You’re in band that’s been around for a few months, maybe even a year. You’ve been playing locally as much as possible, gradually building up your fan base, and making a name for yourselves in the local scene. After doing this for quite sometime, eventually, the question comes up… Do we need to start touring? 

Well, in order to figure that out, you should first ask yourselves these questions. 

1) What is our financial situation as a band? As most of you already know, going on tour is EXPENSIVE. With gas prices the way they are, it makes it almost impossible for most indie bands to go out on the road. Not only that, but you have to deal with tolls, parking, food, emergencies (van breaks down, someone gets injured), hotel/motels and tons of other unforeseen expenses. The worst thing you can do is go out on the road and run out of money. So before you make the decision to tour, make sure its the right time, and that your band can really afford it. 

2) Do we have the resources to make money on the road? Most indie bands on tour don’t get paid very much money by the clubs they are playing in, if any. That being said, in order to cover your touring expenses, you need to have other ways to cover those costs. Whether it be CDs, T-shirts, DVD’s, stickers, or any other type of merch, make sure that you 1) Have enough stock to sell on the road and 2) That your merch and the songs on your CD are high in quality. As we all know, most people (who don’t know you) won’t buy something that is ugly (t-shirts) or of low quality (the recording on your CD) especially in this economy. However, If you have great products and you continuously hustle (and by hustle I mean going up to every person you see ,whether they are at your show or at the gas station) and trying to play/sell them your CD. By doing this, you can ensure that you at least break even by the end of your tour. 

3) Do we have the means to organize a tour? Luckily, nowadays any band can book themselves a tour. By using social networking sites such as MySpace, PureVolume, and Virb, bands can now link up with other bands, network with them, and exchange shows (We’ll put you on our show in Wisconsin, if you put us on yours in Orlando). However, if you are booking your own tour (and your band has either never toured before, or is an unknown in the states you plan on going to) understand that the likely hood of you 1)Getting a guarantee from a club and 2) Making sure that show is “real” and that it’s still going on when you get there, is almost slim to none. That’s why I would always recommend that you work with a booking agent. Whether its a small agency that books locally and regionally, or a top tier agency, booking shows through them can save you a ton of headaches. 

So if you are band that can afford it, has high quality merchandise, and you have a decent fan base in the places you want to tour…I would say go for it. Also, if you can get on a tour with a bigger band that has a decent fan base across the country, I would say go for it as well. It’s a great way to gain exposure and also play in front of a large crowd every night. However, if you aren’t ready (your songs aren’t up to par yet, your live show isn’t spot on,  or you cant play at least a 30 minute set) it could really hurt your reputation in those cities. So be careful and don’t just take an opportunity because it’s there. Make sure the timing is right.

 Conversely, if you are struggling with money, have a low-quality demo, and a small fan base…I would recommend that you wait. There are so many other ways you can start growing your band and building up your fan base without touring. Start developing more relationships online with fans of your genre, create great content (videos, blogs, podcasts etc…), and use the money you have, to record an album that is pressed, packaged, and registered with Sound Scan. Then, all your CD sales will be tracked and if you do really well (by selling a lot of CDs) you will start getting noticed by tons of record labels, managers, and large booking agencies.

 So assess your situation and figure out if it’s time to take that next step. But no matter what you do, make sure you stay focused, determined and always HUSTLE. Keep doing that and soon enough, all your hard work will pay off and you will find someone (label, sponsors, investors) to fund your entire tour. 

Good luck and let me know what you decide to do!

Eric Schechter

(interview by Geoff Dellinger)

Here is a hip hop act that is a blend somewhere between Gym Class Heroes and The Roots. They take on a real new aura of the word music and present you a vastly diverse set of arrangements. The whole band took some time to answer the questions below aside from the bass player who was MIA at the time. Kuf fielded the majority of the Q’s but everyone else chipped in too. Take a gander into the minds of a rising hip hop group destined for greatness and glory.

Skatterband: Who is The Hustle and how did they emerge as one of the hottest acts out now?

The Hustle: The Hustle is a fresh new sound based out of Philadelphia. We all came from different bands a little over a year ago to form The Hustle and we each brought our own style to create The Hustle’s sound. The vibe can best be described as Indie/Experimental Hip Hop and people really seem to love the sound.

