Interview with Mary on page 4 of Indie Sounds NY, Vol. 7 PDF
Transcription
Interview with Mary on page 4 of Indie Sounds NY, Vol. 7 PDF
FROM HARRIS RADIO ISSUE 7 Stone The Crows: R. Star's About To Change The World … And He Ain't Looking For A Big Label To Help Him! Wanna get laid? Then, learn the tenor sax and go to one of R. Star's dance party gigs. For me, I'll take the relative quiet of the female fan frenzy that is one of his shows at the Rockwood. Indie Sounds squeezed in the door to chat to the next Neil Diamond. Indie Sounds: It sounds like you had a very musical childhood? IS: So what happened next? what they really want until they have major support. They do not realize that the more you do on your own the less you leave room for them to fuck things up. They do not have any secrets … if anything, they have more hurdles to jump. Ryan: We played through high school and really began honing in on our skills as a band. We never really got to be good on our own as much as we were great as a whole. We were all on Long Island in college and doing our thing at night in the city. We were aware of Looking back, everything was working R. Star: I think it started when I would go up to see my older sister's plays at one of those acting camps. I think it was called "Stage Door Manor" for all of those thesbians out there. Lots of famous actors went through it. Anyhow, I would come home and start performing the plays I saw. When I look back at the videos, I think too much was rubbing off on me. I was so flamboyant I am shocked I didn't go into burlesque shows instead. My main education came from the Seattle scene in the early 90's. Pearl Jam, Nirvana and all the good stuff on the singles soundtrack became my bible. From there, I back tracked and took in all the greats. My passion was music and it made me feel like I could be anything. IS: Then you joined a band and started gigging around NYC? Ryan: With some high school friends, I formed a band called Stage when we were in ninth grade. We started by playing some Screaming Trees, Smashing Pumpkins and Dinosaur Jr. songs and then quickly began writing songs of our own. We flooded the creative gates open and wrote a full album. By the end of the year, we were playing at CBGB's and all the other popular New York City venues at the time. Photo by Derek Hoffman the Long Island scene but we did not fit into the emo thing. IS: Then you got signed to Maverick … Ryan: A lot of my friends in the city are very obsessed with having a label sign them. They feel like they really can't start doing together at the time we signed. We had big shows at a residency at the Mercury Lounge and we had a strong demo we recorded with what would be called a "hit" on it. We signed right before September 11 and started recording at Avatar Studios. We were living in a loft in Soho and then on that horrific day, everything was put into perspective. WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005 1 ISSUE 7 The whole recording process had a different weight on it. I was happy we were given a shot but amazed how a company can spend $500,000 making a great album and then not want to follow through with everything else a band would need. What they do is bank on one act to be the focus and the money maker allowing that one act to afford them to put ten other artists into the studio. Starting my own label - Stone Crow Records - now, I am very aware and not surprised at all why you hear everyday about the struggling music business. Take a look at the indies. That is the new music business. are that if they give you a real shot they can do things and push you through the system. The reality is they do not do that. Even if you think they will, they do not. Success stories you hear about are because of the bands' hard work. By you making things happen for yourself they will be able to jump on what you did in a bigger way but you can't expect them to create big things for you. A lot of my friends who have been signed were doing well enough to get signed. They built a following, great demo and everything. Then the "big great label" comes in and all the momentum stops. IS: You quit the band this year? Why? Here's a tip: If you do get signed, pretend like you are not! Then you will keep doing what made you successful in the first place. In the case of Stage, we toured our asses off and we couldn't have without the money coming in from our label. We kicked ass out there. Every record we sold was because of touring and selling it directly to the fans because of course asking a company to have your record in a store that you will be playing at would be too difficult. Ryan: The word quit is harsh. I prefer "moved on" but if you want to get technical, I feel that they quit on me. This business will take you on an emotional ride twice a day. Everyone was beat up. When we came home from touring our first album, we were sent back to the studio for a second record. The feeling was different. No one felt like that 15 year old kid that can take on the world