#Songwriters

28 Apr 2011
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A Shining Example

A Shining Example

By David Lowry

Every once in a while someone pops up on the radar screen who shows the rest of the people in the scene around them how it should be done. It is this person who seems to “get it.” They may not do everything right, but they try and they try much harder than everyone else. Some scenes have a few such people, others have many but in the rock/metal scene in Nashville there are only a couple. Surprisingly, one of these such persons is also a musician and not just another person like me — a manager, booking agent or promoter.

Ray LeGrand popped up on my radar screen a few months ago and I have been watching him very carefully: wondering if he is for real, will he get burnt our or jaded like everyone else. Will he make excuses or will he prove that the only thing holding him back is, of course, himself. I am happy to say that, from what he has proven so far, Ray is the real deal.

Ray is the front man for “Oblivion Myth” (www.oblivionmyth.com), a local Nashville metal band that just won a contest (by a landslide) to be on “Live From Music City.” As a matter of fact, it was Ray and his incredible wife Patti that woke up the rest of the Nashville rock/metal scene to the contest. Ray and his wife got so many votes I was thoroughly and entirely impressed, especially with all the other long established bands in the running.

Ray and his wife Patti started up a movement in Nashville called “Nashville Metal Bands”  (http://www.facebook.com/NashvilleMetalBands?sk=info). Ray unselfishly promotes all metal bands in Nashville, not just his own. He works tirelessly with the help of Patti to make a difference — a major difference — in the local rock/metal scene. Ray works full time, is a husband, father, front man and runs “Nashville Metal Bands.” He does more in a day for the music scene here locally than just about any other band does for themselves in months. Ray proves there is no excuse why you can’t get things done or because you don’t have enough time. Ray possesses a fire not only for his band, but the local scene and has a dream and a goal that he won’t give up till he gets there.

Ray and Patti are constantly learning and most importantly applying what they have learned immediately. It is so much fun to watch and, in some small way, hope that “Live From Music City” or even our meeting together may have had a small part in this. Ray and Patti provide an excitement that this local scene so severely needs. If more people would learn from Ray, we would have a much different scene, a much more productive scene and the local artists would be much farther along in their dreams.

I have had the privilege of meeting both Ray and Patti and can tell you it is an honor to call them friends. I know Ray couldn’t do what he does without a strong supportive wife like Patti behind him. It is truly a team effort. When you see them, please stop and say thank you for what they are doing, especially if they are promoting your band or music. Most importantly, stop and look at what they are doing and learn from it. I know I do.

20 Apr 2011
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What is the Product?

What is the Product?

Leave It All Behind

Meeting after meeting, artists tell me they need to record a new CD, or are just about to record, or are in the process of recording one. The first question I ask is “Great! What are you going to do with it?”

They look at me dumbfounded as if I am stupid. “Well we are gonna try and sell it of course” they say.

“To who?” I ask. “Well, our fans” is the usual response.

“What fans?” I ask probing further. “You mean the 176 fans on your twitter account?” “The same 30 fans that keep coming to your shows in the same city that you never get out of?”

“What are you going to do with the rest of the CD’s that are sitting in your garage after you sell 50 of them and have run out of fans?”

“What is your marketing plan?” “Who are you going to distribute it through?” “Better yet, why are you recording a CD for a fan base that doesn’t exist yet?”

“Do you have a provable demand for new music that will at least allow you to recover the investment cost of making the new CD?” 99% of the time the is of course “No.”

Needless to say from a business standpoint this is bad business. You don’t invest money into something that you have no idea or plan to make money/a profit on.

My point is: If you haven’t developed a sizeable fan base from shows and social media, you have no need for a CD until there is an actual demand for it or at least a big enough fan base to market it to. Let’s say you have a CD but you have only managed to sell 100 copies of it and you still have plenty left over. Don’t you think you should sell those first before making a new CD?

Obviously at this point you still don’t have a demand for your music, so why do you need a new CD? Your current CD still hasn’t been heard by anyone yet, so it isn’t old music to anyone but you. Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to focus on developing a demand for new music by selling your current CD and generating a fan base who actually want to purchase it?

