled down all the way and the music is blaring full blast. This is the chicken soup for the music soul kind of music, its good for what ails you. So be one of the well-informed listeners, pick up a copy, and inject some real music with feeling into your life.

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Help Indiana Save the Bunny This Easter!

Rising popstar Indiana Gregg is giving fans a chance to help "Save the Bunny" and win a trip for two to Paris, France. Fans need to log on to http://www.indianagregg.com and watch the video "Love Is Blind". To find out more about the bunny's background myspacer's can log on to http://www.myspace.com/savebunny. In order to win, entrants must send an email to Indiana@indianagregg.com with their idea of the best ending of the "Love Is Blind" video scheduled for release in the UK in April.

The video features a Bunny diving into a frozen pond in search for the heart of a distraught puppet. The striking short animation is chillingly sad! Entrants must be 18 years or older and reside in the United Kingdom Winners will be announced in a podcast/webcast featured on the site at the end of April! Good luck to all helping Indiana "Save the Bunny." Myspacers can also send their video endings to http://www.myspace.com/indianagregg

"Indiana Gregg is one of the best new voices I've heard and with a fair wind behind her could be a par with the likes of Shania Twain and KT Tunstall. She writes great songs with clever lyrics, her video's are classy and clever and she looks tremendous to boot. A perfect package"-says Alan Robson Metro FM

"She (Indiana Gregg) is one of the only artists around that can exist in, and supercede musical categories, while giving you something real"-Mark Kirby, Music Dish

"Indiana Gregg may not mean anything to you just now, but by the end of the year I reckon she will be a household name. At almost 6ft with long blonde hair and a smile like Cameron Diaz's, this beautiful girl is set for stardom." ­says Radio Clyde's Gina Mckie

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Airplay Direct And The Guru Project Announce Strategic Partnership

AirPlay Direct, the web-based digital delivery system that allows artists and labels to make their music available directly to broadcasters around the world, is pleased to announce a new "strategic partnership" with the Guru Project.

The Guru Project, has developed a unique "Artist Empowerment Platform," which provides fee-based services -- including recording, audio and video production, mastering, distribution, artist management, booking, promotion and marketing -- designed to help artists expand their musical careers. Their management team has more than 30 years of experience, a proven track record and the connections necessary for an artist's success.

"We're very excited about our relationship with the Guru Project" says AirPlay Direct CEO and Founder Robert Weingartz. "Their team of industry professionals brings a tremendous amount of expertise, talent and proven successes directly to AirPlay Direct artist members.

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TagWorld Announces Five Los Angeles Area Billboard Contest Winners

TagWorld, an integrated online social ecosystem, announced the five Los Angeles Area Billboard Contest Winners of a nationwide promotion that gives new and registered TagWorld members the chance to have their TagWorld URL featured on an outdoor billboard in their hometown. TagWorld's free and integrated web publishing tools make it possible for anyone, whether a novice or power user, to create a personalized and feature-rich web presence.

Residents of LA (www.tagworld.com/la), West LA (www.tagworld.com/westla), Newport (www.tagworld.com/newport) members of Taft High School (www.tagworld.com/taft) and any band looking to catch a break in Los Angeles (www.tagworld.com/band) were encouraged to log on to Tagworld. By signing up and creating a free website at any of the advertised promotions including the national promotion www.tagworld.com/billboard, members became eligible for the chance to have their personalized TagWorld URL featured on a billboard in their hometown.

The Winners:

LA Billboard Winner HefnerHymns

(La Cienega at Pico)

West LA Billboard Winner LazieJim

(Pico at Federal)

Newport Billboard Winner Block (See Block's OC page)

(Newport Freeway Northbound)

Taft High Billboard Winner WeeHaw

(Winnetka at Ventura -- across from Taft High School in Woodland Hills)

Band Billboard Winner DivisionDay

(Hollywood 101 Freeway at Western Northbound)

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Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

Following Indiana Gregg Down The Yellow Brick Road

Following Indiana Gregg Down The Yellow Brick Road

by Mark Kirby,

On the cover of her CD Something Like Me, there's a picture of the artist, Indiana Gregg, sitting and looking back at the observer. The first things that jump out are, wow, hot blonde, red dress, and thigh high white boots. Holla, another twinkie pop tart. Holla back, girl!