Skatterband: Which networking tool do you prefer to use MySpace or Facebook?

The Hustle: MySpace, but we try use both equally.

Skatterband: How do you go about discovering music?

The Hustle: We always keep our ears close to the streets and near a radio and our eyes on the TV…that way we are aware of what the current trends are and what the young folk are digging…staying fresh and incorporating new sounds into the mix are what keeps you in the game…

Skatterband: What is the best way to connect/interact with your fans?

The Hustle: Connecting at shows and keeping in touch on the net

Skatterband: What one thing about the music industry that you would love to change and why?

The Hustle: The boy band /girl band thing…I mean the Jackson’s and boy bands of that era were something special. It was totally different back then. They were real…you can hear it in there voices and see it when they perform. These days there’s nothing much more to it than an overused formula that lacks any originality.

Skatterband: YouTube, love it or hate it and why?

The Hustle: Love it!!! Its interesting to me to be able to have access to the whole world doing all kinds of things. It can make anyone a star without having to pay for advertisement.

You gotta love the Hustle…

Skatterband: How do you go about marketing yourselves?

The Hustle: lots of emailing, snail mailing and phone calls….a lot of hard work grassroots style.

Skatterband: If you were to burn a CD or create a playlist that could only consist of 12 songs, who is making the cut?

The Hustle: Bob Marley, Digable Planets, Beck, Shades of Grey, The Specials, West Street Mob, Minus The Bear, Big Pun, Parliament Funkadelic, Frank Zappa, James Brown, The Roots, Radiohead, Kurt Weill, Stevie Wonder, these are two or three from each band members 12 song playlist – I figured 12 from everyone would be too much.

Skatterband: What would be the wildest promotion you have been a part of? If you have never been a part of a wild promotion, what crazy kind of promo would you like to do?

The Hustle: I would like to do gorilla style performances on top of roofs or in the middle of the street at rush hour!!!!!!!!

Skatterband: Other than your own, what website do you tend to frequent the most?

The Hustle: Well besides skatterband.com I frequent MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, along with TMZ and Craigslist.

Skatterband: MAC or PC?

The Hustle: PC for sure

Skatterband: Is there any rituals or superstitions you have that you absolutely must abide by?

The Hustle: Prayer before a show

Skatterband: What can we expect next from The Hustle?

The Hustle: World Domination and a nice big smile… Lots of good heartfelt music that you can Dance, Make Love, Study or Party to…we love ya’ll!!!! PEACE

________________________________________________________________________

Band/Artist: The Hustle

Members (Instrument): Kuf Knotz (MC), Dj Kingspin (DJ), Tom Copson Jr. (guitar), Nora (vocals), Bradlee Beats (drums), Kurtis Shakemore (bass)

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Website: www.myspace.com/thehustleband

Most Current Album: The 4,5,6 EP

Recommended If You Like: The Roots, Jurassic 5, Digable Planets

1) Get a Tour Manager. Having a great Tour Manager with you, will make your life on the road 10x easier. They handle the routing, the sleeping arrangements, the schedule, the club owners and anything else that can cause stress on the road…That way, all you need to worry about is rocking out. If you can’t afford to pay one, try asking a responsible friend to come along for the ride. Give him some incentive by offering him a nice commission on every album he sells for you. 

2) Hotwire Heaven. Most indie bands funding their own tour, sleep in their vans. But for those lucky enough to have a small budget for hotels (usually provided by their label), there is absolutely no better place to book, then on hotwire.com. Depending on the city, you can usually land a 3.5 star hotel (such as Holiday Inn, La Quinta, sometimes even the Hilton) for as low a $40 a night. Let me tell you…after 15 hrs in the van…there is no better feeling then having a clean and comfortable bed to sleep in. 

3) Better than the Van. This website is is a great resource for any indie band on the road with absolutely no budget for hotels. The social network connects bands on tour, with people around the country, who are willing to give up their couch and floor for a night to let you stay there. Most of these people are past or current musicians who know what its like to not have a place to stay while on the road, and in turn, don’t mind helping a fellow band out.  Now you might be wondering if it’s safe? According to the website, they say absolutely. “By, using a commenting/guest book system, the community validates members through their experiences. It’s the collective intelligence of our users that we feel is great way to keep things on the up and up. A lot of sites (Amazon, Ebay, Couchsurfer…) rely on this approach with great success. If you have any questions or concerns please email: todd@betterthanthevan.com.”

