Recording - November 2013 - 40

Once you’ve gotten into the groove
with this first batch, everything else
should come naturally. Just make sure to
avoid some of the more obvious mistakes,
because those can be your downfall
before you even begin...
Avoid these mistakes
So here are five mistakes I see artists make.
1. “Oh man, I have this great rock song. It’s
perfect for something like a Transformers
movie or a Volvo ad!”
Yeah? Cool, how did you know what
the supervisors on those projects are looking for? For all you know, they could be
looking for heavy metal reggae, or
Chinese polka music played on a didgeridoo. Don’t assume, because as the old
adage says, when you assume... If you
approach a supervisor like this, I guarantee that they will think you’re an idiot.
Know who you are approaching, know
what they are working on, know what they
prefer (some supervisors have their own
musical style/preference), learn about the
brand and its past incarnations. If none of

this exists, ask them if they are currently looking for content. A polite request like that can
disguise prior lack of knowledge of their
work... to a certain degree. This is where a
credible company that knows precisely what
supervisors want (because they ask rather
than assuming) comes in really handy.
2. “I’m going to send them the most
amazing package ever, with color photos, a video, T-shirt, etc.”
Free stuff is fun for them, for if they love
you, they’ll wear your shirt. Otherwise it’ll
go to the interns, who might wear it to
feel like they are in the music biz, or use
it to line their dog’s bed.
Don’t waste money on extra color photos,
fancy paper, etc. All they care about is the
music and whether this artist has anything
significant behind them, to bring some kind
of promo symbiosis/placement value to
their company, the show, etc. I would, however, suggest sending your materials in an
envelope/package that sticks out from the
generic brown envelopes.
When you think about it, if you have a
deadline, are very busy, and need to recommend a song to someone right away,
what do you reach for? You generally
reach for your favorite artist out of loyalty,
or something you happen to be listening
to during that period of time... if it fits the
producer’s/director’s request. So due to
this, you have to make sure you beat out

all of the rest, and of course, have the best
sounding master, song, image, presentation and social networking vibe you can.
Gifts are fun, but don’t go over the top
with a Vespa or anything. Make it thoughtful, or a cool promo. I remember a band
from the ‘90s called Moonpools &
Caterpillars who had yo-yos with their logo
on them. I still have mine! Plus, it helped
that their album was a pop masterpiece
with gorgeous art. Check ‘em out!
3. “I’m going to call this person so many
times, I’ll bore them into saying yes.”
The only response you’ll get from that
method is either silence, or two words we
all know so well.
Approach them like a company, not an
artist, and ask them what the accepted followup frequency is. Some will say that
they will reach out when they have needs,
but generally don’t, so following up once
a month is probably fine. If you find that
they don’t generally respond to anything,
mail them samplers of no more than an
EP’s worth of tunes every month or so. Visit
the city, alert them to your presence in the
city, and try to get a casual meeting in.
Don’t be pushy, don’t give pathetic sob
stories (you’d be surprised), and exude confidence, knowledge and speed. That will
gain you respect. Send them cards on holidays, keep up with them on Facebook (without being a stalker!), and develop things

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Recording - November 2013

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