Perhaps one of my favorite editions this week… it’s LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, our guest post series where we invite musicians we adore to take over and write whatever they like. 2 rules: it has to be in the form of a letter, it has to have something to do with music. This week’s LETTERS FROM THE ROAD guest author is a friend and brilliant singer-songwriter, Ben Arnold:
Dear (Insert Financial Institution of Choice Here),
I realize you have been trying to contact me lately. I apologize for the delay. I believe you were attempting to reach me concerning some checks that may have been “underfunded.” I have every intention of covering these. In fact, I am sure this account will be taken care of soon, as I am patiently waiting for a few things to come through.
You must be aware I am an artist. Surely you’ve heard me on Non-Comm radio or seen me on local TV. Maybe even in the regional papers or on YouTube. Is it possible we may even be Facebook friends? Of course you must feel secure, knowing the full scope of my career, that the money is about to roll in any day now.
To ease your mind, I thought I would offer just a few examples of the money streams my music has been generating for me. For instance, MUSIC REPORTS Inc. has sent me countless letters informing me that my songs have been licensed by a litany of music service providers. I am under the impression that alone should be good for about twelve cents per song x… about 40 or so…well… I’ve never been great at math, as you know.
I have also received a multitude of personalized offers through MySpace by several agencies to “…directly place my music into the hands of programmers, music supervisors and producers” who are eager to use some of my original songs in their upcoming films and commercials.
Because, of course, everyone knows the only way to achieve commercial success, get noticed and heard is through advertisement sound tracks. Even my mother says “that’s how to get your career off the ground these days! You gotta get your songs in a commercial!” I’m positive that shortly after cashing my check for “a one time service fee of only $400” we’ll be splitting those 50/50 royalty deals like gangsters. After all, the going sync rate for an indie artist in a film or commercial is like $250!! As soon as I land even a hundred of those contracts, I’ll buy a small house and future financial security will be mine.
You’ll be glad to know I have been very productive. I have put out 7 or 8 critically received records over the last 15 or so years. A while ago I even had a (minor) major label deal. Funny thing is, the day after we had a festive signing party in a local bar, I was told I wouldn’t really see any money from it because we needed it for the producer and mixing and marketing and that if I needed to make some quick cash, the record companies brand new recording studio needed painted and I was welcome to come in and roll high gloss for $10/hour for a couple weeks. After all, Urge Overkill was coming in soon and they wanted it to be just right!
My other projects were completed with the help of some great, small indie labels. Some I have done on my own with the help of talented and generous friends or business partners who I have made private deals with, to, of course, return their money first, off the top, as the sales cash comes in. As we speak, I’ve just recently about $4,000 (frugal by any standards) to produce, record and package my latest record. Everyone says it’s “my best yet!” At each gig I sell about maybe 10-15 copies for $10 each. Which, by the way, is about 10-15% of those in attendance. I used to be able to sell them for $15 but that whole iTunes thing kinda lowered the market value of hard copy cd’s too. Thankfully, some people still like to see some nice art inside or a recent picture of me where only my sideburns are going gray. Most of them don’t have satellite radio or digital players in their cars yet either so they still like to have something to shove in the ‘ole slot.
Anyway, at that rate as soon as I play about 40 shows, I will have paid my loan back and will reap 70% of all the future sales. On gigs alone, with the exception of New York and LA, I make at least $50 after splitting up the money. Sometimes it’s as good as a couple $100! So, you can see, you really needn’t worry. I will be rolling in the dough in no time at all.
On some solid advice I realized how merchandise sales can offer a huge well of money-making possibilities. Recently, in order to capitalize on this and save money in the process, I had shirts designed by a friend. I had a great idea for a graphic design. He sort-of-almost got it right and it will look fine on the Beefy T’s I can afford to buy in advance instead of the cool, nice feeling American Apparel shirts. And as soon as I give away one to each of my band mates, all of the sound engineers we work with, the people at my management agency, the club owners, my niece and my sister, I will be pulling in probably a dollar a piece! I did it a couple of times before and it worked out great. Mostly for the untold marketing value I received from all of the people who saw my shirts in the Salvation Army Thrift store racks. I can over hear them now…”Wow, great shirt. That guy should be famous!” I should make a note to speak with them about my commission btw.
