Find more about the band at sunspotmusic.com
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Mike as a guru? Ha! But here's some thoughts on D-I-Y
So, this week I posted my first real music business blog on Broadjam.com and along with hosting a music publicity seminar last month for the Madison Area Music Association, a couple of people have asked me whether or not I’m in the market to become a “music business guru”. Ha, not really. I don’t know the exact qualifications to be a guru (in fact, I think they encompass something about not quite making it, but realizing there’s an income stream in telling people about your experience - I’ve always had a problem in taking advice from people who aren’t where you want to be. Do you really want a financial advisor who’s not rich?), but one thing that I do think being a member of this band for the past 15 years has taught me is the power of DIY. When I was 21 years old, I really thought that a major label would pick us up, that we’d find our way into a recording contract and that we were going to be rich and famous. Our songs seemed to fit in to the alternative rock that was going on at the time in the late 90’s, we were quirky in that smartass marketable way, we had momentum, energy, and enthusiasm. I remember taking a full-time job for the summer working for the University and telling my boss that I could commit for now but as soon as the band takes off, well, I’m going to have to go be a rockstar, sorry (haha, I hope I didn’t sound like too much of an asshole.) I thought that we were going to have to come back to finish college, after all there wouldn’t be time with our schedule of world tours, filming videos, and copious amounts of partying and getting laid.
Well, that didn’t happen now, did it? (Well, we were always really good at partying.)
What did happen? D-I-Motherfucking-Y. Now, it’s the preferred way to do it (look at the hard-on everyone has for The Arcade Fire) and there’s a million indie music biz blogs and books with tips. It’s gone from books on “How To Get a Record Deal” to books about how to tackle the industry yourself. There’s awesome home recording software (Garageband if you’re an Apple person, but shit, Reaper is free and PCs are dirt cheap.) Back in the day, I watched bands who were trying to make it, to get in front of the right people, to get that A&R guy or manager or promoter to take an interest in you and the promise was that they’d take care of you, that they’d hold your hand all the way to the top. Sunspot even had a manager that was “connected” (whatever the fuck that means) and was working all of the angles he could. Shit, when Garageband.com was throwing around a quarter-million dollar record contract, it was even won by a Madison band (the awesome Monovox, I must’ve seen them a hundred times and we even had the honor of rocking with them a few times.) I just knew it that we were next. There was a promise that there was an industry you could “break into” and I watched bands like Monovox and Rockford’s immortal The Pimps break into it. How far behind could we be? Those guys were a little older, and all we had to do was pay our dues to get there. But success didn’t come fast enough, we were shopping around demos, hoping that they’d catch someone important’s attention. I read up on every single music industry resource that I could. I wanted to make sure that we were following the path that seemed to work. Besides the awful fashion sense of the era, we were doing everything we thought we were supposed to do. We followed every single rule except for moving out to one of the coasts. So, if we weren’t getting the attention we thought that we deserved, what were we going to do?
What was left to do? If we couldn’t get a company to pay for radio-ready versions of our songs, then that means it was time our demos graduated to full albums. If there was no one to make music videos for us, then godammit, we’re going to record our own. If we can’t find a booking agent to get us on a national tour with a big band, then we’re going to book a show in whatever city we want to play in, promote the living Hell out of it, and play. We were going to be the record label, publishing company, booking agent, publicist, and promoter ourselves. There’s only so much waiting that you can do. There were a ton of people who were supportive and wanted to help, there were a ton of clubs willing to take a chance on a band from the land of cheese, and there were a ton of people who enjoyed our music even though it was produced and paid for by ourselves, that came out to our live shows to see us play with a $300 PA and a lighting rig that Ben made from coffee cans in the basement of the house that we shared (and for the record, even though we’ve upgraded to a computer-run DMX light show, those coffee can lights still work!)
D-I-Y means to not wait for the magical record label fairy, it means to not wait for anyone to do anything for you that you’re not willing to do yourself. It means that you’re going to make your artistic statement to the best of your abilities. Shit, last year we made our first live concert DVD from our national tour. Booking each show was a struggle, how were we going to promote, how would we make the show successful? Figuring out how to make a stage show with synced videos and lights felt fucking impossible. Who else was doing this without a crew? How were they doing it? Why can’t I find an Internet forum that gives instructions? Well, we can’t, so screw it, let’s figure it out from scratch. Making the DVD was damn hard because I’d never edited anything much longer than 15 minutes before (and certainly not something on the lines of a cut every four seconds!) and we didn’t know how to create special features or a commentary or any of that stuff. But it felt important, it felt like our statement, it felt like we had to make this thing and deliver it to the world and nothing was going to stop us. And that’s it.
