Bands Beyond Labels

Ever ask yourself "Where should my band play next?" I've found that this simple little question has a WAY more complex answer than you think. If you're like me, your band has probably hit all the venues in your hometown over and over again and you're ready to move on to bigger and better things. But the question is, when do you know it's time to play shows in other cities? More importantly, where do you even start? Well, that's why I'm pumped to have Vinnie Donatelle of The Last Revel on the show to shed some light on these questions. In a short amount of time, Vinnie and his band The Last Revel, have been able to rapidly build a thriving fan base that's allowed him to earn a full-time income as an upright bassist and fiddle player. What's even more impressive, Vinnie's band has has done this without the help of a record label! In this episode, Vinnie and I chat about why taking "ridiculous long shots" with your band pays off more times than not. Vinnie also illustrates how booking "riskier" shows outside your hometown can lead to a significant increase in fans.  Show Notes - www.bandsbeyondlabels.com/episode7 Facebook - facebook.com/bandsbeyondlabels Twitter - @BandWalt In this Episode, You'll Also Learn How to know when to play shows outside your hometown. Specific strategies Vinnie implemented in his band in order to book successful tours from Minnesota to Montana. The importance of finding balance between playing it safe vs taking risks with your band in tour situations. Simple tips on how your band can book tours that actually make money. Why advice from other bands is absolutely crucial when planning a successful tour. Key mindsets you and your band needs to have in to become a full-time musicians. The story behind Vinnie's popular folk band The Last Revel.

Are you a sucker for those cheesy summer blockbuster movies with those epic music soundtracks? Well if you are. than you're gonna love today's guest, Colin Thomson Colin is a composer for media, music educator, and host of the podcast The Modern Musician Show. Colin writes music for a variety of media, including game, TV and film. He also runs the website sightreadingacademy.com, which provide music students with a steady stream of new sight-reading material, as well as innovative video exercises to help students read ahead. Colin also hosts the podcast The Modern Musician Show, where he interviews musicians as well as "outsiders" to the music industry, to find out what musicians can and should be doing to lead fulfilling and financially successful careers in music today. In this episode, Colin discusses his experience as a composer trying to make his way up the hollywood film and TV ladder. Colin also talks about the simple (yet often overlooked) strategies that musicians can implement to get their music in front of the right people. Ready to get a peek into the music composition biz? Let's do it! SHOW NOTES PAGE - http://www.bandsbeyondlabels.com/episode6 In this Episode, You'll Also Learn Strategies that Colin has implemented to make his way up the Hollywood ladder as a music composer. New ways of connecting with other musicians. Why hustle can make up for a lot when it comes to getting your music noticed. Why your band needs to develop "soft skills" to break into any area of the music industry. How a lot of the work you put in, doesn't pay off for a while. Why your band should adopt the "snowball effect." Other forms of compensation for your band's music. Bands & Artists Mentioned in the Show SightreadingAcademy.com Modernmusician.co Insanely Simple by Ken Segall Kickstarter Star Wars Wheaton College Pitch Podcast

Almost every band has that one "fill-in" musician they can rely on to play a gig in a pinch. Brandon Shaw is that musician. In this episode, Brandon shares how he is able to earn a full-time income as a working bassist in multiple Los Angeles-based bands.  Brandon also shares how he was able to (slowly) build up his musician network, as well as the mindset a working musician must have in order to juggle several working bands. Swing by the show notes page at www.bandsbeyondlabels.com/episode5 to get links to everything we discussed in this episode.  In this Episode, You'll Also Learn How Brandon became a highly sought-after bassist for multiple LA bands. What the standard rate is for hiring fill-in musicians for your band. Why musicians you hire don't necessarily share the same passion you have about growing your band. The different mindsets between being a freelance musician vs growing your own band. Why your band should be focused on writing music that makes YOU happy - not what's popular today. Twitter: @BandWalt Facebook: Facebook.com/bandsbeyondlabels Website: www.bandsbeyondlabels.com

