Independents' Day: Surviving in a Major Label World

Independents' Day: Surviving in a Major Label World

By Edward Morris

December 6, 2005

Necessity isn't the only mother of invention. Ambition sires a few discoveries, too. This is demonstrably apparent among Country artists who record for independent labels - often their own. Without the promotional resources major labels provide to ensure national distribution, major market airplay and relentless publicity, indies have to find other avenues and methods to sell albums and tickets. But, with digital technology lowering recording costs and the Internet providing a worldwide storefront, many such acts are thriving.

CMA Close Up magazine and news service polled several indie artists to ask how they survive in the increasingly competitive marketplace.

"After leaving a major label to start my own a few short years ago, I decided to put all of my time and resources into marketing my music in Europe," said Billy Yates, who wrote the George Jones hit "Choices" and earlier recorded for Epic Records and Almo Sounds. He now runs his own label, M.O.D. Records.

"There seemed to be a definite compatibility between my kind of music and the music loved by the fans and industry (in Europe)," Yates said. "Now I'm seeing an increase in interest in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. So I'll continue over the next several years to expand the current base and eventually move into other parts of the world."

Historically, the lack of timely and adequate distribution has sunk promising careers. Yates said that he has diversified to avoid this pitfall. "I currently distribute my product through a number of smaller outlets here and abroad. I sell wholesale to various exporters, importers and wholesalers around the world. Inte rnet sales have also proven to be a strong means for selling product, both through my Web site and through several others, including CD Baby. I've also secured digital distribution on many sites including Apple iTunes, Sony Connect and others. Now I'm considering several distribution offers that will enable me to maximize sales through territorial deals all across Europe, the UK and throughout other parts of the world."

The less radio exposure an indie act gets, the more it needs to promote its music through concerts. "I'll work around 50 dates this year in Europe alone," Yates said. "I generally travel there about once a month for one to two weeks at a time. This has come after building a fan base through airplay and media support. I started headlining several of the festivals this year and have seen crowds in excess of 10,000 people. Now with an ever-growing fan base and increased demand I can continue to expand with even more airplay and media support. I presently dea l with two different agents. One in Holland that books all of Europe and another in England that focuses solely on the UK."

A former marketing executive, Lynn Bryant put that expertise to work to sell her current album, Woman Enough, on V-Tone Records. "As an independent artist," Bryant said, "I knew I had to come up with a way of marketing myself beyond the normal channels of distribution." She struck a deal between her company, Sunrise Productions, and Ferguson Enterprises, a chain that sells plumbing and construction supplies to both wholesale and retail customers. She picked Ferguson, she explained, because it represented an industry with which she was already familiar.

Although Ferguson has more than 3,500 locations worldwide, Bryant began her campaign with 21 stores in Georgia and Texas. Under this agreement, Sunrise purchases Bryant's albums from V-Tone and re-sells them to Ferguson on a no-return basis. Sunrise also provides the stores count er displays (at cost) and a copy of Bryant's current music video to play on the store monitors. Bryant said she hopes to include other new artists in this campaign once it gains momentum. "It's just rolling out now," she said, "but the opportunity is very large."

T. G. Sheppard, who records for Destiny Row Records, has an advantage few other indie artists can boast - a long string of memorable hits. Beginning with "Devil in the Bottle" in 1974, Sheppard steadily scored several No. 1's over the next 12 years, among them "Last Cheater's Waltz," "Do You Wanna Go to Heaven," "Party Time," "Finally" and "Strong Heart."

"We were fortunate to have some great records early in our career that have been very successful running on stations as recurrents," Sheppard said. "We had a couple of records that crossed over as Top 40 pop records in the '80s which also helped to boost our career. I have always toured extensively since the beginning of my career. I have tr ied to stay on the road at least 100 days per year minimum to keep my face and name in front of the public. The other key to all this is to have a great live show. Your show has to make people want to see you over and over and hopefully never get bored with what you do. You have to keep both the show and the music fresh."