anymore. If you don't believe in this world than I feel it's over. I started recording most of the songs on my own (drums and all) and realized the band was no where to be found. I was let down but knew in my heart that it was time to move on. I always felt at home when I am sitting behind the piano. IS: So you've been through the "label" system. What did you learn from that? Ryan: I learned that they never learn. The business plan that they have has to be the worst ever. It does not surprise me that in a time when music is more places than ever before and more a part of our everyday life that a company that is in music can actually be making less money than before. Only the square-thinking major record labels move slow and stupid enough to let a time like this slip through their fingertips. A big label is a bank with a loan that in the real world would not be legal. The positives IS: So how is Stone Crow Records going to be different? Ryan: The funniest part about the existing music business is how a lot of people get there. The romantic idea of someone wanting to be in the business for the good of the music does exist but more often you find out why there is a lack of passion. I know people that were in the IT department and an A&R job opened up and now they know how to make records. I know people who were frat boys at Syracuse and studied marketing and had never heard of Lou Reed and are now making decisions on what band is going to get the push at Sony. These are the people that so many musicians are dying to work with. Step outside and walk down Stanton Street. You will meet people that really matter to your career. What matters about the team that makes up Stone Crow is that everyone 2 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005 Continued on page 7 IN THIS ISSUE 1 On The Cover: R. Star 3 What's New on CD 3 Scene & Heard 4 Live Before Dark: Mary Noecker 5 Industry Insider: Ariel Hyatt 6 In Town, On Tour, and Spotlight: Kristin Sweetland, Marah 8 Five Vital Questions: Susan Enan 8 Live in NYC: Chris Brown, Kate Fenner Editor and Publisher: Pete Harris pete@indiesoundsny.com Designer:/Cover banner photos: Ananda Bates, ananda@acousticroot.com Indie Sounds NY is the only publication serving the New York independent music scene. Each month, Indie Sounds NY seeks out the singer/songwriters, the bands, the places and the people who make up a unique and vibrant artistic community. Indie Sounds NY is brought to you by Harris Radio, an internet radio station broadcasting 24/7 on www.harrisradio.com, playing great music from unsigned artists and independent labels. And Canadians. Harris Radio also operates www.gigapple.com. Pick up Indie Sounds NY from music venues around the city, or download it from www.indiesoundsny.com. © Copyright Lighthouse Partners, Inc., 2005. ISSUE 7 WHAT'S NEW ON CD Bedsit Poets The Summer That Changed www.bedsitpoets.com Breaking Laces Lemonade www.breakinglaces.com The Kennedys Half a Million Miles www.kennedysmusic.com Laura Thomas Band Step To The Wire www.laurathomasband.com Low Water Hard Words In A Speakeasy www.lowwatermusic.com Michal The Girl Strung Out www.michalthegirl.com SCENE AND HEARD * Satalla is the latest music venue to carry Indie Sounds NY. Located on 26th Street, between 6th Avenue and Broadway, the club is adding more singer/songwriter acts to its traditional world music menu. Of particular note are the monthly "Under the Radar" nights, hosted by WFUV's John Platt. * There she goes ... why is everyone leaving NYC for LA? The latest musical export is Melineh Kurdian, her of the backflip-inducing debut album. And if that's not bad enough, Nicole, my favorite bartender at Vivaldi (see photo), will soon be heading that way too! * Open Mics ... Indie Sounds NY's open mic guide has moved into musical cyberspace at www.gigapple.com. Please let us know of new open mic nights in the city. WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005 3 ISSUE 7 LIVE BEFORE DARK Mary Noecker It's hard to miss Mary Noecker's bopping bass style on stage. Indie Sounds figured her day job was as a dancer. As it turned out, that wasn't quite the right diagnosis. Indie Sounds: So, what is your day job? Mary Noecker: I am an emergency medicine physician. I am presently working at Lenox Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side. IS: And what are you up to musically? Mary: Currently, I am playing bass with several New York City projects, including Bill Popp and the Tapes, Lone Vein, Meredith Bliss, Bonus Strike and The Verge and Mary. I work mostly with Bill Popp, through which I have had the pleasure of doing several European tours. I have also been doing some studio work and devoting a good deal of time to studying the upright bass. I'm looking forward to more studio work in the future as well as performing with major acts. IS: How easy is it to fit all this music into your work schedule? Mary: It works out well for me because my schedule is flexible, giving me plenty of time to pursue a career as a