You need to resist the “artist” urge or need to create before it is time. That doesn’t mean stop writing, it means don’t pay for something you can’t sell. Don’t be fooled by the numbers on your social media accounts. I am talking about actual true fans, not just people who follow you because you followed them or because you bought a program to add followers.

The first thing the artist needs to realize is the CD is NOT the product; it’s a piece of merchandise. TheARTIST is the product. The artist has to create the demand for themselves/live performance before sinking a ton of money into multiple CDs, let alone one CD.

You can have t-shirts and other things to sell as merchandise through a developing rabid fan base that actually wants to purchase your merchandise. This will help keep costs down. The priority is developing the artist not the CD. The artist should be working on his/her/their image, social media campaign, the best live show possible and booking only. Once this has achieved a certain level, the artist can then worry about a CD that their fan base will demand. Bottom line is that if no one wants to see you live, you have no need for anything. You have to make them want to see you live and want to make the purchase. That comes from a killer live show. Practice, practice, practice, write killer songs that have a hook and melody and blow them away onstage. Period.

The proof is in the pudding with the live show. You have to win over the audience and develop them into fans. If you do this, they will stay fans and will buy your CD when you finally do release it. Not only that, you will have a nice building up to — and can actually pull off — a great “launch” and have impressive stats from the fan base that is actually demanding and waiting for this merchandise.

“Jesse James Dupree” of “Jackyl” was on my radio show “Live From Music City” and flat out said (which I wholeheartedly agree with) that they didn’t approach anybody in the business or do anything until the were constantly selling out shows at the bars they played all up and down the east coast. That was when they had a need for a team and were ready to shop for a record deal. Then they could take their pick of labels because all the labels wanted them. It was the single best piece of advice on my show ever. Here is the interview for you to listen to: http://ht.ly/4EErD. There is simply no need for much of what most artists THINK they need until there is a demand for the artist themselves.

Simply put, if the artist would focus on the essentials; booking, image, developing a fan base and PR the rest would take care of itself. Everyone wants to do it backwards; they want everything now and have no patience. Business doesn’t work that way and when you work harder and not smarter you tend to not succeed and also are in danger of completely burning yourself out.

A simple strategy you can adopt is to record two or three songs that you can offer on digital download to tide people over until there is a need for a CD and that you can use to help market yourself with.

You can make a couple of videos to put on YouTube that should be very high quality. Rehearse your band till they are perfect and then pay a professional company to video record your performance of these songs at a good venue with a sound man who knows your sound.

Put them up as single songs and market the heck out of it with social media. YouTube is the destination spot for new music discoveries now. This is a much smarter use of your money. This not only allows for people to discover you, but share your music. Most importantly, assuming you play very well live, you can use this to show venues that you are worth booking based on the crowd in front of you and your actual performance and stage presence.

Develop the artist first then once you have a fan base you can create a CD to sell. No point paying for something you can’t sell to anyone. Be strategic in your plans and definitely plan! Don’t just do something without thought of the benefit of it and how you will get it out there.

Good Luck!

18 Apr 2011
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Review of the CD “212” from Neil Zaza

Review of the CD “212” from Neil Zaza

Review by David Lowry

Recently I have had the pleasure of interviewing guitar virtuoso Neil Zaza on “Live From Music City,” about the release of his new CD “212.” Having known about Zaza’s work in the past, I was eager to hear the new music. In my opinion, it’s hard to find a guitar instrumentalist that has his own “voice” and composes songs and melodies in such a rare way that as a listener, you don’t need to hear a vocalist to completely enjoy the music. Zaza is that sort of guitar player. Zaza likes to play in major keys to keep the music sounding positive and happy, which I think is great, as most rock guitar players primarily play in minor tonalities. It’s a real experience to put on the headphones and be bombarded with such expressive and amazing songs.

Starting with the first track “Magnus,” Zaza pulls out all the stops. With a huge arrangement for a short song that is basically an intro, it is big, majestic and a gorgeous piece of music.

The next song “Go!” is jumped right into from the previous track and hits you with a lively beat and never lets you go! It’s like being on a rollercoaster on a clear sunny day. The melody wins here, as it keeps you singing along with it.