But then you look closer and you see that the arms are crossed, the knees are together, she's guarded. The look on her face is the opposite of the blank stare of a Britney - there is a pensiveness in her expression, and a hint of impatience, like a child who has been dressed up and posed for a picture. There is clearly more to her than meets the eye.

I noticed this about the photo just as she sang: "So when will you understand that the way look isn't who I am?" from the song "Crazy, Crazy, Crazy." This cut is her anthem, in spite of the fact it is a perky pop rock song, instead of being a bombastic power ballad. To an acoustic guitar, bass and drums-driven country rock groove, she sings: "It's all so superficial out there I need something real / So Crazy Crazy Crazy / This is how I feel / It seems to me our society / Lives within four walls of a Colored TV / Crazy Crazy Crazy / Give me something real . . ." This song, with its bursts of insight and tell-it-like-it is personal observation, has everything that classic songs have: a great tune, great hooks, and you can sing it in the shower. This CD has these qualities from end to end.

View Indiana Gregg's video 'Sweet Things'

Indiana Gregg is emphatic and clear about the musical well that she draws from. "My influences are rock, gospel, jazz and SOUL! Ray Charles is at the top of my list of soul geniuses," she said. "Roberta Flack would be my favorite female soul artist. These two icons very deeply impressed my musical psyche. My favorite pop artists would be Don Henley, Prince and Madonna. Of course, everyone from my era would have to mention Janet and Michael Jackson."

Listening to these songs, I can imagine them playing on any pop, country or rock radio station. This not to suggest that she has produced one-size-fits-all music. It's like a stew that has been cooking for a long while: well blended and tasty. Ms. Gregg has achieved a rare feat in the world of music outside of jazz: she has created something organic. And it didn't happen overnight.

[Indiana Gregg] "I became pretty shy when I went to school because I had a stutter and a speech impediment. My teacher recognized this early on and advised my parents that I see a speech therapist. I saw the therapist for 5 years twice a week. She taught me to use my hands to help me speak and encouraged singing and music as a form of expression for me as well. That's why I use my hands a lot when I perform even today. Because it was so difficult for me to speak and kids made fun of me, I started writing songs in my diary and playing them on my piano when I would get home from school. This became a kind of diary for me that I have continued into adulthood. Revisiting those songs I've written over the years helps me remember exactly what happened the day I wrote them."

"I started playing music officially at the age of six when I started taking piano lessons. Before that I would play by ear, because both of my brothers played instruments and I would mimic what they did on our old upright piano. I started learning the trumpet from age 10. I started writing songs when I was four when my cat died. I wrote a song about my cat to the tune of 'The Entertainer.'

"Later I found myself performing for nearly every event at school, my church, and the community theater. Song-writing became a diary for me and a way to express myself. I could sing in front of people, but I was embarrassed to speak as I had a stutter and a speech impediment. I was always either starting a band, or working in the summers at theme parks as a musician, or going on tour with gospel choirs. I started doing my own music live about 14 years ago. I've played in nearly every style of band you can imagine. I think with this album I've found a link to a lot of my favorite influences and a thread through the album that makes sense to me."

[Kirby] Did your family pressure you to pursue or not pursue an artistic path?

[Indiana Gregg] "My parents didn't pressure me to pursue anything. They always told me to do my best because doing your best means you will never feel ashamed. That sense of accomplishment that comes from doing your best was instilled in me early on and has become inherent in my psyche. My parents were able to instill an intrinsic sense of confidence in me and, as a result, I had a lot of freedom, academically and artistically. They said to do what you love most, so that's what I've done. Part of what I'm doing now is setting an example through music to my own three children. The song 'Kid Soldier' is about them."

All of her early experiences and loving support clearly developed her talents, but it is her song writing that sets her apart. There are many examples of singers with great pipes, but, like Darth Vader, they use their force for evil (i.e., bad, corporate, soda-selling bilge), by performing cookie-cutter songs, devoid of distinction. By contrast, Indiana Gregg's songs are chock full of distinction, so much so that you can imagine them being performed, unironically, by other artists.