I should mention I applied for and received a privately funded grant this year. It helped me to live a short while as I worked regularly passionately with low-income kids to help them to realize a future career as musical artists as well. I think the government taxed it pretty hard which was a surprise. But you know how no good deed goes unpunished.
So, just so you know, I have been working hard at this thing for a long time now. I put thousands of hours of into it and thousands of dollars too. I realize it’s MY dream and MY life, not yours, so I’m not really bitching. I have had more fun doing this than anyone deserves, made great friends, and most importantly grown consistently as an artist and musician. I will be covering those checks ASAP and repaying any institution or person who may have helped to support my life long ego trip (as some “family friend” genuinely referred to it, thanks for your support). But, please understand that not only is it ridiculously hard work to do this with any real commitment, in solvency, with no family trust fund or early 90’s era mega-record-Clive Davis-loves-your-act-label-deal. But, to keep pride intact, to keep the car that takes me to gigs on the road, the roof over head where I write and create and rehearse and the food to keep me alive to do all of the above… about 10 years ago I realized something needed to change in order to balance it all out. I have even been surprised by the great inspiration I get in return, the few less bounced checks, the humility and the desire to make the most of every hour in every single day……you’ll be glad to know, I GOT A JOB.
Thanks for your time, patience and continued support of my career.
I’m sure we’ll see each other in the clubs. Hopefully next time I’ll be signing your CD, not another bad check.
Sincerely,
Ben Arnold
http://www.benarnoldmusic.com/
Tags: Ben Arnold, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD —
Welcome back to our guest post series, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, where we invite artists we freak over to takeover. The deal is, they can write whatever they like, only 2 rules: it has to be in the form of a letter, it has to have something to do with music. This week, featuring the musings of Pablo Cubrale, the brains behind Contramano, easily one of our favorite new bands (or at least, new to us). Think Argentine Clash with a whole lot of cello. Weird? Perhaps. But also woooooooooonderful. Like the below.
I mean seriously, how brilliant is this? Buy every record Contramano has ever made.
LETTERS FROM THE ROAD: Pablo Cubrale/Contramano
Dear Lou and Laurie,
Did you ever get my e-mail about the BBQ at home?
Man it was a real Argentine asado! And you were the only ones that didn’t make it. I guess it’s because you don’t read e-mails? Or maybe just my e-mails.
I mean, I understand if you don’t like computers, Lou, but come on, Laurie, I know that you’re pretty good with the knobs…
I really wanted you to come and talk about your song we are playing. That’s right, Small Town. I couldn’t figure out the piano part so I replaced it with the drums. I know, you might think that’s weird but it really works. Trust me. Now the song sounds more like Argentine Punk 
. Can’t wait to show you.
On a side note, I wanted to tell you that I changed a few words. For example when you say “Pittsburgh” because Warhol was from there, I say “Cordoba,” because, well, you know… that’s where I’m from. Also, when you say “Capote my hero,” he wasn’t really my hero, in fact I just learned about him when I saw the movie a few years ago. So, what I did was to change it to Lou and Laurie
You know, when I was in Argentina I used to listen to the song and with the dictionary and try to figure out what you were saying. I couldn’t find the meaning of Capote. A plant, an animal? I was confused. And also because I used to see Home of the Brave all the time (I recorded it on my VCR) and you, Laurie, would talk about the differences between being a 0 and a 1, and I thought the two songs were very connected somehow…. Anyway. I hope you guys like it.
Oh, one more thing. I also did the song in Spanish… But dude, it really sounds cool! I have both versions so you can tell me which one you like best.
Oh man, I miss you both
Even though you didn’t make the BBQ, I hope you can come to the show. It’ll be really great, I promise. I even put some footage of you at the end of Small Town when you say: “you hate it, and you know you have to leave” because… my voice, you know, it’s a bit higher than yours, and I can’t reach those looooow notes. Jaja.
Ok. Take care and call me!
Abrazos,
Pablo
8/2/10 | Comments (0)Tags: Contramano, Laurie Anderson, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, Lou Reed, Pablo Cubrale —
You guessed it, another edition of LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, our guest post series where we invite musicians we are FREAKING nuts about to take over and write whatever they like. 2 rules: it has to be in the form of a letter, it has to have something to do with music. Introducing my new sonic crush, Leo Blais, Buy everything he’s ever made… seriously. FYI, we featured him on THE DAILY DOSE not too long ago
Dear vocal cords,
I wanted to write you and say how disappointed I am with you and how you let me down during my performance of ‘O Holy Night’ during the Christmas Mass when I was 12. I practiced my ass off the whole month leading up to it and you failed me! Not to mention, you teased me with your beautiful sounds of song and then, unlike most kids on Christmas, you took back your gift and left me with no vocal cords at all.