Sheppard, who worked in record promotion during the 1960s, noted that smaller labels can stay more in tune with their artists than the majors. "If you surround yourself with good management, guidance and direction are not a problem. Doing it yourself or working with a small label that shares your vision for your music and your craft enables you to be true to yourself and your music."

Robbie Fulks, who records for the innovative Yep Roc label, conceded that independence from major labels comes at the cost of increased involvement in every mundane aspect of the business. "I think you have to maximize the DIY (do-it-yourself) tools and d o all the little things that don't necessarily constitute the best or most pleasant use of your time but are nonetheless necessary," Fulks said. "I'm referring to mailing out Web site orders, keeping up with SoundScan, staying on top of auto maintenance, booking decent hotels for your band, disseminating itinerary information, doing all the radio and retail work you can to support your label's efforts, maintaining your sound gear, etc. ... I actually don't mind most of it. It does prevent me from spending more time practicing guitar and writing songs, though."

Such intimacy with the promotional process has another up side, according to Fulks. "The biggest thing I've learned is to be very proactive about keeping good relationships going with the people that support me one-on-one. I answer my fans' letters. I give them time at shows. If they hire me for private events, I meet their families, and try to remember their names when I see them again a year later. I have a drink with the promoters after the shows and talk trash. I tip the bartenders and merchandise sellers well. I've gotten to be good friends with some of these people, fans and promoters and bartenders. Every once in a while one of them throws something generous my way - a good-paying festival or private party. Those are the things that have really kept me in business for 10 years - not so much club shows or record royalties."

Lofton Creek Records, which has Keith Bryant, Shawn King, Doug Stone and Jeffrey Steele on its roster, has had considerable success, President Mike Borchetta reported, with a theme album. Bryant's Ridin' With the Legend, which is keyed to NASCAR fans, has sold more than 40,000 copies since its mid-July release.

Stone brought more than a decade of Country hits with him when he signed to Lofton Creek and he included a couple of them on In a Different Light, his debut album for the label. The album also features several p op standards, among them "Tell It Like It Is," "Georgia On My Mind" and "Only You," with the aim to offer the consumer something reassuringly familiar besides Stone's melodious voice. Lofton Creek released Stone's album in the spring and boosted it with a 30-minute TV special that aired repeatedly on GAC.

Steve Wilkinson, the patriarch of the family trio The Wilkinsons (with son Tyler and daughter Amanda), has seen the business from both ends. The Wilkinsons made their breakthrough on the now-defunct Giant Records in 1998 with the No. 3 single "26 Cents."

"Rather than try to compete with a major record label, with the large promo budget that's at their disposal, you need to be a little more creative and be willing to think outside the typical record label box," Wilkinson said. "That's why The Wilkinsons in particular pitched the idea of a long-format TV program."

The program is a reality series, tentatively called "Meet The Wilkins ons." It's set to air this fall on CMT Canada for 10 episodes. "We do still have videos and singles that have been released and currently play on the various formats, but with long-format programming we will be enjoying another avenue of exposure," Wilkinson said. The Wilkinsons continue to tour in Canada, their home base, and the United States. Their album, Highway, released earlier this year, is distributed in both countries through RCR/CBUJ Entertainment.

Kevin Sharp made his Country Music bow on Asylum Records in 1996 with the No. 1 hit "Nobody Knows," which helped propel his album, Measure Of A Man, to Gold. A cancer survivor, Sharp had a story that was as compelling as his voice. He kept a low profile after his original record label closed down. But now he's back with Make a Wish, his first album for Cupit Records.

Billy Holland, Cupit's Executive Vice President, noted that the label is giving Sharp the standard promot ional and media treatment - radio tours, newspaper and TV interviews, in-store appearances, music videos, e-mail campaigns, fan club promotions, "some print advertising" and "a lot of praying."