And that’s what I want to tell other bands. We’ve met so many talented musicians, amazing songwriters, and incredible performers. People that have just blown me the fuck away. People that I knew were going to be huge. And now most of them have broken up their band, quit playing, given up the dream and settled. So, what does that mean? It means you’ve got to not just love it, but you have to want it more than anything else in the world. And that’s not hy-fucking-perbole. You have to want it more than sleep, you have to want it more than security. You have to love it so much that you would run away with your Frankenstein’s Monster. The desire to create something awesome has to burn so hot that it itches so that you can’t rest until you’ve achieved it.
And that’s it.
I’m not complaining one iota. I escaped the cubicle, but only through a series of freelance projects in addition to rocking and rolling. And security is an illusion (usually fleeting), but it just doesn’t matter as long as you’re doing what you love and what you believe in.
Do. It. Yourself. Every single moment.
Every minute that we’re working on a song or a show or a video, there is nothing else in the world that I’d rather be doing. I know I’m in the right place. There is no second wasted, if it’s a second that’s devoted to Sunspot. You are your record label, you are your recording studio and you are your booking agent. Your open mic is Alpine Valley, your after-party is Hollywood Babylon. The power of refusing to wait is the greatest thing in the world. If you want to do something, do it. Now. That’s the power of D-I-Y, you’re creating the things that you want to create with absolute freedom. We’ve been the luckiest trio in the world and have had the best time in the world by not waiting for anything. Can’t get booked? Host your own party. Can’t make a video? Shoot it with your cellphone! Don’t know how to reach people? Try Facebook. My 74-year old father is on it, your friends and potential fans probably are too. You know what to do.
And know that it sucks sometimes. But know that when you’ve really done your best, there is no greater feeling. There’s no shot that goes down as smooth. There’s no hit that feels as righteous.
I just want to tell bands to please give a damn. You’re doing my favorite thing in the world, something sacred, something awesome. Doesn’t everyone have a pre-show ritual? Me, I hate playing without my necklace or spiking my hair, (call me Mister Shallow) I can’t stand the thought of performing without doing those things. That’s my ritual. Do you have one too? That means that it’s sacred, that means that it’s special, that means that it’s yours! That means that you can be proud because you created something beautiful from scratch and if there’s something better than that, I haven’t found it. What’s more awesome than playing a show or playing the shit out of a great song? What’s better than creation? After all, it’s our evolutionary imperative. We are driven to make.
Anyway, I’ve got some practical advice somewhere in there too, but we all know what we have to do. A million Facebook tutorials or intros to Tumblr (learn to fucking spell) aren’t going to do what just calling everyone you know before a show will do. Or just telling everyone you meet about your band. Or using Google and calling a newspaper to let them know you’ll be in there town. Don’t half-ass this, please. You’re disrespecting what I love. Don’t make music look like a refuge for the lazy and stoned. Do us all proud.
We’re in this together and the better my fellow rockers do, the better I do. The more I create myself, the better I’ll get at it. The less I wait for life to happen is the more that I’ve lived, So, really, I just want you to see you go for it, I want to see you Do It Yourself. I want other bands to kick ass because that’s what it’s all about. Why wait? Shit’s happening now! Your career (whatever the fuck that means!) is happening now, so let’s do it! Let’s get it going. I’ve tried to live by that with varying degrees of success, and I wouldn’t change it, even the shitty parts.
That’s as close as I get to guru-dom or music business advice, but it’s worth sharing because this way of life is extraordinary and making your way in the Wild West is something to be proud of. And it deserves you giving it your all.
Well, that didn’t happen now, did it? (Well, we were always really good at partying.)
