Dropcards speaks to Favored Nations Records
[As part of our continuing client spotlight series, we are exploring the opinions, advice, and experiences of some of the brightest minds in the entertainment industry. Please feel free to be part of the conversation by emailing us hello@dropcards.com.]
Favored Nations is an independent label started by guitar hero Steve Vai. Household name Guitar Heroes like Tommy Emmanuel, Andy Timmons, Eric Johnson as well Steve Vai all call Favored Nations home. The label has also been aggressive in branching in to wider directions with recent signings of 80’s metallers LA GUNS and comedian Jim Florentine.
Dropcards VP Steve Ceragno sits with Daniel Dalton, COO at Favored Nations Records
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Tell me a little bit about how you got the gig with Favored Nations.
In late 2009, I had just returned home to LA. after graduating from Loyola University New Orleans with a degree in Music Industry Studies. I ended up meeting Steve Vai at his home and he offered for me to come in and intern part time doing work for the label. He also wanted me to work out with him in his home gym (I was running a fitness business at the time.) After only two months of interning, Steve asked me if I would run Favored Nations. Before I knew it, I was overseeing all elements of an established independent label operating worldwide, working directly with one of the most legendary guitarists of all time. I would be diving head first into A&R, licensing, worldwide distribution, digital / new media, marketing, publicity and everything else that came along with running a major business… I was 22 years old.
What should bands be doing that get them noticed by a label?
Without question, the most important thing any artist can do is to be great… be beyond great. Make music that is so great that when people hear it they have to call their friends to tell them about it. If you do everything right except that step, you still might run into problems. Greatness is more important than it has ever been. Understand it takes time to get there, but once you’re there, your hard work is recognized and rewarded. I buy every Joe Bonamassa record that comes out… I don’t even need to preview it. I am certain that it’s going to be good, and I like contributing in some small way to an artist that has worked hard to achieve greatness.
Greatness aside, you need to understand that a record label is a business. While it certainly is more complex and detailed than what I’m about to say, it doesn’t hurt to visualize signing with a label the same way you would signing up for a bank loan. The label will not sign you if they do not think that at some point they can turn a profit with you. As an artist, the best way that you can convince a label that your band can be profitable, is to already be profitable. I encourage every artist to stop spending their time thinking about what it is a label can do for them, but instead spend all of their time thinking what they can bring to the table themselves. The more an artist goes out and makes things happen for themselves and their band, the more a label will be attracted to them, and the more negotiating power the artist will have when/if they want to join forces with a label.
Is getting your music as mp3s out there and to an audience more important than gigging and building up a fanbase? You often hear that gigging around your local area and beyond is the only way to establish yourself, but is this really less important than spreading your music to a wide audience?
One is not as effective without the other, in my opinion. You should be doing both. Your live show should be so great that it drives people to buy / download your music, and your music should be so great that it drives them to see you live. This does however bring up an issue that I speak with bands about all the time, which is playing live too much in your local area. When you are a brand new band and you are just starting to get your stage presence together, then I think you should be playing wherever you can as much as you can, preferably in non traditional venues like parties. These gigs aren’t to build a fan base or sell merch as much as they are to make sure your band is tight live and that your show is great.
After you get to that point, the all too common mistake that most bands make is to keep playing weekly or bi weekly in the same 20 mile zone, with only a handful of friends showing up most of the time. Stop playing gigs just for the sake of playing gigs. It’s a waste of your time, your money, and it over-saturates your market. Your friends and parents can only stand seeing you play a handful of times. You should only be playing shows that will positively effect your fan base, or are financially rewarding.
Every time you play live, you need to ask yourself, “Why am I playing this show?” Are you opening for a band that is of the same style but has a ton more fans? That’s a good reason, but you better make sure you have an email list, merch, and promotional material ready to nab those fans and make them your own, or else you’re just wasting your time. Give them a dropcard, so they don’t forget your band’s name by the time they drive home. Maximize your gigs. Play events or venues that have a built in audience with similar tastes and values. Drive one or two hours out of the way to play with a band that has a following in that territory. Make your live show an event. Why would I spend $10 to see your band this week, when I can see them next week at a free show around the corner? Why would I even see that show, knowing that I could see you play just about any time? Be creative.
Can you tell me how you approach Social media for the label?
Since Favored Nations at it’s core is a guitar label, and my feeling being that great guitar playing is a most impressive visual experience, I like utilizing videos of our artists which we can feature on social media outlets. Social media by nature is so immediate that it has become one of our main tools for promotion. Through our facebook/twitter we’re always featuring giveaway contests, videos, mp3s, and news updates. Additionally, Favored Nations has it’s own digital outlet called Digital Nations, which a lot of artists are finding is a more proactive and cost efficient way to continuously release their music as opposed to the cost involved with physical distribution.
What pitfalls or fads should a band avoid not to waste time on?
Don’t take shortcuts… with anything. If a band hires a second rate web artist to make them a second rate website for a second rate fee, I’m going to think they’re a second rate band when they show it to me. It’s very difficult to correct a bad first impression. The same can be said for an artist that sends me a demo in a paper sleeve with a sharpee track list and a note that says “Our singer had bronchitis during these recordings, so keep that in mind.” It’s the equivalent of writing your resume with crayon on a Denny’s napkin; it doesn’t matter if you have all of the qualifications. Your lack of care for your presentation will kill your success.
I know that it’s not cheap to pay for quality, but stop thinking of it as an expense and start thinking of it as an investment. Convincing people that you’re already successful is half the battle towards achieving success. Fake it till you make it.
If you’re in a band, make the small investment to have a band agreement drafted by a lawyer to outline the inner-workings of your band. Do this early on, before money and success complicate the issue. More bands have probably broken up over this than anything, and it only costs a couple hundred dollars and an uncomfortable, yet necessary conversation.
One of the things I did as a musician was ignore rejection, and always kept a positive outlook. Would you agree with the old Joe Perry quote “Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing?”
I suggest taking the time to have an honest conversation with yourself and list all of the things you have ultimately decided in your heart you want to do, and how you plan on doing them. From there, you must pursue it beyond your fullest extent and with no apologies. You must be willing to do the things that nobody else wants to do to get there. If friends or family get in your way and try to convince you that you can’t accomplish your dreams, get rid of them. Don’t let anyone bring you down. If this is what you really want, it won’t be a difficult decision.
Favored Nations have been known to be creative in offering a lot of ‘value adds’ to enhance the value of your release for your fans and customers. Most recently Dropcards did a VIP Pass for Steve Vai’s vinyl release “Where the Wild Things Are” containing the ‘Naked Tracks’ as well as a chance to meet Steve at a live concert. How important is it for a band/artist to create added value for their fans?
Added value, in my opinion, is the name of the game now. This is especially true in a rough economy. If I have $10 to spend on music, I want to get the most bang for my buck. The two factors at play are quality and convenience. I also think having a choice is important. I like having packages available on artist’s websites. It is extremely valuable, and it gives the fan a choice. For instance maybe Package A has a CD, Tshirt and poster for $20, package B has a CD, vinyl, tshirt, poster and signed mug for $40, and package C has the same as package B plus a meet and greet and limited edition guitar strap for $80. From my understanding, research has shown that the more expensive and involved package is usually the most popular. Give people a choice, and collect their information so you can keep them up to date with all of your happenings.
Lastly, as a guitar player and established musician yourself, who is the one artist you would love to jam with????
For the last 10 years, I haven’t gone to bed at night without visualizing myself jamming to “Movin’ Out” with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. I know you said one artist, but it’s gotta be those two. I’m excited to make that happen; it’ll happen.
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