musician. Photo: Bill Hansford him to collapse at any moment. I kept on playing but in my mind I was trying to figure out where the club kept its emergency kit. Luckily he was fine and it turned out he always looked like this when he played! and the nicest/talented staff, it is to me the heart of music in New York City. One of my other favorite venues is Joe's Pub. The sound is great and the stage is spacious enough to move around and have some fun. IS: You have a very dynamic style, unlike many bassists who are statues. Is that something you work on? IS: Finally, do you have aspirations to form your own band, or write music? Mary: It pretty much just happens and I am thankful for that. I know that it can be very distracting to watch a musician who looks uncomfortable performing. Mary: Right now, I'm not looking to form my own band, but I am starting to develop my own music. Weblink: www.billpopp.com IS: So music is your goal, not medicine? Mary: Definitely. IS: Does that style vary much with the different bands you play with? IS: But, have you ever had to use your medical skills at a gig or with a band? Mary: It differs only in how the music makes me want to move. Mary: I did have a gig with a drummer who was sweating so much and had such a stunned look on his face that I thought he was having a heart attack. I was expecting IS: Which NYC venues are your favorites? Mary: CBGB's is my favorite venue for so many reasons. Besides a great sound system 4 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005 JOBS @ INDIE SOUNDS NY! Indie Sounds NY has openings for business development and distribution representatives in NYC. These are parttime, paid positions ideal for organized, self-motivated music fans. Email pete@indiesoundsny.com for more info. ISSUE 7 the word out. INDUSTRY INSIDER What makes hiring a PR agency worth the money is twofold - first and foremost, our contacts and relationships coupled with our skill at presenting artists in the best possible way. A great publicist should always make the writers' job as easy as possible. We are aware of schedules and deadlines and we know when it is appropriate to follow up with writers. We also know how to walk the fine line between being appropriately aggressive and just plain annoying to media (and this is a very fine line). Ariel Hyatt For an indie artist, there's nothing quite like the buzz of that first press mention. But it can take months to happen. Indie Sounds found out from PR guru Ariel Hyatt that patience is key. Indie Sounds: How did you get into this zany music PR business? Ariel Hyatt: While I was at university, I spent my summers interning and then working at a major fashion PR firm. So I learned the ropes through that experience. When I graduated from college, I realized I was much more in love with music than with fashion so I started the long humbling journey of finding a music related job. After a lot of rejection and the realization that a paying job at a top fashion PR firm does not mean a paying job in the music industry, I decided to take an unpaid internship at the coolest indie label I could find. I made sure that the label represented some of my favorite bands and really had a need for me. I then made myself indispensable at the label (What Are Records?) and got hired not long after I started. IS: How has Ariel grown? Ariel: Ariel Publicity just turned nine this year. I can't believe how fast the time has flown. We have grown from one computer and me in my kitchen in Boulder, Colorado to a four-publicist firm in the heart of New York City. I think the reason we have grown is mostly through word of mouth and the fact that Ariel Publicity has and will always service developing indie artists. IS: You also started Vermillion Media Group. What's that, and how does it differ from/complement what Ariel does? Second, is the sheer fact that most artists hate "selling" themselves to writers. Many of our artists come to us after having tried their hand at PR and detest it. It takes sheer determination and not being afraid of rejection/apathy on the part of the media. Photo: Enrique Cubillo Vermillion Media Group is now a year old. It is a partnership between me and Ellyn Solis (an 18-year PR veteran from Rogers & Cowan/Sony Music). We named the company after the fact that we are both redheads. Vermillion Media Group services artists that are ready to move to the national stage artists that already have many components in place, such as a management firm, a booking agent, a record deal, a tour, etc. IS: What can an artist expect from a PR agency. What makes hiring you worth the money? Ariel: A PR Agency's job is to get the word about the artist out to the media. It is our job to present artists to music writers, TV bookers, and online outlets and to build a story on your behalf in the media. IS: Typically, what does a PR campaign consist of? Ariel: It really depends on the desires of the artist. Some artists come to us at the very beginning of their careers in need of basic exposure in their