Getting Great Press

22 January 08

Welcome to The Pier's 'Ask Weege' column. Every week the 880 South's front man and music scene veteran will be answering questions and providing tips for up-and-coming bands and musicians.

This week David asks, 'Weege, do you have any advice for getting a band media exposure? What's the best way to get your CD reviewed and to get interview opportunities? Thanks.'

There is no exact science to it. I've been working at it for years and I tell ya I'm still trying to get it right. Hopefully, I can steer you in the right direction.

Put yourself in a writer’s situation. Think about what's interesting about your band. Are you really newsworthy? What do you have to offer society, the music business? What's so different about your music? Do you stand out in your music scene? What makes you special? Any bit of a unique aspect you might have is a key factor to someone wanting to write about you. Note some big moments in your bands history.

A Bio is a key tool. It's also good to know people in media, but do you have that luxury? Maybe not, but you'll surprised who in your circle of friends does. Local magazines, newspapers, and even website blogs are a great way to get some light review action. You might even score an interview. Don't act too big for a high school newspaper. Get on the phones, start calling editors, email your friends who might have some connections. It's all about networking really.

A Press Release is a worthy investment. But you need to announce something legit and "newsworthy". You can't just make a press release about how dope your band is or how hard you rock. You need to make special announcements like a "new album to be released", "CD release party booked at the Key Club", "band member gets herpes from a transient", "band donates show proceeds to humane society" or "band plummets to death in tragic bus accident". Let's hope that's not the case. Do you get my drift though? If you're gonna announce something nobody is gonna care about or isn't "newsworthy", then nobody is gonna care about ya. Sucks huh? Music business is fun and cruel.

There are plenty of PR website services. Do a google search and I'm sure you'll find lots of varieties of services for your publicity needs. Spend a little, make a little more. That's my philosophy. Here is one we used to use, although the price has gotten more steep; PRweb.com.

Like I said, make sure you're announcing something special. At $80 minimum, you wanna make sure it's worth it. Remember to plug plug plug away. If you look on craigslist.com you can probably find a writer under 'gigs' to help you if you think you don't have the writing skills to make it work. Again, spend a little, to make a little. You might even consider high school or college students looking to get their work published or get some exposure. Post a myspace bulletin or blog. Someone will wanna help out. The biggest tool any band has is their devoted fans and sometimes that's your brother or high school buddy.

Bad Publicity, Good Publicity. Does it make a difference? Yes and No. Don't you love my ass backward answers? You obviously always wanna have good publicity right? That is because I'm assuming you're a good guy. But good guys don't always win. Sucks huh? Still things like giving to charity or working with an organization for a charitable cause, helping out a fellow band who had all their gear stolen from them last month would be "Good Publicity". Obviously good publicity would be award recognition, fan outreach/recognition & anything technologically innovative that your band is doing. Like for instance Radiohead let fans choose how much they would pay for the next Radiohead album. Nobody has done that yet. That's impressive and brave. It was all over the news and writers wrote about it and it worked. You could also take a personal angle and use a press release to announce a health condition you may have endured or overcome.

Human interest is huge. If you've suffered from something, you'll be surprised at how many people will rally around you that have suffered the same. Still you have to be ethical and logical when you do this sort of thing. Are you really aiming to help others and be selfless? If it just seems like a cheap promo like the countless Myspace flyer comments you get from C-Boy, and Daz Jiggy (i just made those up) then someone is gonna see right through the cloak of dogshit you just laid out. That my friend, could hurt you. What I'm saying is, be real, and be careful with what you say. It's a thin line you walk when you do this type of press release. You never want to stretch the truth too far. Make sure you get your facts straight too. Nothing worse than being humiliated publicly over the internet for some fact you got wrong. You can appear to look very foolish and ignorant if you make a false statement or accusation. Sadly, image is a major part of the music business.

Sometimes bad publicity can be helpful. Depending on exactly what it is. Obviously if you murder someone, or punch a nun, you're probably gonna get lots of website hits, but not a lot of CD sales in return. I assume you'll receive lots of hate mail and people trying to hack your website. Some twisted fuck might still buy your CD though (haha). Still maybe you say something about a band you don't like and in turn there are tons of people who hate that very same band. You find something in common with other people and it leads to some weird sort of cult identity. It can help your image with a certain crowd.