“King of The World” changes the feel a bit with an opening of jangly guitars and a soaring melody line that sweeps you off your feet. It is a fine, mid-tempo song with great dynamic breaks and, as always, Zaza’s tasty playing.

“Is This Wonderland?” opens with a whimsical keyboard and a softer guitar line to follow with less distortion. It leads into a more full instrumental track with a nice slow feel that makes you just want to sit back and take it all in.

“To The Moon and Back” sets you into a nice slow groove with very little instrumentation to start before coming in with some big hits. Again the melody lifts you up and takes you places that most music never will.

“Baroque Sky” opens with a melancholy feel before pulling you in with very deep melodic tones and big guitar chords. Zaza never allows the music to do anything but keep you totally enthralled with what the melody line is doing. The chorus builds with huge guitars and ascending notes and brings you back down gently to let your ears appreciate what they just experienced.

“If This is Goodbye” starts with a single jangly guitar and simple melody line. With a bit more of a bluesy feel, it’s a departure from the other tracks and so tastefully done. The organ provides a nice back drop for the guitar to play against, the rhythm perfectly in the pocket. Then Bam! Out of nowhere comes Zaza with a huge melody line. His use of dynamics is the sign of a great arranger and it shows on this song.

“Wild Horses” comes in with a drum groove and a drone guitar before the melody accompanies it. It’s very simple and beautiful. Arpeggiated guitars fill it out and the song gets a boost from the rhythm section. Zaza’s use of laying guitars stands out and the melody provides a bounce in your step for this fun stop. With flashes of speed and mostly just really well played melody lines, “Wild Horses” makes you feel like you are out there with them.

“The Beauty” starts with a finger picked clean guitar and Zaza laying a melody line over it with just a touch more gain. The song lives up to its name as it lulls you in with a sweet soft melody and then brings you up to a new height with its chorus. Harmony lines peppered throughout this song complete this beautiful romantic piece and makes you want to take that special someone for a long walk and remember why you are with them in the first place.

Next up is a cover of The Police’s “Message In A Bottle” which is a refreshing take on the original. While a bit of a heavier feel, it’s very playful and never loses the sense of what the original brought. Zaza captures the melody perfectly, you don’t miss the vocals at all. This is very well done and shows just how well he is able to capture the spirit of the song and make it even better!

Finally, Zaza gives us his version of Ah-Ha’s “Take On Me.” A fun cover that actually made me like this song again after all the overplay it got. He has a knack for taking familiar songs and making them very fresh and exciting.

In summary, “212” is an outstanding musical effort from Neil Zaza. Mr. Zaza is the type of player that knows exactly what to play, when to play it and never over does it. He is incredibly melodic and a very mature songwriter and each song on this CD showcases that. One of the best instrumental albums I have heard in years and on par with the other greats of this genre such as Andy Timmons, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. 5 out of 5 stars!

Note: At the time of this writing, The Lowry Agency has no affiliation with Neil Zaza.

20 Mar 2011
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Stryper Concert Review With Black Water James The Wildhorse Saloon Nashville, TN March 18th, 2011

Stryper Concert Review With Black Water James The Wildhorse Saloon Nashville, TN March 18th, 2011

By David Lowry

I was anticipating a good show on this night, as I have never seen a “bad” Stryper concert, so I was excited to be there from the beginning. What I left the show feeling was a shock even to me. I came as a fan; I left as an even bigger one. Let’s start with the opening act Black Water James.

I have seen Black Water James once previously about six weeks ago, so I knew what I was in for when they came on. I was looking forward to seeing them again as I was hoping to see improvement because they were in a much better venue.

Black Water James has a lot of energy and a lot of potential as a rock band. They were pretty good for about the first four songs but then I noticed that all the songs started to sound the same. Both times I have seen them now, about three quarters of the way through their set, everything does sound a bit the same.

Greater dynamics are needed and catchier hooks to keep the audience in it the whole time. The band brings a decent image and are decent musicians, but the song writing is still a little weak for such a long set. I also question the order of the songs. It seems their best material is all in the front of the set closing it out with weaker, less “hooky” songs.