hometowns, online and in 'zines, where more experienced artists may come to us because they are touring and need tour publicity and national exposure. IS: Can you cite any particularly successful campaigns you've worked on? Next Month in Indie Sounds NY On the Cover: Marwood Look out for the Novmber issue at all good NYC music venues. Or download it at: www.indiesoundsny.com What an artist should expect from a PR agency is effort made on their behalf to get WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005 5 ISSUE 7 Ariel: I have placed over 10,000 articles since I started and I feel like every placement no matter how big or small is a small victory. I love when we get a new artist that has never gotten any ink and build them from the ground up. It is always satisfying to say look we got your first placement, your first CD review or your first calendar photo. IS: Ideally, how should the artist/PR agent work together? Ariel: I think hiring a publicist is like hiring a 5th or 6th band member. You are trusting that person to represent you and your artistic vision and your music in the best light possible and on paper so you should feel comfortable with your publicist. If that person does not set you at ease and does not seem to understand your artistic vision and goals that's an indication that you are probably not hiring the right person. Your publicist should prepare you for what the PR process is and coach you on how to be prepared for press interviews, photo shoots and bio writing. Your publicist should set goals with you and work towards them on your behalf with your input. Our most successful campaigns come from the artists that are willing to come to their own party and work to understand what it is we go through everyday. Artists that step up and say something if they are not pleased with the way the campaign is going. Ask questions and always remember that your publicist works for you - not the other way around. IS: How has the music PR business changed since you started? Ariel: It's no secret that the music industry has radically changed over the past few years and this goes for the music PR industry as well. It has become harder and harder to stand out in a world that releases 1,000 CDs a week and any given city has so many shows on any given week. It is not easy to do this work and sometimes results take a long time to produce. We used to produce results a lot faster than it takes now due to the sheer volume of CDs being sent to the writers (coupled with the fact that there are more publicity firms than ever before). In Town, On Tour I recently placed a CD review in Performing Songwriter in the DIY section a full nine months after the album was released. It took nine solid months of consistent follow up and contact with the editor to get that placement. This is not unusual at all - that is just the amount of time it took the magazine to get the CD out of the stacks, listen to the CD, decide that it was appropriate and assign the review to a writer. In this new world of hiring a publicist, patience is key. I can't tell you how many calls we get from artists ready to leave their current publicists because they feel that their expectations are not being met or that their publicists do not have time for them. Mostly, I will play devil's advocate and by the end of the conversation, the artist realizes that the PR campaign is not going badly at all. Photo by Joyce Spindel Kristin Sweetland Live @ The Bitter End November 3, 7pm www.kristinsweetland.com IS: You are developing a web-based service too, aren't you? Ariel: Yes. We're developing a new web based PR solution for indie artists that are looking to get as much exposure online as possible, which will include blogs, Internet radio stations and online music directories as well as online 'zines that cover music. Spotlight on ... We will be fully submitting the information on the artists' behalf. We will ask that each outlet give us feedback so that the artist can see where they were added and what each resource thinks of their music. Hopefully, it will be live by November 1 we are still testing it. These things always take longer than you want them to! Weblink: www.arielpublicity.com 6 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005 Marah Dave and Serge Bielanko's rocking combo release If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry on October 18. Check them out at Southpaw on October 22 or online @ www.marah-usa.com. ISSUE 7 R. Star ... the beauty of music. I was reconnecting with what music means to me. I put some microphones up to record the ideas that were Continued from page 2 coming out just for reference and then a few weeks later I had 20 songs. Some were here has passion. Even the interns are music literally captured live, written for the first time. moguls in the making. We simply love the These tracks became my album Songs From music foremost but then treat it like a real The Eye of an Elephant - a sketch album of me business with a plan and then execute. You in my living