As is often the case with independent artists, Dualtone Records' Jeff Black found a receptive ear at National Public Radio. He debuted selections from his second album on the label, Tin Lilly, on the network's popular afternoon news and feature show, "All Things Considered," in early August. Black also made available via iTunes Black Tuesday, a free podcast of live shows, unreleased tracks and selections from his early catalog. He has instituted another appreciation-building promotion, the "Black on the Tracks" tour, that enables fans to travel with him by train to selected concerts in the U. S.

Country traditionalist Leland Martin first attracted widespread attention in 2002 when his whimsical "If I Had Long Legs (Like Alan Jackson)" edged into the Billboar d charts. "Thankfully, my music has been embraced by enough radio folks to at least give me a fighting chance to reach the listener," said the one-time sideman for Freddie Hart. "When given that chance, I've placed my bets and promotion dollars on the belief that my music measures up in the places it's heard. I've gotten a lot of requests for shows from venues and festivals in areas where I've gotten airplay."

A long-time favorite with truckers, Martin is distributing his new self-titled album on Magnet Music/Aspirion Records through truckstops and the normal retail chains. The album earned him a five-hour special on Dave Nemo's trucker-oriented XM Satellite Radio show. Martin has cemented his traditionalist credentials with a new music video, "Country As The Day is Long."

Still basically an East Coast phenomenon, the Povertyneck Hillbillies are already showing the kind of muscle a big label act might envy - right down to owning their own tour bus and gaining national sponsors. Operating out of the Pittsburgh area, the Hillbillies credit much of their success to two mentors, songwriter/ producer Bob Corbin, who was formerly with the Corbin/Hanner Band on Mercury Records, and George Moffett, the head of Variety Attractions, a major buyer of talent for fairs. Since uniting under their name in 2002, the seven-man band has parlayed every little break into a bigger one.

Corbin, in addition to managing the band, produced its latest album, Don't Look Back, wrote their most popular single "Mr. Right Now," and set up the label, Cort Records, that the band now records on.

Chris Abbondanza, the Hillbillies' lead singer and a marketing whiz on his own, said that Moffett first saw them play at their local county fair in 2002. He was sufficiently impressed to book them for a series of fair showcases in Pennsylvania and several other states. That led to lots of fair bookings. "George has kind of taken us under his wing," Abbondanza continued. "Along with the fairs, comes working with the radio stations and getting radio play." Even without the intervention of promoters, some Clear Channel stations have programmed the Hillbillies' records, and Abbondanza said that four "Froggy" format stations in the area gave "Mr. Right Now" a total of 1,000 spins.

After Corbin wrote a jingle for the 85-store Eat'n Park restaurant chain, Abbondanza persuaded the company to carry counter displays of the band's new album. The Hillbillies has also enlisted Pittsburgh PBS station WQED in their cause. "They came to one of our bar shows, and that kind of sealed the deal," Abbondanza explained. In addition to running an initial feature story on the band, WQED followed with an hour-long documentary. Recently, the station filmed a live in-studio concert of the band that will air throughout September, as well as offer for sale as a DVD. Besides the concert proper, the DVD will include two additional songs and the original documentary. Viewers will also be offered the Don't Look Back CD. The special is being made available to other PBS stations.

The Hillbillies will perform 205 shows, mostly along the East Coast, by the end of 2005. Their bus now bears the sponsored logo, "84 Lumber Presents The Don't Look Back Tour." Cricket cell phones and Coors Light have signed on as sponsors as well. Wal-Mart stores in the East and Midwest have agreed to carry the band's albums - although not in the Pittsburgh area, Abbondanza said, in deference to the earlier agreement with Eat'n Park. Abbondanza is negotiating with Mountaineer Race Track in West Virginia to sell sponsorship space on the band's equipment truck. In the first six weeks of its release - before the Wal-Mart and Eat'n Park connections kicked in - Don't Look Back sold 4,500 copies.

Business has been so good, Abbondanza concluded, that the Povertyneck Hillbillies plan to showcase in Nashville this fall to attract a major label deal.