Recording - November 2013 - 28

to put out an album. It came to this: We
released an album because we had one,
not because we needed one.

available for purchase once the month
was over. Both bands reported that this
particular business model was a great
success. I know of independent bands in
my own circles that have used similar
music release models with varying rates
of success.
In this fluid industry where we artists
now exist, it’s imperative to always think
creatively in terms of business, not just
songwriting. The three release options
I’ve mentioned are certainly not the only
ones available, but they are as of now the
most common. So which one should you
choose?

Now you record
Now that you have a selection of
songs and a format in mind, you can
record. But before you press the shiny
red button in a whirl of excitement,
have a plan for song order.
Let’s say that you’re going the Flaming
Lips route, and you’d like to release a
song a month. Well, you need to then
decide which will be your first song, and
your second, and your third. The release
sequence in this case matters as well. The
hope, after all, is that people will keep all
of these songs and listen to them. So, it’s
important to line them up in the way that
you want them to be heard.
Here, the word “theme” comes to mind.
In the same way that a book or a movie
must have a theme, your release should as
well. There are the behemoths of theme or
concept albums, such as The Wall by Pink
Floyd, born from the idea of actually building a wall between the audience and the

as on personal levels. It was a complete
person, a complete, and Resolute person.
So, how would you start this theme?
What do you want people’s first impression of you to be?
This is one of the most important business
questions to ask. It dictates whether people
continue to listen or immediately shut it off.
It is the first handshake with your fans,
prospective fans and industry contacts. This
is where you consider your branding, the
marketing of you as an artist.
Speaking in album format, here are a
few pointers:
~ Don’t start with a ‘fan’ favorite. I love
“Breakdown” by Guns N’ Roses but
would feel strange if I popped in the tape
(yes, I bought it on tape) and heard it as
the first track. As I said earlier, think singles. No need to scrap the fan favorite,
but start with something the whole party
will get into, not an inside joke.
~ In rock especially, start with a song
that, well, rocks. The BPM should be
something that people could head bang
to, really get into. Don’t sneak into the
room, bust the door open.

Well, it’s something everyone hates to
hear, but—absolutely honestly—each situation is different, yours will be too. And there
is no guaranteed return on your time,
money or creative endeavors. The release
modality you choose will dictate how you
proceed. As Wayne Coyne of The Flaming
Lips explained, “It’s gonna be, ‘We’re
working on a song and it’s gonna be up by
Friday.’” That’s clearly not the case if it’s an
album release you’re after. Figuring this out
ahead of time will streamline your efforts
and give your creative work a frame to
work within, not limiting, simply guiding.
Leaving some room for error is not a
negative, however; even in business there
are unforeseen twists and turns that may
change your original plan. For example,
my co-writer/producer and I were torn
between an EP and an album release for
quite some time. As we worked, we
allowed that space to remain relatively
open. We moved forwards with our list of
songs: scrapping some, re-writing others,
editing, and demoing. In the end, we
found it to be a better use of our material

performers. Then there are more subtle
themes such as 21 by Adele, named so
because of her age during the production
of the album, which focuses primarily on
her then recent breakup. What is your
theme? And how will it flow?
You have already considered the
songs; you’ve laid out images for your
movie, so to speak, and now you must
put them in the right order. For our album,
for example, we decided upon the order
based on the trajectory of a human relationship. So, you begin with the outspoken activist subjects, the kind that you
could hear at a rally, read in an article,
long before you meet the person.
Then, you meet them. You may discuss
some philosophy, or other socio-political
issues. Then, you really get to know them.
You may fall in love, you may be good
friends, and then finally, you may find
that your paths do not parallel so closely
for so long...and in fact, you “Gotta
Move On.” As an introductory album for
us, this was the theme we felt hit strongly
on our socio-political foundations as well

~ Please, please, please, please avoid
starting with a ballad.
~ It doesn’t have to be your main single
that you open with, but it should be in the
top five. Most albums don’t start off with
their lead single, but maintain the first
spot on a release for a solid song that not
only represents you, but your niche of
fans.
As for the rest of the release, you may
feel that since we do live in a singles-driven
world, the specific order of a release isn’t
as important as it once was. This, to me, is
a shortcut to laziness. If it doesn’t matter to
you, why bother putting out the release at
all? I will avoid climbing all the way onto
my soap box, but do not be so quick to
cast off a well-thought-out sequence, and
not just for artistic integrity’s sake.
For example, Justin Timberlake’s latest
release, The 20/20 Experience, shows
on Spotify as having an almost totally flat
listening rate; in other words, listeners are
playing each song on the album as
opposed to picking one and replaying it
ad nauseam.

RECORDING November 2013

Recording - November 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - November 2013