The music industry is a dog-eat-dog world that can chew up a band and spit it out on the street before it can get its own episode of VH1's Behind The Music.
But, like the American dream, making it big does happen, and Athens bands Frickin' A, Red Wanting Blue, Detrick Rhodes and Southeast Engine proved that it is possible to be successful even when starting in the foothills of Appalachia.
Forming a band, writing songs, practicing, making a CD, promoting shows, gaining publicity, signing with an independent label and touring is a lot for a group to take on. So, where does a band begin when it wants to rise to the top?
Selling a dream
Stu Pflaum, aka DJ Xplosive, creator of hip-hop production company Element 9, said in order for him to take an artist under his wing, they have to have dedication and work as hard as himself and the other artists in his company.
Like a lot of people say
the music industry these days is about 10 percent talent and 90 percent business Pflaum said. Of course you have to have the talent behind it but you really need to know how to market yourself
and you have to align yourself with the right people.
Pflaum said artists that can sell 100,000 CDs independently are what record labels are looking for.
A band that wants to be on Billboard's top 100 chart has to have goals, said Scott Terry, who is the lead singer for Red Wanting Blue and makes a living playing music.
(Red Wanting Blue) never had any goals more than
'I want to see what the country looks like. I want to travel the country
maybe even the world
' Terry said.
Terry started toward his objective, first looking outside of the Athens market to Columbus and other surrounding cities, he said. Now, the band has played everywhere from the edge of the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, to Club La Vela in Panama City and even in Red Lodge, Mont., the gateway to Yellowstone National Park.
Unlike other bands who split a paycheck immediately after a gig, Red Wanting Blue saved its money in a group account and reinvested it into recording and touring, Terry said.
Signing on the dotted line
Major labels - such as Sony, BMG, WEA Inc. and Universal Music and Video Distribution - demand high sales and has its own distribution system. However, Jim Harris, founder of Manasseh Records, said being signed to a record label, even an independent label - a label not associated with a major label - can be a support system that can look out for a band, somebody always there lighting that fire under them and making sure they don't get lazy
he said.
While most of the pop and folk artists he signs to his local record label are his friends, Harris said he likes to work with people whom he wants to see succeed.
If they succeed in Athens
that's great. But if they want to break into the movie business and write songs for soundtracks or score films
then I want to be right there beside them
helping them and making sure they have what they're needing