4) Get a credit card machine. Nowadays, people rarely carry cash on them because almost every business accepts credit cards. So why shouldn’t you? By having a credit card machine, you are ensuring that anyone who wants to buy merch from you has the ability to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a band lose sales because all their fans had was a debit card, and there was no ATM machine in sight. For more information about getting one, click here. 

5) Collect every email you can get. Now I know this sounds like a no brainer, but you would be surprised at how many bands either don’t think of this, or they do, but think its pointless. Let me tell you this. Collecting emails should be one of your biggest goals at every single one of your shows. By doing so, you are now building a database of people/fans that you know like your band and are also interested in what you are doing. That way, next time you are in town, you can send them an email or newsletter, letting them know about the show, where to get tickets, and to bring all their friends. Not only that, but you can also email them with specials on your online store, blog updates, and/or any other promotion or news you might have. By the way, a really easy way to get emails, is by doing a sticker campaign for it. Anyone who signs the list gets a FREE sticker. And you know what people like to do with stickers right? Stick them EVERYWHERE. What a great way to encourage and instigate great promotion. For customizable stickers, click here. 

6) Breaking down on a Sunday sucks! If you do…good luck. As most of you know, Sundays are what mechanics like to call their day of “Not giving a shit”, and close down their stores. So if you notice something wrong with one of your tires, or the engine is acting up (and it’s almost Sunday) make sure you get it fixed right away. If not, you could be spending the entire day in Florence, Alabama and end missing your show that night. (Hint: If you do break down, or a blow a tire…look for the closest Wal-Mart…they are always open and glad to help.)

7) Remember…your GPS is just a machine. New roads are constantly being built, new clubs are appearing on the map daily, and sooner or later you will probably come across something known as a “Detour”. When that happens, chances are, your GPS won’t know what to do, and will send you in circles. So I would recommend that every band out there get a road atlas. That way you always know where you are and how to get to where you need to be…at all times. However, I would still recommend having a GPS, because it can be a great tool on the road (especially the Points of Interest button)…Just make sure its always updated, and that you don’t solely rely on your GPS for directions. 

8) Keep the van clean. Chances are, the van is where you will be spending most of your time during that 1-2 month tour and there’s nothing worse than getting in a van that smells like a donkey and has crumbs and trash everywhere. So an easy way to avoid this problem, is by telling everyone to look by their feet and pick up any trash they see…every time you stop. Whether it’s for gas, or Taco Bell…make sure you throw your wrappers and coke bottles out, and keep the van clean. If not, get ready to enjoy an amazing party hosted by The Ants. 

9) Keep your van and trailer safe at all times. You don’t know how many horror stories I’ve heard, where bands wake up the morning after their show, to see their trailer broken into, and EVERYTHING is gone. Instruments, merchandise, GPS…all of it…GONE. So how can you try and prevent this? Well, for one, make sure you have an alarm hooked up. Seeing one will prevent many burglars from even trying to break in. But if they do…you have a much better chance of hearing and stopping them.  Next, ALWAYS try and park your van and trailer in a place with A LOT of light. Once again, this will prevent a lot of burglars from trying to break in, because they will worry about someone seeing them. It’s even better if that place, is also right next to your hotel room (or wherever you are staying) so you can hear if anything fishy is going on. Also, if you are ever in a situation where you want or need to drop your trailer, make sure you do it the right way. Back it up against a wall so the door cant open. Also, get yourself a lock for the ball of the trailer, that way no one can just attach it to their van and leave. Lastly, if you can afford it, take out insurance on your equipment. It’s worth it. Insurance will protect your instruments, against theft, blown out speakers, and a multitude of other things. For more info on that, click here. 

