The first area, of course, is money. Indie labels, like indie bands, will never and have never had a lot of cabbage. This means that they also generally lack clout within the promotional world, so any revenues must be generated solely through the work of the artists and whatever staff the label happens to have.
Another huge difference between an indie label and a big label is the type of music they put out. Now, it may seem like all the major labels are putting out the same type of music, but in fact what you mostly here are the more popular formats. In fact, major labels will have a variety of genres that include many artists, with some falling in importance according to the label’s definition of what is worth marketing at the time.
Indie labels, on the other hand, generally have the same type of artist. Not replicas, of course, but if you listen to a couple of the artists the label produces, then you have an idea of the kind of artist the label works with.
There isn’t a more complicated industry in the world than indie rock, a fact that is demonstrated by the way indie rock fans bristle when the movement is called an industry. The paradox represented within the world of indie music is beautifully apparent in the success of major player Matador Records. There is little doubt from any quarter that Matador at least began as an indie label. By the standards that define indie music, Matador continues to represent the movement in its practices: artists such as Liz Phair and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion still retain control of their music, the label has little power within the commercial world, and is still relatively small. Unfortunately, when it comes to indie, relative is a death knell among some fans. The fact that Matador has 40 artists and a staff, as well as the fact that the more popular artists mentioned above have distribution deals with big labels, is enough for some indie fans to have declared the label passé, entirely dismissing its continued adherence to the unwritten rules of indie. The regards in which the label is now held pose the ultimate question for indie music, one that is as old as the movement itself: is a certain type of music or artist to be dismissed simply because it or they become "too" big? What is the point of making music just to be heard? Shouldn’t all music have some appeal? And why is it that if an artist or a label produce music that many find relevant they are dismissed by so many more within their original fan base? As noted in some other blogs, this essential conundrum is a facet which indie music fans must come to terms with if the indie scene is to survive.
After a four year hiatus, Collective Soul returned with a new album, a new guitar player, and a new record label; their own. Ostensibly, the reasoning behind leaving their former label was to take more control over the creative and marketing process.
Like all previous Collective Soul albums, Youth is a compilation of solid music that you can sing along to. “Home” is a sound political statement about the beauties of America, “Him” is a Go-Your-Own-Way kiss-off to an ex (presumably lead singer Ed Roland’s ex-wife, now married to former lead guitarist Ross Childress), and “Under Heaven’s Skies” is a tune with genuine comeback hit written all over it, utilizing soaring guitar work by newcomer Joel Kosche and lyrics that would have any lady ready to fly to Vegas. Unfortunately, none of these three songs have yet to be released as singles. Instead, the band chose to release “Better Now”, a tribute to their creative resurgence, “Counting the Days”, a guitar driven dedication to personal freedom, and the sappy, self pitying ballad “How Do You Love”.
Collective Soul’s work ethic and talent in crafting meaningful songs has never been in doubt. However, as Youth demonstrates, they have never been especially gifted in releasing material that will bring back old fans and create new ones. It is there, if you buy the album, but if you aren’t already familiar with the band (and the numbers say that most people are not), it is doubtful that you will get to hear it.
There are several big temptations when a representative from a major label comes knocking on the door of an indie band. One of the biggest is, of course, the chance to get the music out to a much broader audience than indie status could ever hope to achieve. The other is money.
Signing with a big label may seem like the key to riches, but in fact it may actually leave a band in a deeper financial hole than when they started out. To begin with, although big labels try to offer increased promotion to the acts they sign due to the clout gained by merger after merger and a general lack of diversity in terms of ownership in the radio market, the fact remains that most albums signed produced by a major label fail to generate any revenue.
So, if you are among the acts who does not make money for a big label, well at least you gave it a shot. No harm done, right? Wrong. You may not have sold your soul to get that deal, but big labels are all about a sneaky little thing called recoupable expenses. That’s right; in the end, all of the production, the touring support, the marketing are going to come out of the artists’ pocket anyway. If you happen to be in the greater percentage of artists who do not sell a ton of records, your debt will carry over to the next album.
Indie artists need to be very careful when the shark is circling in the water. The benefits of signing with a major label are generally not worth the risks. Remember, all of the “big” artists you hear about are success stories of the labels: those who end up indebted are never heard from.
After a few years of trying, the hard work seems to be paying off for the biggest names in rock in Kamloops.
Unit 731, composed of lead singer Robbie, guitarist Tod, drummer Brad and bassist “O”, make up the individual components of the band, which was formed in 2001. The guys have amassed a catalogue of cover tunes as well as 14 originals that are now recorded on their new self-titled album.
Unit 731 describes their music as hard rock, and they cover a diverse range of music, from heavy metal and harder rock to top 100 and even their own takes on some pop songs. The band recently won a Canada-wide Battle of the Bands in Edmonton. The first place finish sent them to demonstrate their chops in London, and although they did not win they were thrilled to be a part of a huge Indie band celebration.