I was alone. I was confused. Shaken. We tried everything to coax you back. I even made your favorite, but even tea and lemon juice couldn’t stop this train wreck of a rendition. My little brother had the 1st verse and nailed it like a champ. You, on the other hand, hit the high register like Don Flamenco taunting Little Mac in Mike Tyson’s punch out.
Lets just say, you were not up to snuff.
I liken you to a deadbeat vocal cord. You promise to be there and then you never show up. I don’t know why you decided to take the day off, which led to 4 years of not trusting you whatsoever. You let me down so badly that day. I was no longer recognized as the kid who delivers newspapers in the neighborhood. I was that kid who ruined ‘O Holy Night!’ That kid who didn’t know when to quit. That kid who probably should have let his brother sing for him.
They didn’t know that you had changed on me. How could they know? There were moments when I thought about giving you the opportunity to explain the situation to people. I wanted you to tell them. However, you’d probably just let me down again and not even show up.
You did come back to me though. But I’ll never forgive you for that day. Never. At least this note gives me some form of satisfaction. There’s a healing in doing this. Besides, whenever I try to tell people you never cooperate. You always bail on me in protest again, which exactly why I can’t trust you to tell the story. I just wouldn’t be able to get a word out.
Vocally yours,
Leo Blais
http://www.leoblais.com/
Tags: Christmas, Leo Blais, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD —
Here we go with another edition of LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, our guest-post series where we invite musicians we shamelessly adore to take over and write whatever they like. 2 rules: it has to be in the form of a letter, it has to have something to do with music. This week’s LETTERS FROM THE ROAD guest author is a new friend, the kind that reeks of contagious inspiration, the multitalented Rob Giles. Take it away Rob…
I don’t think of my life as a career. I do stuff. I respond to stuff. That’s not a career — that’s a life!
— Steve Jobs
Dear Steve,
I am so excited about the iPad. I am probably going to even shell out the money to get one before we go on our summer tour. You had me at the Netflix app. I have been reading reviews voraciously, as if a lost Beatles album was just unearthed. Words like “interactive,” “immersive,” “intimate” can’t help but intrigue me. “Will it be the new model for media?!” “I’m not even sure what its used for, but I want to use it for everything!” And apparently iBooks is to Wii what Kindle is to the Atari 2600.
I didn’t read anything about it, but I am guessing there is also an iTunes app? You know, for music?…
It got me wondering, Mr. Jobs, do you remember listening to records? Did you spend any Saturday mornings or Friday nights studying the liner notes of your favorite albums again and again? The artwork!? The glorious mysteries and journeys that album art could catapult you through? (I learned Spanish one summer in Mexico by trying to describe Metallica and Iron Maiden albums to my “Mexican brother” Saul.) Did you ever get images seared into your mind by reading and rereading the pages of recording info and who played what? I can still see clearly that Nikki Sixx, in his musical genius, played not only the bass, but the 8-string bass, the 12-string bass, AND the bass pedals on “Shout At The Devil”!! I am still wondering if the legendary Russ Kunkel looks like what I think he looks like.
Imagine what stuff I could claim to have played on the new Rescues album (out this summer on Universal Republic — Free Single of the Week please, Steve?).
It got me thinking; maybe we should cut a deal:
1. We artists will start to create a LOT more content that is perfect and exclusive for the iPad, and you once again get the credit for creating interest in albums again. I know, I know, you have the “iTunes plus” option with more pictures of John Mayer than anyone could possibly want. I don’t mean creating interest by allowing for a decent bandwidth choice or allowing more content per album. I mean you spending some of your power, ingenuity and money to start even more trends with ingenious designs — you could personally lobby congress to get serious in creating and mandating strict laws about downloading free intellectual property.
2. You could lobby to repeal Clinton’s 1996 Telecom Act, and let radio (celestial or otherwise/app) try to thrive again.
3. Somehow get your gifted design team to make it cool again to buy albums by creating the new music format. Remind us that behind these songs is a band or artist who has dedicated their life (or, if you are Ke$ha, your summer vacation) trying to create something wonderful, honest, timeless, badass, true, fun, beautiful… Something you can spend an evening with. Get us all interested again in the way only you can.