They attempt dual guitar solos, which is great, but would be better if they were in harmony, not just an octave apart or in unison. Also the guitar solos themselves are a bit weak in stating anything. They aren’t a story within the song. It comes off as mainly pentatonic noodling. Both players are capable and have great potential for doing more with this.

For a band of only 2 1/2 years, they are still one of the top five rock bands in Nashville and do portray a great energy on stage. The drummer is worth watching alone. He’s got great groove, stays in the pocket very well and puts on a great show. This band will do great things if they keep improving and don’t lose focus. They were certainly up to the challenge of opening for Stryper and aren’t afraid to let it all hang out.

When Stryper took the stage, the bar was raised tenfold. Not only do they look great, but also everything looks pristine. The stage is clean and uncluttered, the guitars are polished, the clothes are clean and pressed and they look like they belong in a band together. Their image is always good and their show is impeccable.

The songs were flawlessly played and crystal clear and they burst with energy. The band met the crowd with respect and humor. They really know how to connect with their audience and bring them in. During the whole show, the crowd was singing along word for word with every song. The band threw out many Bibles and picks to the fans who were all to eager to get one.

Michael Sweet’s voice was as amazing as ever. He hasn’t lost a thing vocally and in many ways is probably stronger. His guitar playing is on par with most of the great guitarists we think of. How often do you get to see a performer who is a world class vocalist and guitar player? Oz Fox has always been a top tier guitar player as well and successfully backs up Michael vocally on a few parts, giving Michael the rest his voice needed, showing again how incredibly talented this band truly is. Timothy Gaines, who is an amazing bass player in any style of music, drove the bus with Robert Sweet, keeping the rhythm section tight and thundering. His bass tone was perfect and really filled out the sound. Whether using his finger or a pick, the bass cut through and gave a serious foundation to the heavy guitars. Robert “The Visual Time Keeper” Sweet was as solid as he has ever been and always puts on an amazing drum workshop each concert. Easily one of the most underrated rock drummers of all time and he proves it every time I see him.

The one thing Stryper does better than anyone else I have ever seen is sing in harmony. Their harmonies were awesome! This band should be teaching younger bands what it takes to put on an incredible live show. They are so well rehearsed and professional that they are able to put it all on the line for a show that puts most bands I have ever seen to shame.

Stryper did three cover songs as well as the usual classics. They did “Over The Mountain” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Heaven and Hell” by Black Sabbath and “Shout It Out Loud” by Kiss. Their performance was flawless and on par with any of the performances I have seen of the original artists.

On a scale of 1 to 10 this concert gets a 9.5. The only deduction being it wasn’t long enough. The fans are having so much fun singing along at the show, the times flies by and it’s over in an instant. After doing the encore, Michael Sweet closed out in prayer, praying for everyone in the building and in Japan — again showing the heart this band has for its fans and the world.

In a nutshell, Stryper put on a better live show then 95% of any bands I have ever seen and they do it consistently. They are a text book band for younger generations to follow to learn from and understand why practice, talent, songwriting, vocal harmonies, solos, set preparation, stage presence and connecting with their audience are so critically important to the success of their career.

If you are on the fence about seeing Stryper on tour this year or have never seen them, go! Spend the money; it is so well worth it. You’ll get so much more than just a good show or performance. You’ll get a band that cares about its fans, the world and doing something greater than themselves. To find out more about Stryper and their tour dates, check out their website www.stryper.com.

Note: The Lowry Agency has no affiliation with anyone mentioned in this review.

 

 

07 Mar 2011
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When Does an Artist or Band Need a Manager? Part II

When Does an Artist or Band Need a Manager? Part II

In the first blog I wrote on this subject http://wp.me/pu8Se-E, I commented on some of the basic requirements that bands should have before approaching management for help with their career. So that the artist or band knows what to have in place before approaching a manager, let’s dig a little deeper into what a manager is looking for in a band before he is willing to take them on.

First and foremost, an artist or band does not ever really need a manager if they are not gigging consistently for pay. The manager has to have something to work with and if the artist or band isn’t running a business, there is nothing to manage. An artist has to put in the work, sweat, blood and tears sometimes for years before approaching management. That probably means doing all the work first by yourself or hopefully with some help if you can find it.. A manager doesn’t want to manage an artist or band that isn’t willing to bust their butt as hard as the artist or band is expecting the manager to bust it for them.

