Gary James' Interview With Author
Gary Hustwit
Q - Gary, let's start off with a little information on your background. You've been involved in the music business since 1986. In what capacity has that been?
A - I started out promoting concerts in San Diego . Some friends of mine were in a band called The Charms and they asked me to be their manager. I accepted and sort of dove into the music industry without any previous knowledge of how it worked. I went to all the music conventions, CMJ, New Music Seminar, etc and helped The Charms release an independent record, get distribution for it, get press reviews and radio airplay. The record got great response and I booked a twenty-five date national tour for the band. We ended up licensing that first record to a label in Europe that did really well with it over there. I began advising other local bands on how to put out their own records. I dug up so many directories and so much information on the subject that I decided to put it into book form in 1989. That was the first edition of Releasing An Independent Record. SST Records got a hold of a copy and asked me to do sales, distribution and advertising for them. I left SST in '91, completely re-wrote Releasing An Independent Record and started doing Rock Press full time.
Q - You've been involved in over one hundred record releases and helped thousands of artists successfully release their own music. Can you give me some names of people you've worked with?
A - During the time I was SST I helped release records for Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Dinosaur Jr., Meat Puppets, ALL, Big Drill Car, Skin Yard, Screaming Trees, Negativland and other SST bands. I couldn't even count how many underground bands I've helped in one way or another.
Q - There's a saying that goes, "If you've got a good thing going, zip the lip." So, why would you want to tell the world how to do the job you're now doing. Aren't you cutting your own throat?
A - Well, I'm not currently running an independent label, so there's not throat to cut. The books we publish are there to help emerging bands release their own music. I'm a music fanatic and I want to see new music available to the public as much as possible. You wouldn't see any new, ground breaking music out there if SONY or Warner Bros. were the only labels putting out records. The big corporations are always going to play it safe to protect their investment. The most innovative new music comes from the independent labels. So, there more there are, the better.
Q - Where did you get the idea to write Getting Radio Airplay and Releasing An Independent Record? What was your motivation?
A - Getting Radio Airplay was sort of a spin off of Releasing An Independent Record. We realized there weren't any books on the market that focused on getting independently released music on the airwaves. So, we decided to put one together. I interviewed radio station music directors about what they wanted to receive from bands and I spoke to record label promotions people about how they get their releases played on radio. Getting Radio Airplay includes those interviews, a directory of nine hundred radio stations and my views on how to get your music played.
Q - You've put together some great lists of record labels, radio stations and trade publications. I'm just wondering how great the success level would be for an act to approach any of these people through the mail or on the phone. If you're serious about getting ahead in the music business, shouldn't you be in a place where the music business is? I'm talking Los Angeles, New York, Nashville.
A - Well, if you've got a phone and a post office nearby and you're serious about getting your music out there, you could be anywhere. I don't think it matters. A band's level of success is going to depend on their talent, determination and their connections. The only way you're going to get connections is to get a book like Releasing An Independent Record and call or write to everyone in it. You need to get these people to help you and work with you if you ever want to succeed.
Q - Besides your books, what other products does Rock Press offer?
A - We have software product called Indi Base, which is the text of both books and all 2,500 contact addresses in database form. This makes it easy to print out mailing labels for radio stations, press, stores, etc. It also has an integrated word processor and mail merge plus a tracking screen to keep track of the responses to your mailing. If you have a computer, Indi Base turns it into a whole promotions department. You can get a lot more accomplished. We also have several new, music related books coming out.
© Gary James. All rights reserved.
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