10) Take footage of EVERYTHING. Whether its of your live performance, a radio interview, or downtime in the van, keep that camera rolling. For one, you never know what might happen, and chances are you will probably catch a lot of crazy moments. But not only that…this is all footage that you can sell, give away, and/or use to help create a viral buzz about your band. There are so many things you can do by bringing along a camera. Take pictures of fans in your merch, film video blogs after each night (talking about how the show went), film your off days and turn them into podcasts. These are all things that will create a brand around your band, start a buzz, and at the same time keep your fans involved and interested in what you are doing. Also, it’s memories. 10 years from now, you will look back at those tapes, laugh your ass off, and be ecstatic that you took the time to film it. 

Have any other tips you would like to share? Feel free to share them in the comment section. 

Good luck on the road!

- Eric Schechter

Who: Atmosphere, Abstract Rude, Blueprint, DJ Rare Grove
When: Saturday October 4th
Where: Club Firestone, Orlando, FL

As I rolled down the street looking for a free parking spot near the venue I was embraced by a line down the street and around the corner waiting to get into the venue. Upon getting in line and waiting patiently, ok I was anxious as hell, to get into Club Firestone to see one of the hottest hip hop acts out at the moment I enjoyed some candid conversation with fellow line mates. We discussed anything from the annoying siren going off to unsigned acts such as the Blue Scholars (from Seattle) to the new Murs album.

After finally getting to the ticket taker and getting my name crossed off the guest list and handed my photo pass I headed straight to the bar for a beer. to my astonishment the show was already going and going strong. Blueprint was spitting some fierce and scorching hot rhymes while DJ Rare Groove laid down the beats. Once Blueprints set was done there was a brief pause before Abstract Rude popped on stage to showcase his rhyme slinging skills. DJ Rare Groove had his back as well and the two had the crowd going ape shit. Considering it was the first time I heard of the cat I was pretty impressed and he had my head bobbin and fist pumping.

Once he was done there was a longer pause as some older Atmosphere cuts played through the PA system. As I waited for them to take the stage I started chatting it up with the club photographer. Then I went outside and met Blueprint as well as DJ Rare Groove. Also got to talking with local hip hop artists and legend Swamburger to see what’s going on with his crew (new album next January, stay tuned!). at this point the crowd was getting fired up as Atmosphere took the stage. After a little talking went on they tore the roof off the place. People were jam packed on the main floor, slammed against railings on the second floor and even
everyone at the VIP tables in the back were on their feet. Spitting mostly songs from their latest album, they slayed the place. One of the most well rounded, on point, fun filled rap shows you could possibly see. If they come to your town I highly advise scooping up a ticket and checking them out, you won’t be disappointed.

One Love, The Music,
Geoff D

  Almost every indie band out there is dying to have their music licensed and played on some of the most popular television shows and movies around today. However, a lot of them just don’t know where to begin. Well what if I told you that getting your music licensed just became as simple as uploading your tracks onto a website?  Is that something you might be interested in? (Sorry, I had to have my Entourage moment, haha) Well, SkatterBand recently caught up with AudioMicro founder Ryan Born, and he gave us the inside scoop on their amazing new stock music and sound effects, licensing platform and how it has been helping indie musicians all over the world get their music licensed. Check it out.   

How did the idea for AudioMicro come about and what has developed since the conception of the idea?

AudioMicro is based on a concept know as “micro stock” which is rooted in the photography industry.  We simply took a proven business model and applied it to a larger industry - commercial music licensing. What defines a company as a micro stock licensor is that they 1.  crowd source content from a wide range of contributors and 2.  license this content for prices as low as $1 (known as “micro transactions” or “micro payments”) 

In around 7 years since micro stock photography emerged around 2001, we have witnessed the slow down and privatization of the world’s largest photography licensor and the rise of a community of micro stock photographers making full time livings ($100k plus) creating micro stock content.  The 2008 micro stock photography market is estimated at $200 million.  At a 50% royalty rate, that’s around $100 million in annual micro royalties being circulated to artists worldwide.  

AudioMicro was founded under the same principles of crowd sourcing music and sound effects and licensing them for use in any creative project for prices as low as $1 per track (think iTunes for commercial use).  Since the launch of the platform in late May 2008, it’s become evident that there is a large customer desire for micro music content and an extremely talented pool of artists that desire to place their work in creative audio-visual projects.  In just around 14 weeks since launch, we have amassed a library of over 25,000 tracks.  Within 3 years, if we keep on this pace, AudioMicro will emerge as the world’s largest production music library.

