Releasing our first EP in March, looking to cover all my bases...

[Bivouac]

Hi, always recieved great advice at the forum on the "other" site so I thought I'd try this here...

We're a seven month old band who will be releasing our first EP in early March. We've gotten off to a nice start by playing all the right clubs and meeting some great people who play major roles in our local music scene. By releasing this EP, we're hoping to generate some "buzz" and garner interest for a full length late this year that a local label has expressed interest in releasing.

We produced every bit of this EP ourselves and are also going to market this release ourselves...and that's where we're pretty green:

I've spent a great deal of energy trying to compile a list of contacts and addresses for all of the important media outlets (daily papers, weekly papers, local magazines, etc) so that we can send out a bunch of press kits in a couple of weeks. We plan to include:

--Cover Letter
--Combination Photo/Bio on glossy paper
--The five song EP (shrinkwrap removed)
--Flyer/information for our CD release party
--Sticker

What I'd love to know (besides including great music) is what we should focus on in order to entice these media outlets to give us as much attention as possible? I mean, a 30 word review would still be great, but a feature article would definitely be better, you know?

What would you include in the cover letter? Any preference towards flashy art or simple designs? How about packaging? Would a simple, brown envelope be prefered? Or would something a little more attention-grabbing be advantageous?

Am I fogetting anything? Right now we're trying to get everything together and promote the living hell out of this show. We're pretty resourceful and are capable of some pretty serious artwork, so any ideas are certainly welcome. I'd really appreciate any response you'd care to share.

Thank you for your time,
Ryan

[lebouche]

I'm not going to pretend to be qualified but I have been lucky enough to sit in on all types of meetings over the past five years ....just in the role of AV tech but at the request of the chairman of a Major Label. I have had the pleasure of sitting in on
Publishing, Marketing, Sales, Directors, Finacial, New technology, Shareholders, A&R and senior A&R meetings.
During these I made sure I treated it like a degree course and gave it my full attention.
This is what I would do....
Look in to all types of distribution...
Use the Net...bigtime.
Try and get some airtime on local radio or any others...maybe call your local stations and offer to be interviewed.
Send to radio pluggers, buy one lunch if you can.
Send your tracks off to mags like mixmag and enter them in to mix/writers/demo of the month competitions.

Once you have done all this add details of any successes you may have to your promo pack and send it off....they wont care which colour envelope.
Give it a week or two and call and ask for the person you have addressed your package to.
If you get through ask them if you could meet, perhaps buy them lunch and discuss.
There may often be something you can do in return for the person whom you require to help...this seems to be one of the fundemental things I have learnt.
Scratch backs.

Hope some of this is useful

[Swafford]

Not sure what a cover letter is for, unless you mean a press release.

Bio is on a spearate sheet of paper.

Photo is 8x10 glossy, a real picture. Make sure it's is readable when reduced to 2" wide.

You should have a one sheet and if it's for radio, your CD should be in a jewel case or digipack.

All seperate pieces of paper should have contact information and website on them. All this info is duplicated online.

Try to provide 4-6 weeks lead time before the local release. While it would be great to have a feature, it's useless if it provides zero fodder for your press kit. I've had full page features that read like white milk and 2 line reviews that immediately get front page on a review sheet in a press kit. It's great when your neighbors and friends read all about you, but your looking further down the road, and the thing that's going to help you are concise and favorable reads, as no one who looks at press kits for a living is going to take the time to read entire articles. Your press release should lead the press to where it is you want them to go and will, on occasion, provide the actual press quotes you were hoping to get. If you live in a medium size market, take your CD and press kit and hand deliver it to the local media types, preferaby on a Monday or Tuesday as most music stuff is published Thursday or Friday, and the media person won't be interrupted trying to finish stuff for deadline. Personal delivery serves two purposes: 1 - it shows the media person your a real individual with real product and real purpose. Don't act like an ass. Don't act lke you're doing them a favor. Act like a professional. These people are your peers. 2 - it demonstrates to you that these people are just like you (or your mom) and they have real jobs with real deadlines and real lives, nothing to be awed by, nothing to be afraid of, but thier just working stiffs trying to get thier work done. Make it easy for them by providing compelling music with some good copy.

Good luck!

[Bob Olhsson]

A few things to think consider:

1. What will make my package stand out? For that matter, what might keep the person who receives it from tossing the package in the trash unopened along with 90% of the other new release packages they get every morning?

2. What will make my package really quick and easy to make a decision about?

3. What will make the person who receives it intrigued enough to seriously consider coming to a gig and writing it up?

4. Think about the fact that most music journalists don't have enough time to fill the space they edit with original articles and reviews. What can you write and provide pictures for that will save them a bunch of work?

Let's all throw out ideas about this!

[Bivouac]

Thank you all for the replies. It means more than you know...

Just wanted to follow up with a couple of items:

--Yeah, the radio bases have been covered--they're getting the same press release. College radio at CU and CSU and two Clear Channel stations (*shiver*) that play local music every once in a while. The college radio stations have been playing one of our demos already; we're not getting to worked up about the bigger stations.

--Are you guys suggesting that we create our own article for publication? Not that we're incapable, but how does one avoid writing something about yourself without coming off as "self-congradulatory"? I mean, the bio was hard enough :) Where do you suggest getting quotes from? Club owners? Our record label friends? Other bands?