What did happen? D-I-Motherfucking-Y. Now, it’s the preferred way to do it (look at the hard-on everyone has for The Arcade Fire) and there’s a million indie music biz blogs and books with tips. It’s gone from books on “How To Get a Record Deal” to books about how to tackle the industry yourself. There’s awesome home recording software (Garageband if you’re an Apple person, but shit, Reaper is free and PCs are dirt cheap.) Back in the day, I watched bands who were trying to make it, to get in front of the right people, to get that A&R guy or manager or promoter to take an interest in you and the promise was that they’d take care of you, that they’d hold your hand all the way to the top. Sunspot even had a manager that was “connected” (whatever the fuck that means) and was working all of the angles he could. Shit, when Garageband.com was throwing around a quarter-million dollar record contract, it was even won by a Madison band (the awesome Monovox, I must’ve seen them a hundred times and we even had the honor of rocking with them a few times.) I just knew it that we were next. There was a promise that there was an industry you could “break into” and I watched bands like Monovox and Rockford’s immortal The Pimps break into it. How far behind could we be? Those guys were a little older, and all we had to do was pay our dues to get there. But success didn’t come fast enough, we were shopping around demos, hoping that they’d catch someone important’s attention. I read up on every single music industry resource that I could. I wanted to make sure that we were following the path that seemed to work. Besides the awful fashion sense of the era, we were doing everything we thought we were supposed to do. We followed every single rule except for moving out to one of the coasts. So, if we weren’t getting the attention we thought that we deserved, what were we going to do?
What was left to do? If we couldn’t get a company to pay for radio-ready versions of our songs, then that means it was time our demos graduated to full albums. If there was no one to make music videos for us, then godammit, we’re going to record our own. If we can’t find a booking agent to get us on a national tour with a big band, then we’re going to book a show in whatever city we want to play in, promote the living Hell out of it, and play. We were going to be the record label, publishing company, booking agent, publicist, and promoter ourselves. There’s only so much waiting that you can do. There were a ton of people who were supportive and wanted to help, there were a ton of clubs willing to take a chance on a band from the land of cheese, and there were a ton of people who enjoyed our music even though it was produced and paid for by ourselves, that came out to our live shows to see us play with a $300 PA and a lighting rig that Ben made from coffee cans in the basement of the house that we shared (and for the record, even though we’ve upgraded to a computer-run DMX light show, those coffee can lights still work!)
D-I-Y means to not wait for the magical record label fairy, it means to not wait for anyone to do anything for you that you’re not willing to do yourself. It means that you’re going to make your artistic statement to the best of your abilities. Shit, last year we made our first live concert DVD from our national tour. Booking each show was a struggle, how were we going to promote, how would we make the show successful? Figuring out how to make a stage show with synced videos and lights felt fucking impossible. Who else was doing this without a crew? How were they doing it? Why can’t I find an Internet forum that gives instructions? Well, we can’t, so screw it, let’s figure it out from scratch. Making the DVD was damn hard because I’d never edited anything much longer than 15 minutes before (and certainly not something on the lines of a cut every four seconds!) and we didn’t know how to create special features or a commentary or any of that stuff. But it felt important, it felt like our statement, it felt like we had to make this thing and deliver it to the world and nothing was going to stop us. And that’s it.
And that’s what I want to tell other bands. We’ve met so many talented musicians, amazing songwriters, and incredible performers. People that have just blown me the fuck away. People that I knew were going to be huge. And now most of them have broken up their band, quit playing, given up the dream and settled. So, what does that mean? It means you’ve got to not just love it, but you have to want it more than anything else in the world. And that’s not hy-fucking-perbole. You have to want it more than sleep, you have to want it more than security. You have to love it so much that you would run away with your Frankenstein’s Monster. The desire to create something awesome has to burn so hot that it itches so that you can’t rest until you’ve achieved it.
And that’s it.
I’m not complaining one iota. I escaped the cubicle, but only through a series of freelance projects in addition to rocking and rolling. And security is an illusion (usually fleeting), but it just doesn’t matter as long as you’re doing what you love and what you believe in.
Do. It. Yourself. Every single moment.
Every minute that we’re working on a song or a show or a video, there is nothing else in the world that I’d rather be doing. I know I’m in the right place. There is no second wasted, if it’s a second that’s devoted to Sunspot. You are your record label, you are your recording studio and you are your booking agent. Your open mic is Alpine Valley, your after-party is Hollywood Babylon. The power of refusing to wait is the greatest thing in the world. If you want to do something, do it. Now. That’s the power of D-I-Y, you’re creating the things that you want to create with absolute freedom. We’ve been the luckiest trio in the world and have had the best time in the world by not waiting for anything. Can’t get booked? Host your own party. Can’t make a video? Shoot it with your cellphone! Don’t know how to reach people? Try Facebook. My 74-year old father is on it, your friends and potential fans probably are too. You know what to do.
And know that it sucks sometimes. But know that when you’ve really done your best, there is no greater feeling. There’s no shot that goes down as smooth. There’s no hit that feels as righteous.
