heya folks - just found this in my documents. It is a bit old (2005 - i think?), but still has lots of relevant and useful information in it..
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Dave Cina Interview
1. How did LR Records get started ?
? LRRecords was founded in June 2002 by Brett Caporn to facilitate 2 album releases; they are, ‘Welcome to the Spiral Soundsystem’ by Spiral Soundsystem, which was an experimental hybrid of rock and electronic sounds formed into 10 melancholic songs often featuring lyrics and vocals by Melbourne singer Melody King, and ‘Metabolic Molecules’ by DNA Generator. Which was a psychedelic vibe of trance and acid. These were both small scale releases of 100 units each. Both artists thought it would be better to learn the way to do music business with there ‘underground’ style releases rather than to get someone else to do it for us, which would leave us uninformed, unskilled and dis empowered.
2. Did you have any previous experience in the music industry?
This all pretty much started about 10 years ago when i was in my first band called ‘SnottyGobble’, which with a name like that and about the late 90’s you can imagine the post grunge , pre-Y2K, tribal fun-punk we were playing! Our name was after a tree from the forest in the South West of Western Australia which we were saving from being clear-felled (chopped down), we were all tripped out kids in those days, real punk asses on the edge of society. We toured and made it to Byron Bay on the East Coast of Australia, but we then could not find the drummer and that was the end of that but a beginning to a ongoing musical adventure!
Some of the first projects were interesting and a good introduction to being the ‘recording guy’ with a record label. A friend, Steve Perin was working with LRR and together we produced a live percussion recording called ‘Drums for Fire’ for Flameable Fire Tribe. We also produced, well actually remixed and mastered recordings from some fine old school musicians jamming in Cairns and made an instrumental album called Exyzm, which is like jazz and blues fusion. Also around the same time we did a ambient ‘new age’ style musical piece, 51 and half minutes long in collaboration with a didge playing healer friend. That was huge, so many tracks. LRRecords has also recorded demos for a few young punk and metal bands plus a few other acoustic singer songwriter musicians. LRRecords has also had the pleasure to work with the crew from Cairns indigenous hip hop crew Blek Affiliation and former Brisbane female, indigenous hip hop/rnb duo Miz. This long distance music relationship has carried on in the form of DJ and MC called BlitZ & S, whom is myself as DJ and amazing and beautiful Sarah Patrick on the mic. We recently performed on the Murri Stage at the internationally acclaimed Woodford Folk Festival, which is one of the worlds biggest, we also did DJ workshops at Woodford. The workshops are nothing technical, we just give people from the crowd a go on the DJ system, we mostly get kids and have heaps of fun. Sarah is a hard working creative professional and artist and a role model to her peoples’ youth. We had a great time and are keen to release our debut album later in the year, it has been so far 3 years in the making. I also recently produced an EP by young punk band Radio Riot, these guys are naughty, drunk and loud with some fine punk and ska riffs and a strong high school fan base. I feel there is a bubble full of zitty young and rebellious punk and rock kids ready to burst there hardcore sounds over this tropical city, Cairns. I’m also working on the dub and drum n bass stuff with Jerry Mane and Symonard with the Dub Rascals concept all the time plus crazy electronic music by Spiral Soundsystem.
3. What skills and Knowledge do you think are required to maximise the sucess of an indie label?
People skills are very important, as you have to deal with all sorts of people from fans and groupies to record shop owners, artists, sound technicians, other business owners - the list goes on and on. You have to have good communication skills to get your point across to people and to have enough of an impact on people for them to take interest in your band, music, label, proposal, event or whatever..This means to be a good listener as well. Your not going to get to far if people feel that you are not listening to them or taking them seriously.
You have to be an expert at time management, especially if you are also a practicing musician/producer. There are so many jobs always to do, you have to be able juggle the business jobs with your own time to be musically creative and time for relaxing, leisure and family. Doesn’t leave much room for sleep - but you’ve got to look after yourself, otherwise you will not be in the best shape to do business or make music. No sleep may give quantity but it doesn’t mean quality.
Initially you have to be a bit of a ‘Jack of all Trades - expert of none’. That is: web design, graphic design, promotion and marketing, database, producer, musician, DJ, sound and lighting, networker, event promoter….Eventually you will find what areas you like best and what things you are good at. You will realise your strengths and weaknesses and adjust your work efforts and record label accordingly. It is a skill to find other people that you can delegate jobs to (that will do them passionately) and keep them.
It is good to have an open mind and appreciation towards all music and a skill to be able to define your labels ‘vibe’ with what music genres you release. Its important to be ‘on the pulse’ and up to date with industry and technological trends and developments.