If you're gonna go this route and choose sides, you could appear very one dimensional and really dumb as well. Make sure you're picking the winning team. Then again, do what feels right for you. Another avenue to think about is picking at some political issue you may have with an association or politician. Be careful though, these people usually have money and lawyers. Again, get your facts straight. It's not a bad idea to associate yourself with a political movement you firmly believe in so long as you’re not involved in some evil doing. That could be bad for everyone.

Honestly, I wouldn't go this route, but it would work in the right circumstance. I've heard of staged bad publicity and I know it exists. You'll never get anyone to admit anything though. Granted we're not gonna see an East Coast vs West Coast battle ever again, cause that shit was silly. Still there are tons of celebrity cat fights out there that people get suckered into with the tabloids and music mags.

As an artist, you wanna be judged on your talents, not on your personal life. But at some point you have to realize they are very intertwined. Choose your words carefully, choose your friends carefully, and make conscious decisions.

Ok, to get your CD reviewed. You basically need a functional press kit. I've gone over the press kit in the past. It's important that you have an introduction letter. Keep it short and explain what your intentions are. Just flat out say, "I want you to review our CD". Tell them why, and get to the important facts. Don't waffle and repeat useless information. Make sure each cover letter has a personal twist. "To Whom It May Concern" is lame, and shows a bit of a lack of respect. Try something like "Dear Spin Editor" or if you know their actual name, it's good to use it. If you spoke to them on the phone, mention that. Say..."Hi Bob, we spoke briefly last week about a possible interview with..." You get my drift here? If it seems like a canned letter than people are just gonna overlook it. Put some light personal touch to it.

You obviously need to include your bio and your bio needs to be bad ass and simple at the same time. State the facts and don't go into the history of your guitar players stuttering problem. It should be very basic your bio should state in no more than three or four paragraphs:

- How the band started and where you're from? WHO

- What the band has done since inception? WHAT

- What you have planned for the future? WHAT NOW

It's really that simple.

It's good to include a professional or as close to professional 8x10 pic. Image is key, because your picture will be used. They may even ask for more pics in digital format. High school photoraphers are a great resource, or spend a lil money and get in a photography studio. If you want, be creative. The Red Hot Chili Peppers went to Sears to take their photos for their Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic album. It was family style portraits. It doesn't get much cooler than that and it suits their wacky style. If you're an old swing band style act, then take your pics in a zoot suit. If you're band is called The Gardeners, then get pics of you guys mowing the lawn. Ok...I'm reaching there. Be creative and original as possible, but don't stray too far.

Also include any other press you may have had in the past. If you don't have reviews already, contact the local venues you play at and have them say something nice about you in an email. Quote them and put that in there. Include flyers for upcoming shows. How about a nice list of accomplishments, albums released, and your best shows to date? Think outside the box. It's also nice to include any freebies you can give out. Stickers, and most importantly a CD. Pictures of your live show and crowd interaction is hot too. This isn't a brag session, but it's really good to lay out the facts.

Don't put something out there you can't back up,cause more than likely you'll be asked to back it up. On top of all this, you need to get someone to write or call you back. It's good to know people, good to name drop. That's why I say networking is key. A lot of club owners, promoters have connections with the press.

So quickly jog your needs down.

- CD Full Length(it's rare anyone reviews demos)

- Cover Letter

- Bio

- 8x10 Photo (sometimes they ask for a digital version as well)

- Press & Media from the past

- List of Accomplishments

- Include Flyers, stickers, any other swag as well

So if you stick to that, you should be solid. Still I suggest if you somehow find a contact, then you should call them first, ask them what they need from you to make a review/interview happen. That's the best way to go about it. You don't want to send them crap they are not interested in. Some folks like to keep it very basic. A phone call goes a long way.

How do you find these contacts? There are plenty of resources, mostly the networking thing will be a good cornerstone. Talk to other bands, venues and promoters. One book I have used in the past is the Musicians Atlas. It is full of great contacts and information. Seriously though, make phone calls, then send stuff. Don't just collect mailing addresses and send your crap to them. You'll get a lot of returned mail and waste stamps and envelopes for nothing. The Musicians Atlas is a thick book (magazine style) and they also have an online version they just relaunched. I'm gonna give it a whirl myself.

That's all folks. Good luck.

-Weege-

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