4. You could start a campaign saying, basically, what we all know: stealing music is totally lame.
Deal? Cool. I will go ahead and buy an iPad, then. And I will start dreaming up ways to make Apple the only place worth buying and having an intimate, interactive, immersive experience with my albums again.
And thank you. Thank you. For never giving up. For everything.
On the edge of my seat,
Rob Giles
www.therescues.com
Tags: iPad, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, Rob Giles, Steve Jobs, the rescues —
Serving up another edition of LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, our guest post series where we invite musicians we are utterly nuts about to take over and write whatever they like. 2 rules: it has to be in the form of a letter, it has to have something to do with music. This week’s LETTERS FROM THE ROAD guest author is a friend and brilliant singer-songwriter who we adore, Jim Boggia:
Dear Taylor Swift,
We need to talk.
I want you to know up front that I really tried to find someone else to write to – someone else who could ease my pain, someone else who might not make me feel so bitter. But I am bitter, Taylor – bitter about things you’re probably too young to understand and that you probably, to be fair, are not so much responsible for as you are representative of.
You know where this is going. Yes, it’s the Grammy thing. That performance. You can’t sing. You took home four Grammys . . . . and you can’t sing. There’s a moment in the first chorus of ‘Rhiannon’ where you can see Stevie Nicks is visibly cringing at how flat you are singing. Let me make sure you understand this, because you’re young and this might be lost on you. This is not Stevie WONDER we’re talking about cringing at your performance, but Stevie NICKS, a woman who owes her career to sleeping with a genius guitar freak/audio architect. Because you see, that’s how it was done in the old days and we didn’t necessarily approve of it, but it got us laid, so ok – let the girl who likes to pretend she’s a witch sing a couple of songs. But even she still had to hit the notes.
How can I make you understand?
A long time ago, we had a group called the Beatles. You might have heard of them as they are now a video game. Anyway, we loved them so much that we even liked to hear their drummer, Ringo, sing one song an album, even though he couldn’t really quite hit the notes. But, the thing is Taylor, he was the DRUMMER. And we really loved the Beatles. And everything else they did was so groundbreakingly amazing. And it was only one song an album.
When you don’t hit the notes it’s different, and not in a good way. I know, I know, on your records, it sounds like you CAN hit the notes. But see, we’re sophisticated now and we know it’s auto-tune and that’s not your fault either but I still have to tell you that it’s no fun living in a world where it’s easier to make someone who looks like you do sound good than it is to make someone who sings like I do look good.
Which brings up another point. You know that song of yours? The one where she’s the cheerleader and you’re the unpopular outsider? Well, I’m having a hard time buying into that because – not to dwell on this but, um . . . . LOOK AT YOU. You can feel free to read this next sentence in the voice of Grandpa Simpson, but: In my day, girls who looked liked you WERE the cheerleaders and then, as now, girls who looked like you wound up getting the guy you talk about in that song. And music . . . Music . . . MUSIC . . . well, that was OUR territory – the folks who really were unpopular. You should check out a tune called ‘At Seventeen’ by Janis Ian. Then you should check out Janis Ian. I mean do a Google Images search. See? SHE was in the bleachers wearing a t-shirt, Taylor, not you. Can’t you just be happy being the cheerleader? Do the popular kids have to take over music, too?
But why am I blaming you? The popular kids took over our game a while ago. There was a bit of a back and forth tussle for a while, but there was a moment – it might have been when Kurt put the bullet through his head – that it was over, the cool kids won and popular music (not POP music, but music which is massively popular) became about being popular and not about making music. And it’s not just you – those guys in Franz Ferdinand can’t sing, either. And on and on. And on and on.
So, no – you are not to blame for this world that you find yourself in – a world that has been this way pretty much since you were born. But you were just given four Grammys. There was a time when you kinda had to be able to bring it, really have your craft down and then, if you caught a break or two, maybe you’d win a Grammy. The process is reversed now. You’ve been awarded your Grammys already. I hope you step up, work hard to really become a musician (and, most specifically, a singer – please learn how to sing) and earn them somehow retroactively.
To end on a positive note – I’m not going to tell you that Beyonce made one of the greatest videos of all time.
Musically Yours,
Jim
Tags: Beyoncé, Jim Boggia, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, the beatles —