--So, bio and photo seperate? Ok, easy enough. I was just under the impression that we should keep the press release as "succinct" as possible. I was thinking of taking an 8.5x11" glossy with a band photo occupying the top left and the bio bottom right. White text, black background, very legible...no?

--As far as the cover letter goes, I just want to explain the contents of the envelope, the details of the release, and what we hope to accomplish in sending the press release (basically: we'd appreciate any press you could spare).

--Personal delivery if possible? Ok, so walk up to the desk at the Denver Post and ask for the entertainment editor? Or is this mostly referring to smaller publications?

Again, I appreciate any advice. All of you have been more than helpful already...

[Swafford]

No, not really suggesting that you write your own copy, I'm suggesting that the press release should give the media person some kind of hook. For instance, our last band CD was called The Longest Night. Recorded live on Winters Eve. A live retrospective of 12 years of songs from a band that has never really gone anywhere. You know, like the longest night. :>) Lazy writers will use your copy, though they almost always reword it. I had one guy in Knoxville, Tennessee reprint our press release almost word for word. It was kind of funny. He even called me for an interview. I guess I was boring.

I don't know about the Denver press as it is a much larger market then Cincinnati, but here, when we have a CD release, I go to the (for instance) Cincinnati Enquirer (when they had a full time music person, Larry Nager) asked to see Larry, introduced myself handed him our CD and press kit and chatted him up a bit. Up to the point I introduced myself, Larry was a byline in a weekly column and a daunting figure with a reputation for being a complete and utter assole. Turns out he was a really nice guy who played bass in Del McCorys Band in the 70's (who could also be a total assholle when he wanted). We got to be friends (heh, I can be a real asshole too), and, after he was fired, we still email to see what's going on. He plays bass for Tony Ellis now (Tony replaced Earl Scruggs in The Bluegrass Boys - I know you wanted to know that - had to learn how to do that Scruggs roll). BTW he totally panned our first CD. Hated it. Gave me shit about for year or so. My girlfriend liked it.

Regardless of whether you hand it to someone, leave it with the receptionist or mail it, follow up with a phone call or email to see if it was received and if there is a chance it might be reviewed. Let them know your timeline. Local press is about building relationships. The more professional and polite you are, the more the press folks will give a fuck about you when you want something from them.

Your photo should an 8x10. It needs to be able to be reproduced well in newsprint. The way you have descirbed yours, it may end up being to small for reproduction. Your bio should be on a separate piece of paper. Both should have contact information on them. You know, be as honest and passionate in your writing of your materials as you are in the making of your music and it will shine through. Everyone starts somewhere.

If your doing radio, you should supply a one sheet with the CD. Really, that's all you need for most radio stations - CD in a shell/digipac and a one sheet. CD is in a sleeve...yeah, forget it. Gonna get lost. While DJ's are intereted in particulars, most MD's and PD's receive on average 400+ CD's to go through A WEEK. And that's non-commercial AAA radio, (not to be confused with community radio). The homemade shit gets tossed first, then the ones without or weak one sheets, the ones without a promoter get a 10-30 second listen on the first 2 or 3 songs, unless the first one is total crap. If nothing catches the ear, it's on to the next one. If it has a trusted promoter attached to it, it gets a little more consideration....we should get Niki on here to talk about radio from the Music Directors perspective sometime. Contacting MD's after sending CD's is always a good idea. The people who stick it out there on a consistent basis are the ones that are consistently paid attention too.

Take a look at our press materials, I understand you don't have as much, but you'll get an idea of what I think is important. On a regional level, it has served us very well. The idea is you build a press kit. Use the more accessible media outlets as a foundation to larger media outlets. Good press begets good press. And remember when your disgusted with how shallow and trivial it all seems, be passionate about your music.

http://www.lenslounge.com/press.html

geez, sorry for the essay.............

[Bivouac]

Thank you so much. Every bit of that is extremely helpful to our cause, the press section on your site particularly.

I still fear what would happen to me if I were try and personally deliver these press releases personally as I'm often a victim of age discrimination. Although 22, I don't look a day over 17 clean shaven and well dressed. We'll see though; I do like to put a face to a name...

...and on a side note, I enjoy your music--especially the live album. I'd love to have an opportunity to do that at some point in my lifetime. You're right, the spontaneity and risk involved is what makes them so special. I'm a complete sucker for live albums...

[Swafford]

Glad to be useful. I wouldn't worry about the age thing to much. I understand where your coming from - I was a bit shy when I finally got around to making records and shoving it out there. At 22, I was playing on street corners and drifting from place to place. It didn't occur to me till I was 28 that I should try playing inside. On the other hand, on my last trip to Nashville I met a friend of Ed's - Kenzie - singer and fiddle player. We got to talking - she's 22 and moved to Nashville from Oklahoma at 17. Blew my mind. 17. I Bob said he applied at Motown at like 17 or something. Jesus, when I was 17 all I wanted to do was smoke pot, take pictures and ride motorcycles. Pretty much in that order.

[Bivouac]

It's cool until a music shop won't let you try out an American Telecaster even though you've got $900 in your pocket ready to pull the trigger. "Uh...I'll take this somewhere else then."

:)

Oh well. Again, I appreciate it. I'm at a point in my life where, if I'm going to persue music at all, I don't want to half-ass it. I want to learn to do things the right way and at least make it a valuable experience.