Mike Michel, (AKA "Bill Mike") and I go way back. The stories he used to share with me about what it was like playing in band back in the “old” music industry days are downright insane – which is why I invited him on the show.   Mike is a Minnesota Music Academy award-winning modern guitarist, songwriter, music educator, and arts program creator, who was born & raised in Cincinnati, Ohio developed his craft in Los Angeles, California, and now creates out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.   In this episode, Mike shares his wealth of knowledge about how the commercial music business actually works, the shifts major record labels have made in order remain relevant in today's Digital Music age and his experience auditioning his band for Capital Records in the early 90’s.   Mike's stories are fascinating and his unique perspective on to what it's like to be in a band today versus 10+ years ago are super insightful.   If you are in a band are curious about what’s it’s like to get signed to a major record label, than I highly encourage you to check out this episode to learn what it’s really like. (Spoiler Alert: it’s not as glamorous as you think, but still very interesting.)   You'll definitely get a lot out of this episode - so give it a listen!   Don’t forget to swing by the show notes page to check out all the musicians, places and people mentioned in this episode! www.bandsbeyondlabels.com/episode4   In this Episode, You'll Also Learn The main differences between the old record industry model and today's music industry. How the "gatekeepers" of the old music industry used to be major record labels and how that's changed. What an A&R person really does at a record label How shows like "American Idol" and "The Voice" are the new models of commercial music. What a late 80's recording contract actually looks like and why they are inherently unfair for bands. What major labels only signed 10-12 musical groups per year. Mike's "great escape" from the sleepy city of Cincinnati, Ohio to the music scene of Los Angeles, California. Mike's experience auditioning his rock band for Capital Records His experience being a professional roady in the commercial music system. The financial waste of the commercial music industry in the early 90's. How bands today have more leverage then in years past. How bands sacrifice certain freedoms when signing with a major label. A major record label's approach to "shotgun" bands and artists. Why many major record label artists are in a bubble and become further disconnected from their fans the bigger they get.    

We're talking with bassist Jent LaPalm about tactics to expand your network of musicians when moving to a brand new city. Jent and I go way way back, all the way to high school when we played in a band together. After graduating from high school, Jent moved to New York City to Study Jazz Bass. In this episode, Jent talks about several essential tactics bands and artists can do to expand your network of musicians when moving to a brand new city. We also dive into the often overlooked social side of how to meet musician. Jent talks about his experience "learning to hang" as not just a bassist, but also as an overall good friend. In this Episode, You'll Learn How Jent built his network of musicians from scratch after moving to a New York City Tactics to expand your music network in a brand new city network The (overlooked) social side of networking with other musicians What it's like to be hired as a bassist on a sold out European tour His experience playing to a crowd of 30,000 people at a huge Spanish music festival Being strategic about managing your time between gigs Picking two of three: good people, good music or good money

If there is one thing that musicians are good at, its going BIG. My second guest on episode two of the Bands Beyond Labels podcast does just that with promoting and playing all of his shows as a member of 'The Kalob Griffin Band." Rob Dwyer or simply put "Dwyer" is the guitarist and mandolinist for the Kalob Griffin Band and in this episode. Dwyer shares some incredible stories of how the Kalob Griffin Band was able to transition from a casual college band, to a full-time touring act - and the lessons he's learned at a member of an independent band that's getting a bigger and bigger fan base every year. Dwyer also stresses the importance of why every band should promote each live show like a blowout event - and not just a concert. In this Episode, You'll Learn What actions Rob and the Kalob Griffin Band took to transition from a college band to full-time touring band. Why your band's live shows should be treated as events, not just a music concerts. How the Kalob Griffin Band was able to open up for one of the biggest Bluegrass bands in the US, Trampled by Turtles! The most unique way Dwyer promoted a show. (Hint: it involves pretending to be a college professor) Steps you can take to steadily increase your band's fan base year after year through rigorous touring. How band T-shirts can increase awareness for your music. (And why your band should have merch) The mindset a new band must have in order to reach your goals.

Welcome to the very first interview of the Bands Beyond Labels Podcast! In this first episode, we're chatting with Chase Burkhart and Molly Stoltze of the tap dancing duo "The Summer Coats." Chase and Molly aren't your typical independent band and in this episode, they talk about how their band "The Summer Coates" cracked into the Twin Cities music scene as well as discuss simple strategies your band can do in order to break into any city's music scene. In this Episode, You'll Learn The tactics that Chase and Molly utilized in order to get plugged into the Twin Cities music scene after moving from Fargo, ND Why communication is key to your band's longevity Why texting is such an underrated way of promoting your band's show. Why your band should "go where the people are."

Are you a musician just getting started in the music business? Are you in a band without a record deal? Are you searching for real-world tips that actually help you achieve your music career goals in today's industry? Then you came to the right place! This is the Bands Beyond Labels Podcast where we focus on providing practical business knowledge to independent bands and artists who take a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to pursuing a full-time career in music - without the help of a record label! Join us every week where we learn from inspiring independent musicians of all genres about real-world business strategies you can implement in your band to cultivate a loyal fan base, sell more music and make more money. In this first episode, I introduce the show by talking about what type of musician the podcast is for, why I created the podcast in the first place and why I named it the "Bands Beyond Labels" Podcast. i also talk about my musical journey and lay out the format of each episode going forward.  Swing by http://www.bandsbeyondlabels.com/ to say hello and check out the show notes from future episodes. Hope you enjoy the show!