I just want to tell bands to please give a damn. You’re doing my favorite thing in the world, something sacred, something awesome. Doesn’t everyone have a pre-show ritual? Me, I hate playing without my necklace or spiking my hair, (call me Mister Shallow) I can’t stand the thought of performing without doing those things. That’s my ritual. Do you have one too? That means that it’s sacred, that means that it’s special, that means that it’s yours! That means that you can be proud because you created something beautiful from scratch and if there’s something better than that, I haven’t found it. What’s more awesome than playing a show or playing the shit out of a great song? What’s better than creation? After all, it’s our evolutionary imperative. We are driven to make.
Anyway, I’ve got some practical advice somewhere in there too, but we all know what we have to do. A million Facebook tutorials or intros to Tumblr (learn to fucking spell) aren’t going to do what just calling everyone you know before a show will do. Or just telling everyone you meet about your band. Or using Google and calling a newspaper to let them know you’ll be in there town. Don’t half-ass this, please. You’re disrespecting what I love. Don’t make music look like a refuge for the lazy and stoned. Do us all proud.
We’re in this together and the better my fellow rockers do, the better I do. The more I create myself, the better I’ll get at it. The less I wait for life to happen is the more that I’ve lived, So, really, I just want you to see you go for it, I want to see you Do It Yourself. I want other bands to kick ass because that’s what it’s all about. Why wait? Shit’s happening now! Your career (whatever the fuck that means!) is happening now, so let’s do it! Let’s get it going. I’ve tried to live by that with varying degrees of success, and I wouldn’t change it, even the shitty parts.
That’s as close as I get to guru-dom or music business advice, but it’s worth sharing because this way of life is extraordinary and making your way in the Wild West is something to be proud of. And it deserves you giving it your all.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sunspot Road Mania - Ep. 156
A recap of the events of the past few weeks, including the Deus Ex Machina EP release party, a battle of the bands in Milwaukee, and some heavy metal welding of the trailer!
Direct download is available here: http://sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/sunspot_rm_156.mp4
Direct download is available here: http://sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/sunspot_rm_156.mp4
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Battle of the Bands in Milwaukee on Saturday
It's back to one of our favorite places in Milwaukee this weekend as we hit The BBC this Saturday night and this one is a Battle of the Bands so we're literally going to hit it.
It's been a long time since we've done one of these, but we're definitely ready and itching for a fight. I've been working out all week, punching things, and sparring to get ready to crush our enemies, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentation of their women. We've been watching videos of the other bands to see what kind of fighting style they use (wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, etc...) and honestly we haven't been able to tell. For some reason, in all of their videos, instead of kicking people's butts, ummm... they're playing music. Just like a bunch of grandmas. So it shouldn't be much trouble to defeat them. After all, are you going to serenade me to death with that keyboard when I'm beating you mercilessly with a chain? Are you going to tap out a little solo on us with a pair of drumsticks while being whomped with a sledge hammer? I doubt it. You'll be too busy screaming for mama to sing a song.
We've never actually fought anyone at the BBC yet, but I figure that throwing people down those deadly steep stairs is going to be essential to our strategy. Did I mention I've been working out? I have been. We've also been debating whether or not to rub baby oil all over our muscles before we get onstage just to intimidate the other bands with our rippling pecs and abs, glistening in the sun. Baby oil also makes you more slippery in case they get you in a chokehold or try a move like the dreaded Rear Admiral. I'm not sure on all the rules yet, but I'm assuming that edged weapons aren't allowed and I'm cool with that, blunt force trauma is fine and I totally agree about eye gouging, it's a cheap shot and it has no place in something dignified like a Battle of the Bands.
Skrude Loose has 5 guys so they've got an advantage there, and they don't care about spelling, which probably means that they're the kind of guys who aren't afraid to break the rules- that makes me a little nervous. Behemoth and Leviathan, however, is a duo, and judging from their pictures, they're not as big as their name would have you believe. I'm thinking if we team up on Skrude Loose first then we have a chance of taking those guys out and battling each other for the crown. That way we'd both stand a better chance. We'll see if we can trust those guys soon enough.
Anyway, I'm keeping a few things up our sleeves so that these guys won't know what hit them. I heard the winners get to pillage the other bands' equipment and make out with their girlfriends. We get into the ring at 9:30 sharp on Saturday. Our pain, your entertainment.
Three bands enter, one band leaves!
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