Furthermore, unlike today's popular music, she has lyrics that have observations about the lives and hopes of real people. The song "Kiss Me All Night" is a power ballad all about love: "There's a moment in time / When it comes you will find / There's a mist that surrounds how your feeling / And you just wanna know, where it's all gonna go / 'Cos a heart can't take more than one beating / So just give me a sign / for my peace of mind . . . Would you kiss me all night in the moonlight . . ."

And while she has songs that touch on the troubled side of life, on the bouncy "Groovy Kind of Wonderful World" she dares to express happiness (so uncool), because, let's face it, life doesn't suck all the time: "My heart's delirious/ why get so serious / make every second count / that's what life is all about / Every day I feel lucky that I'm livin' in this groovy kind of wonderful world."

[Kirby] What type of music did you play before you settled on a soul-pop style?

[Indiana Gregg] "I played a lot of rock, even some punk, and a lot of soul. Unfortunately, because I like so many styles, I tended to merge a bit. This made things difficult at the beginning. I think that the songs on this album lean toward the soul-pop style and, to be honest, that's probably where all of my songs end up once they are broken down to the basics with an acoustic guitar or piano. In the past, I liked to play around and experiment, and I still do!"

This merging and experimenting come to an exciting fruition on this CD. On several cuts an old-fashioned orchestra (not digital, real humans) adds tasty touches, without over doing it. Check out an old Philly soul record or your parent's Al Green records and you'll know what I mean. The arrangements remind one of how the Motown Funk Brothers or Jack Nietzsche (arranger and producer of several Neil Young records) used to do it back in the day.

[Kirby] How did you snag the Irish Film Orchestra?

[Indiana Gregg] Fiachra Trench (famed Irish musician and composer who has recorded with Kate Bush, Van Morrison, Art Garfunkel and Paul McCartney, among others) has worked on several projects with my producer Ian Morrow and somehow we were able to put a budget together to get the orchestra for a day. I'll tell you, it was the most amazing experience of my life to see an entire orchestra playing my tunes. I was already in tears when I saw all of the music stands with my songs on them waiting for the musicians to come in and play them. This is really one of the most amazing thrills a songwriter could experience.

[Kirby] How did you come to do so much work in Europe?

[Indiana Gregg] "I moved to Europe and lived in Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom and the French Riviera. Because I had traveled around and lived in various places, I've had lots of opportunities to meet musicians from all walks of life. In some ways, I'm an explorer and pretty spontaneous. Many times going to a party I was networking and seeking out musicians. Within days we would form a band or organize a jam."

[Kirby] How did you hook up with a Scottish producer Ian Morrow and such a talented and recognized group of people like the musicians and Paul Wright (engineer)?

[Indiana Gregg] "I met with a lot of producers and I was really looking for the right vibe for this album. After meeting up with several, I decided to go with Ian Morrow because he seemed to have the sensibility to deal with my musical ideas and was experienced enough not to feel bombarded by them. This is probably the best decision I have ever made in my life because we work really well together (when we aren't at each other's throats, I mean). I think his experience working on projects with Seal, Wet Wet Wet, and Rod Stewart gave him the ability to understand where I come from (which is all over the place). I'm probably not an easy artist to deal with because I'm constantly dreaming up new stuff that could potentially send people off on tangents. I'm a bit crazy that way."

Yeah, crazy, crazy, crazy like a fox. She is doing what many in the music industry say not to do: blend, mix, and make something original. By being so cantankerously stubborn and confident in her musical journey, and so insistent on giving a free reign to her individualistic creativity, she has proven that the particular can have wide appeal. She is one of the only pop artists around that can exist in, and supercede, musical categories, while giving you something real. "So much of who we are depends on where we've been," she explains. "I think where we've been can be both physical, as in location, and emotional. I'd like to touch as many people as possible through this medium of music and wherever I end up, it's been a fantastic journey!"

To follow Indiana Gregg down the yellow brick road, Indiana Gregg's album Something Like Me is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom April 3rd, 2006, distributed via RTD/Universal. Visit her record label, Gr8Pop, Ltd, at or through her web site for more information.

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2006 - Republished with Permission