4. Have new technologies such as filesharing and myspace affected your business?
Filesharing was already in full swing when LRRecords was born. We see filesharing as a positive. You can now download much music that you would never have had access to back in the days before the internet, we believe this has contributed to a much more educated and open minded music listening public more likely to give our ‘underground’ music the time of day. Free music is a great way to get people to listen to your music and sometimes also a way of attracting buying customers, eg: you offer 2 free mp3s taken from your latest release on your website, myspace and/or blog, a person downloads them because they are free, listens, likes, then comes back to your website to check out the rest of the album and may just buy some of the other tracks or the whole album! Alternatively or as well as, they may show your free mp3s to someone else, whom falls in love with your music, then comes and visits your website only to find more music and artists that they love, checks out your events page and finds out that their new found favourate artist is playing a gig that they would like to attend, they come to the gig, pay the cover charge, be exposed to more of your music, banners, merch and decide to buy a CD at the end of the show. - This all would not of happened if that one person did not download your ‘free mp3s’
Ah - myspace.com - LRRecords manages 4 different accounts: lrrecords, jerrymane, spiral soundsystem and dubinthapub. Myspace is a great networking tool, promotion tool and a great way to gain new contacts easily. Myspace complements the label website nicely, but the website should always remain the main portal for your music business and have all the exclusive juicey content that your myspace does not. We basically treat our myspace pages as very flash business cards that all refer and point back to the main website. You can rely on your own domain, but not on myspace, I have heard some pretty horrorific stories of people losing their accounts, people invading their accounts, mass spam attacks and more..! We are presently negotiating a record contract with a Swedish heavy rock band discovered on myspace…
5. Are there any lifestyle issues (long hours, drugs, etc) that you think can have a negative affect on you and your business?
There is not enough hours in the day to do all the things you want to do. Initially i thought i could stay up to 2-3am every day mostly staring into the computer working hard. This soon catches up with you and eventually has the opposite outcome to why your doing it in the first place. I still stay up late alot, but have learnt to pace myself so i do not wear myself out. There is no rush do get things done, best to take your time and get things done properly and at good quality.
Drugs - yep plenty around. If you don’t have control of any drug use/misuse before you get heavy into label business, then drugs will be your downfall and will lead to your failure - no doubt about it. If your in this business to get ‘high’ or get the chicks then don’t expect to get too far without coming accross some serious problems. Its a highly competitive industry, those that are clear, focused and healthy are going to get the opportunities and breaks more often than those too busy getting wasted.
Don’t get too drunk at your own gigs. It sucks having to roll cables and pack up a soundsystem at the end of the night when your ‘half cut’. Save the big nights for times when your not involved in the event and you can just kick back relax and have a good time just like the rest of the ‘punters’.
6. Who are some other people in the music industry who you deal with on a regular basis ?
Firstly our own crew and label artists and DJs. Other local artists, DJs and promoters. Certain other label bosses that we are affiliated with: Balcony Records, Plum Industries, straightup.com.au. Other websites: last.fm, sounclick.com, isound.com, northernbeats.com, etc.. our digital distributor, IODA, myspace.com friends, CD manufacturers - thats the regulars…
The next couple of questions are more specific to the running and operation of a label.
7. How do you find bands to sign?
No set way. Sometimes they find you. The best way is to find them by being totally blown away by their live performance! Myspace.com is proving to be a great way to find new unsigned artists amongst our friends list!
8. What is the process for signing a band?
Initially there is alot of discussion about what the artist wants from being on the label and what the label can offer the artist if they are signed to the label. This helps the label develop the right kind of business relationship with the artist. A record contract is drawn up and sent to the artist to read, understand, sign and send back to the label to sign. This is a legally binding document explaining all the terms and conditions such as copyright, royalties and length of term to name a few. Once this contract is signed (with witnesses) and returned to the label, then the artist is ’signed’ to the label..!
9. What type of distribution/recording deals do you offer to your clients?
Recording and Distribution: this is probably the least common. We will do this if your music really impresses us and we are really keen to have you on the label. The label will either have you record at the label studio or pay for you to record at a pro studio, The label will then pay for your record to be manufactured and released. The record will be released, promoted and distributed exclusively on the label(when LRRecords states exclusive, we mean just Australia and New Zealand for the physical distribution and worldwide for the digital rights as we have major digital distribution with IODA. We would be cool with artist gaining a record contract for label representation in other regions). There will still be an artist website and artist myspace. The label will reimburse all the recording, manufacture, release and advertising costs for the record from income derived from the record. The record profits will then be split 30%-70% in favour of the artist. The label will provide the artist with distribution/finacial statements bi-annually.