As a bootstrapped startup, we do not have much of a marketing budget; however, we do communicate with artists via MySpace and Facebook and we find these outlets highly effective for locating and recruiting talented artists.  We also do our best to network within the music industry with composers local to the LA area.  Lastly, we have a growing organic Google search engine optimization presence which is our engineering team’s expertise.  This drives traffic and customers to the platform and generates revenue (and thereby royalties) for our artists.

What would be some words of advice for artists and bands that want their music played on a hit TV show or blockbuster movie?

Does a band’s popularity come into play when songs are chosen off of your site?

Definitely not.  We have artists on AudioMicro that are household names with no downloads but at the same time, our leading artist (in terms of downloads / royalties) is a completely unsigned, unknown solo composer from the Middle East.  The great thing about crowd sourcing is you need no status, resume, or background check to contribute and everyone gets the same positive treatment, regardless of status.

How do you see AudioMicro evolving and growing from this point on?

It’s pretty clear that we are onto something big here.  We have some plans to make the platform grow more virally and in conjunction with other creative mediums, but it will take time for the business to mature before we can focus on these opportunities.  Keep an eye on AudioMicro over the coming months for some positive announcements and site upgrades.

You can do both, no questions asked.  Let’s be clear - at the present moment, we are not taking publishing on anyone’s music.  We are an outlet for artists and publishers to get their work placed in any creative audio visual project.  We take 50% of that placement fee (aka synch license) and that’s it.  In fact, publishers are now turning to AudioMicro in an effort to get their artist’s discovered and placed.  We are not into controlling our provider’s content or taking rights to their hard earned intellectual property (publishing, copyright, or otherwise).  We are simply a distribution platform for musicians, sound designers, and publishers worldwide.

Artist: Mutlu

Album: Livin’ It

Label: Manhattan Records

Genre: Pop/Soul

Recommended if you like: G. Love, Amos Lee, Citizen Cope

Reviewed By: Geoff Dellinger

Artist: Gym Class Heroes

Album: The Quilt

Label: Fueled By Ramen/Decaydance Records

Genre: Rock/Hip Hop

Recommended if you like: The Roots, Beastie Boys, Whole Wheat Bread, MC Lars

Reviewed By: Geoff Dellinger

 The group names says a lot as to what you’ll be hearing on the album, there is a very electronic presence felt throughout. It’s very noticeable on the opening track “Love In Our Hearts”. During the verses while the highly energized rock and roll aspect with pounding drums, ear splitting guitar rims, some tambourine and bountiful bass play. “Saved” takes on a softer feel with beautiful piano play and very sincere lyrics. The musical set up will have you flying high up in the clouds, nice and relaxed. “Dance” gets really funky and has you up on your feet moving and shaking like there’s no tomorrow. This is one of those diamond in the rough albums that not to many people know about, but they damn well should.

Artist: Electric Touch

Album: Electric Touch

Label: Justice Records

Genre: Rock

Recommended if you like: U2, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Jacks Mannequin 

Reviewed By: Geoff Dellinger

Artist: OPM

Album: Golden State Of Mind

Label: Suburban Noize Records

Genre: Reggae/Rock

Recommended if you like: Sublime, Pepper, 311

Reviewed By: Geoff Dellinger

This record label just has a knack for putting out hits. Then again Plain White T’s aren’t exactly new to the fact of having a hit record on their hands. The overly poppy rock album is catchy, fun and strewn with emotion. “Serious Mistake” speaks volumes in the aspect of passionate and emotion filled lyrics. The musical accompaniment is pretty easy going and very simple. “That Girl” takes the tempo and turns it up to eleven, the hook is overly infectious, and the lyrics will blow your mind and have you singing instantly. The percussion pulls out all the stops and incorporates anything and everything possible. The guitar work is superb and the bass play is fantastic. Adding in some harmonica “I Really Want You ” is downright crazy musically. The quick guitar strums tied to bellowing vocals and dead on drumming make this track an instant repeater. The album is just like all of their previous work, simply amazing.

Artist: Plain White T’s

Album: Big Bad World

Label: Hollywood Records

Genre: Pop/Rock/Punk

Recommended if you like: Panic At The Disco, Anberlin, Fall Out Boy

Reviewed By: Geoff Dellinger