room simply playing music for would be surprised how many record music and not anyone else. companies just throw things at the wall and see if they stick. The trick for us, now, is to IS: What instruments do you play? think outside the box, to think about where music is now and not two years ago. Music Ryan: I started playing the tenor when I was is more in our everyday lives than it has ever younger because my older cheerleading sister been. It's only a hard business to be in if you told me that all of the good kissers played the are still thinking the old way. saxophone. I went on to play piano and guitar because I wanted to sing. Then I just started IS: So what is R. Star all about? playing everything I could find … trumpet, drums, bass etc. Ryan: I want to be the new generation's Jew rocker like Neil Diamond (people are always IS: Where are you playing live? scared to say I sound like him and I love the comparison). When I decided to move on Ryan: When I decided that I was going to go from the band, I just wanted to cleanse with this, I looked for venues to play in the city myself. I sat down at the piano with no (where I am residing). I realized there are a lot expectations. I sat down and played just for of singer/songwriters out there. I knew that I can be looked at as one but I am not. I am more Peter Gabriel than John Mayer, and I did not want people to confuse that just because I might have an acoustic guitar in my hand. I found a new club - Rockwood Music Hall - that had no reputation yet in being typecast and started a residency there. I really love the room and quickly started selling it out every week by word of mouth. For the first time, I am building a good story. I have this album that was never supposed to be an album and a live show that people are showing up to with their friends every week. I am also starting to play in non music venues like clubs in the meat packing district. I figured that when my show ends, the party can begin. People are getting laid at an R. Star show. It's good for business! IS: So, what's next? Ryan: I am currently working on a video DVD collection for each of the songs from Songs From The Eye of an Elephant. I am going to be leaking edgy viral videos online every few weeks. The whole collection will be released early next year. The main thing that I am doing now is not having any boundaries. The way The Pixies can go from metal to country in ten seconds is how I feel that I am approaching my new songs. Losing Your Memory is a great ballad about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and feels like you are watching end credits and Back of Your Car sounds like an eighties dance party that Pearl Jam showed up to. Psycho Suicidal Girl is simply fun. The One You Know sounds like driving through a Quentin Tarantino movie. I love the idea of playing for movies. My songs have been described to me as movie soundtrack music. And I like that! Weblink: www.rstar.net R. Star tries a new sex position. Photo by Fawn Lansley. WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005 7 ISSUE 7 IS: If there was a movie made about your life, who would you want to play you? BACKLINE LIVE IN NYC From www.gigapple.com Five Vital Questions For ... Susan Enan Indie Sounds: What was the first album you ever bought? Susan Enan: Bach Toccata in D minor. Susan: Tippy Hedron. She looks nothing like me, but I wish I could move like her. IS: Who would be in your dream band? Susan: The 'dude' who works at the post office on 4th Ave. (he always wears sunglasses and has great 'dude' hair), C.S. Lewis to provide us with stimulating conversation while on the road and Peter Gabriel. IS: Who is the sexiest person on the planet? Susan: Owen Wilson. IS: Who would you choose to be the next president of the USA? Susan: Owen Wilson. Who: Chris Brown and Kate Fenner. Susan Enan is a NYC-based English singer/songwriter. She's currently in Vancouver, recording a CD that's gonna rock for sure. More at www.susanenan.com. Where and When: Rockwood Music Hall, October 15, Chris @ 9pm, Kate @ 10pm. And Tony Scherr plays @ 11pm. Questions: Mistress Tessa Perry, www.tessaperry.com. Web: www.chrisbrownmusic.com, www.katefenner.com. WHERE TO FIND INDIE SOUNDS NY Ace of Clubs www.aceofclubsnyc.com Kenny's Castaways www.kennyscastaways.net Pete's Candy Store www.petescandystore.com The Bitter End www.bitterend.com Arlene's Grocery www.arlenesgrocery.net Laila Lounge www.lailalounge.com Rockwood Music Hall www.rockwoodmusichall.com The C-Note www.thecnote.com Caffe Vivaldi www.caffevivaldi.com Micky's Blue Room www.mickysblueroom.com Satalla www.satalla.com The Living Room www.livingroomny.com Galapagos Art Space www.galapagosartspace.com Parkside Lounge www.parksidelounge.com Southpaw www.spsounds.com The Sidewalk Cafe www.antifolk.net Also online @ www.indiesoundsny.com. Venue owners: To distribute Indie Sounds NY at your club and get listed above, contact Pete Harris @ pete@indiesoundsny.com. 8 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005