The role of an Artist Manager is a more than full time job and it requires the same ability to deal with rejection, frustration and being overwhelmed as the artist or band deals with but on a much bigger level. A manager should add structure and stability to the current situation, but doing management takes a lot of work and the artist or band needs to have proven ahead of time that they have what it takes to make it in the business at least with work ethic.

An artist or band doesn’t get the excuse about how overwhelmed they are with personal life, health, work or anything else because the manager they chose doesn’t either. Everyone expects the world from their manager and very rarely has the money or wants to pay for the help and the unbelievable amount of work it takes to launch a career and keep it going. If the artist can’t put the appropriate amount of time and hard work into their career in the beginning — such as booking their own shows, researching appropriately who they need to contact, what are the proper steps of submissions, having a consistent image that is original, a good sized fan base and this does not mean less that 25,000 fans at least, a branding campaign and a good understanding of social media — then the manager has nothing to work with to get them to the next level. This also shows the manager that this particular artist or band isn’t willing to do what it takes in most cases.

There is so much information out there for an artist or band to read and learn about the business that there really is no excuse to not know the basics anymore. Assuming that a person really wants to make a career of this, then they will do all the research it takes just like any other business owner has to do to be successful.

The manager has to take this artist or band and sell it the labels, booking agents, publicists and anyone else that is needed to make their career happen. The manager should have something to start with that might need to be refined, smoothed over and sometimes even rebranded, but at least the manager gets a good feel for what the artist is capable of and how hard they worked to get there. Often this will require a good amount of time and money that the artist has to be willing to put in to launch their career, but there is really no other way around it. The artist should expect to work as hard as they need to, to make this happen for themselves especially since they expect their manager too.

In the beginning an artist or band might need to pay for hourly consultation instead of full-time management. This is something they can do with a manager who offers these consultation services and it can greatly help an artist or band develop a road map or direction for their career. They can work on it at their pace and have more consultations when the goals laid out have been reached. It is highly recommended that a band do this to help avoid a lot of the pitfalls of the music business and it can put them on a “fast track” to launch their career.

Another important thing to remember is that the manager has to do the very same thing for their own business. While they are managing everyone elses careers and businesses, they also have to do the exact same for themselves. It takes just as much planning, branding, design, phone calls, etc., for a manager to build his own business in order to be effective for his clients. If he can juggle all these responsibilities, it is fair that he expects any new prospective clients to have been actively working their careers with the same amount of work ethic.

Take the time to time to really look at your careers and work towards your goals. When you have achieved those, then approach management appropriate with the proper cover letter and press kit.

 

Good Luck!

24 Sep 2010
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Picking The Right Professional or Team for your Career

Picking The Right Professional or Team for your Career

 

The power of social media has its pros and cons. The pros obviously are the ability to network and get your message out there. The cons are you don’t know whom you can trust. With so many people out there saying how great they are and making huge promises you have to be very careful about whom you choose to share your info with and put your hopes and dreams in the hands of. In the entertainment world it’s a crap shoot to begin with, so make sure you spend the time necessary researching the people who are offering their services to you or making huge claims about what they are going to do for you in the “industry”. Also make sure you research exactly what they do or the services they offer so you can decide if it’s really what you need as an artist.

I recently did some research on a person who claims to be in the music industry. For the past year, this person has been making huge claims about how they are going to “change” the industry with a new platform. First of all, from what I understand, a platform like the one they hope to “change the industry” with already exists. I believe in practicing what I preach, and began to research this person.  I contacted a well-known, reputable friend who has been doing business on Music Row here in Nashville for more than 20 years, asking if they have ever heard of this person, their company or their work.  My friend is in the same area of the business as the person who is making the claims, and my friend sent an email out to all contacts. The result is that no one had ever heard of this person who claims to be “revolutionizing the industry”. There is no bio on them, no track record, no website, no clients, no proof of anything showing that they can do what they say they can do. Even worse, they are not listed on ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Harry Fox or Music Row as what they say they are. Now you have to be listed with at least one of the following ASCAP, BMI, SESAC or Harry Fox to be what they say they are, so this leaves you with either (a) they are a fraud, (b) they don’t know what they are doing, or (c) they are possibly operating under a different name, which also means their online presence is a lie. They have been putting together a team of people who, like them, seem to have no real track record. You can see that in how they promote themselves on the web. Don’t work for a person, or hire a person who doesn’t have their own business together with proper imaging, websites, photos, content and most important – actual proof of their work. This is the entertainment industry. Image and proof of solid work is everything for everyone, not just the artists.