Distribution Deal Exclusive: this is the most common contract. This is for artists that have already recorded and manufactured their record or intend to produce their record independent of the record label and can deliver stock of a quality record to the label whom takes on the exclusive distribution and promotion of the record. Or the master discs may be ready and the record label pays for manufacturing costs. The record profits will then be split 30%-70% in favour of the artist. The label will provide the artist with distribution/finacial statements bi-annually. Any costs incurred by the label for the promotion and distribution of the record will be reimbursed from income derived from sales of the record.
Distribution Deal Non-Exclusive: basically the same as above but the label does not have exclusive rights over the record, therefore allowing the artist to be able to enter other record deals with other labels. The label will provide the artist with distribution/finacial statements bi-annually. The record profits will then be split 30%-70% in favour of the artist. Any costs incurred by the label for the promotion and distribution of the record will be reimbursed from income derived from sales of the record. Digital Distribution may be limited as digital distribution can only be an exclusive deal under the terms between IODA and LRRecords.
Digital Distribution Deal: This is an exclusive only deal worldwide where the artist will only use the label for its global digital distribution machine. The record profits will then be split 30%-70% in favour of the artist.The label will provide the artist with distribution/finacial statements bi-annually. Any costs incurred by the label for the promotion and distribution of the record will be reimbursed from income derived from sales of the record.
Promotion Only Deal: This is when an artist would like to have their record available in the LRRecords online store only. This will link to the place the artist designates (usually artist website, itunes or similar). LRRecords will charge an annual fee for this service. This deal is non-exclusive.
10. In regards to album sales, how is money divided between you and the artist?
30%-70% in favour of the artist.
Typical break down of a CD sale, where the artist has provided a finished album to the record label and the label manufactures, distributes and promotes the record.
CD manufacture cost = $3.00 - (label)
Promotion and distribution costs = $2.00 (label)
Wholesale price to record shop = $15.00
Retail Price = $25.00 (record shop gets = $10)
Profits = retail price minus manufacture cost and promotion and distribution costs
= $10.00
30%-70% split = $3.00 for label, $7.00 for artist.
11. Is Little Rascal Records your primary source of income?
No, i also work part time as a youth worker at a youth centre in Cairns called YETI. I also do a casual shift at a homeless boys shelter. At YETI i run a Music Program for ‘disadvantaged youth’ where i teach them all the ins and outs of being an independent musician in the music industry. This is my primary and ’stable’ income. Sure the label makes an income as well but it is not very stable or predictable (some months it could be $2000, some months it could be $200). The main sources of income for the label are: merchandise and record sales income (digital and physical), studio hire ($50 per hour or package deals) and gigging.
12. Are there any organisations out there that provide support for independent labels.
Yep, in Australia it is AIR (Association Of Independent Record Labels). You pay bout $200 per year to be a member with these folks and they in return offer services such as: grant brokering, barcodes, cheap CD manufacture, label info sheets, opportunities and more. They are basically like the industry body for indie labels in Australia. In QLD there is also Qmusic, which is much the same as AIR. They do extra things like Broadcast Magazine and Big Sound Music Industry Week. there would be simaler organizations in each state.
and finally,
13. Is there any advice you can give to someone starting up a label?
Be passionate, be open minded, resiliant, take risks, be true to your roots, honest, brazen and cut throat, understanding, shit be superman.!
Have a good long hard think about it, there are pros and cons. It all depends on your motivation and goals with music. An indie label can be quite a large operation with lots of staff and departments, or you can keep it very small and simple, which is the most common.
Do your research first. Do you want to just make great music and play great gigs? If so, then just stick to that is probably the best advice, indie music is stronger now than it ever was. An independent artist pretty much has to do all the things that a record label does anyway, but keeps all the income, has total creative control and doesn’t have to manage a dozen other artists, sacrificing time, money and energy that would be otherwise used for making awesome music and on your own career. If it is a label to manage administration of your own music, then thats fine, its not to big a task. If your keen to create a label with a great roster of artists regually releasing great records, then a record label may be just for you. If so ask yourself these questions: What do you have to offer artists, that they can’t do just as well themselves? Why would they want to be on your label? How are you going to find and proposition those artists? Who are the artists? Do you have the time and money to create and run a label? Are you willing to sacrifice alot of time into building and promoting your label? What are your music career goals? What are your personal dreams?
If so - then running a label can be very rewarding if u love music!!
It can be long arduous work, but the rewards can be well worth it! I certainly have no regrets!
Cheers…
Brett Caporn
Little Rascal Records
"Pied Piper"
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