When picking out people you want to work with, please review and research them in detail. Never trust an online profile that doesn’t list any information about themselves, their company or who they work for. Ask their clients if they are happy with their service and make sure they have legitimate things happening for their clients. Make sure there is a proven track record for the service they claim to provide. If they don’t have anything to show for their success then it’s a big risk. Especially pay attention to how they behave online with their twitter and other social media accounts. If they behave unprofessionally – flirt, make huge promises, offer a special free of charge opportunity to a hundred different people for months on end, make false claims against another with no proof or get involved in mud slinging then run and run fast. That is not professional behavior and they will treat anyone like that, including you. It will hurt the chances for your career to be involved with someone who behaves improperly, especially in the music industry, where the reality is that the odds are already stacked against you. If their followers or fans grow at a very slow rate, that is also a sign. It means they have nothing to offer content wise. They aren’t adding value to the industry, so know one is paying attention. It takes more than listing followers and saying nice things.

Not everyone is a huge success or a huge business, that’s not the most important issue; making things happen is what’s important, proof of work. Finding a professional or a team that is hungry and works very hard is what matters the most. Never fall for promises that are huge; this business is too hard to make any kind of claims and promises – that is the reality.  When evaluating a person or company, let their work speak for them instead.

Please read our blog “It’s All About The Team Baby” by Sass Jordan, a Juno and Billboard award winning artist and former host of Canadian Idol for more on picking the right team! http://lowryagency.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/183/

Good Luck!

09 Sep 2010
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Writing Songs

Writing Songs

By Sass Jordan, The Lowry Agency Artist

Damaged

 

Writing songs is one of the main reasons I wanted to be a singer in the first place. I have ALWAYS had a lot to say, and what better way to say it than in a song? The thing that many people don’t realize is that writing songs is a skill, and needs to be developed as such. My first attempts were so clumsy in their construction as to be laughable from my current viewpoint – but we have to start somewhere! Some of the most magnificently skilled writers live and work in Nashville, Tn – and that is where I have had some fantastic writing experiences.

A song has to be written with a form in mind. There are myriad forms, many of which you will be familiar with, but only a couple of which you will find any resonance with. The particular genres that interest me, for example, are country rock, americana roots, hybrid and blues rock. I can write in the pop genre, but I’m only marginally good at it, mainly because it’s not as interesting to me as an artist/performer. I can hugely appreciate a good pop song, but I’m not that skilled at the craft. Look at people like Max Martin and the infinite genius of Tears For Fears – yes, Pure Pop for Now People indeed!

Are you targeting a specific goal, such as a particular radio format? You’ll have to study the way the majority of the songs that play on those stations are constructed.For example, listen to the songs of a band like Nickelback … it’s a certain style that they use in the structure and the songs are hugely crafted by the production approach. It’s shared by other bands like Shinedown, Theory of a Deadman, Default, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Hinder and Breaking Benjamin, to name just a few. They all have their roots in the ’90’s to me .. coming out of Seattle’s Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, but with more of a pop sensibility.

Lyrically, it’s tricky to walk the line between cornball, conceit, confusion and just plain crap. A great lyricist is a god, as far as I am concerned. One of my favorite things is to try to find ways to use cliches with a twist. A master of this approach would be someone like Elvis Costello, or Joni Mitchell. One of the most erudite songwriters ever, Joni is a master of painting the soundscape with words – her, Robbie Robertson, and John Forte, the story-tellers, among a great many others …

Songwriting, like song – listening, is so personal, and so powerful. Writing a song that touches many people is possibly one of the most wonderful achievements you can have as a musician and performer. It’s a gift … use it well. And thank you, from your potential audience…. me.