NCT 127 Reflect on Growing as a Group, Spreading K-Pop at KCON 2018 NY

News Team
-
0
NCT 127 Reflect on Growing as a Group, Spreading K-Pop at KCON 2018 NY
CJ Entertainment

Officially, NCT 127 was not the headliner of KCON 2018 New York, but the intricate setlist and crowd screams would have made one think otherwise. Kicking off with an intense dance introduction, pin-point performances of singles like “Touch” and “Cherry Bomb,” and even a special rendition of their 2017 b-side track “Whiplash,” the boy band delivered one of the longest sets of the fest and left an audibly obvious impact on the Prudential Center arena. The scene-stealing showcase marked the latest step in NCT 127’s steady trajectory to more American visibility that recently included stops at Beats 1 radio, BUILD Series, and even a live Apple Store performance.

Talking to Fuse the morning ahead of the set, the nine members reflected on their growth in the past year, where they see their band going in the future and the love that they have for the other members in their NCT brand.

FUSE: NCT 127 is back in America! We first talked to you at KCON New York last year, your first U.S. show, so how are you feeling a year later?
Taeyong: It’s similar. What we’re feeling is very similar, but now we’re headed towards new goals in what we want to do. We’re always thinking about what kind of songs we need to sing, what kind of performance we need to put on and what’s good to show our fans. So overall, it’s very similar, but it’s always comes down to what’s next to show to the fans.
Mark: One more thing to add to that, like what Taeyong said, we do feel the same way with how thrilled we are to stand in front of our fans and with as much that has happened in the year, we have new things to show to the fans music-wise and performance-wise. We want to show how much we’ve developed as well and so we’re just glad to meet our fans who have waiting for us. We also prepared a new intro for “Touch” and it’s a lot stronger than what people are expecting, it’s going to be the first thing that everyone sees. We also have three members perform one of our new songs “Whiplash” so people can look forward to something new.

It really does feel like you guys are leading this kind of “new generation of K-pop,” as they say. Do you guys feel this yourselves?
Taeyong: Rather than being able to feel that we are leading this new generation, we feel that K-pop as a genre is at the forefront of attention around the world. We have to try really hard as just one of the K-pop artists in this genre and we feel like we need to really just do our best within this genre. But I think we’re going to be in every spot in the whole wide world.

Recently, you participated in the Empathy album by NCT that included a song and video performed by NCT 2018 with all 18 members in the band. What is a video shoot like that like?
Haechan: All the members were involved and because there are so many members we had to concentrate a lot harder and there were a lot more things to pay attention to. But because we tried hard, the end result was actually a lot better. In regards to atmosphere of the music video, because everyone was there it was actually really great. Everyone was feeling great and, in general, it was just good. 

We saw you in Los Angeles recently performing and doing interviews. Now you’re back in New York. Is the US more of a priority for NCT 127 this year? 
Taeyong: Yes!
Johnny: [Clarifying] I feel like we are always getting ready to come out to wherever, even America, even anywhere else, because NCT 127 as a team is a group that starts in Seoul and we want to spread out into the world just to tell everyone what K-pop is. We want to show everyone what NCT 127 is, so we’re always ready to come to America—come to anywhere, practically!

You also recently made your debut in Japan and fans are hoping for news about a Korean comeback. What are you working on right now?
Jaehyun: We are always preparing new songs, new performances, and I hope we have more opportunities to meet more fans like over the world. I think we are always ready.
Mark: We actually don’t know the exact date or anything [in regards to new Korean music], but I feel like we are always getting ready to kind of like make something, you know, to get back to our fans as quickly as possible. [We’re involved with] every angle of the preparation, we’re just trying to interact with the music. We are working on it. 

“I ask fans to keep their expectations high for the group.”

— NCT’s Taeyong

KCON has a great lineup this year including some of your label mates like Super Junior and Red Velvet. But if you bring on one more artist to the lineup, who would you bring?
Taeyong: There are a lot of different artists in SM Entertainment, and there are a lot of our seniors in SM, but because there are a lot of our members in NCT, I think we would really like it if we could perform at KCON with the other members of NCT. 

And do you have a message to the fans that are reading around the world and that may not get to see you as often as other areas of the world?
Johnny: So, first off, I would like to say thank you for always, I guess like, always rooting for us and supporting us. We are always working on something to show you guys, so I hope you guys are always ready to come out and be like, “Whoa, NCT is finally back!” 
Taeyong: We’re really happy that we can, once again, meet all our fans in New York and we want to continue to make great memories with our fans. NCT is going to continue to grow as a group, and I ask fans to keep their expectations high for the group.

Juanita Stein Delivers a Brilliant Performance at NYC Show

Brandon Stein
-
0
Juanita Stein Delivers a Brilliant Performance at NYC Show
Juanita Stein first caught the attention of many in 2006 when she appeared in the band Howling Bells in a performance of the single “Setting Sun” at the London club Koko. This performance was broadcast as part of the live music program London Live. The Howling Bells self-titled project is quite sensational and you can easily get engrossed in the sound. Specifically, the single “Broken Bones” is an outstanding single. Howling Bells are actually of Australian origins and are based in England. They initially started in Australia with the name Waikiki. They went a different direction at the time and with excellent releases like “New Technology” and “Complicated” added to the 2002 album titled I’m Already Home. Last year, Stein, a resident of Brighton who is originally from, Sydney also put out her solo project which is an outstanding collection of 11 tracks. This album was titled America. This year she dropped another great album made up of 10 tracks titles Until The Lights Fade. She is currently engaged in a series of shows in the United States to promote her album and the following tour brought her and her brand to the forefront. She had her first ever solo performance with her show in Pianos on Ludlow Street in New York. Stein’s brother, Joel Stein who is a bandmate of the Howling Bells and Waikiki is the lead guitarist in his sister’s band on her tour and he kicked off the event with an outstanding 20 minute solo set. Performing under the band name Glassmaps with Joel Stein accompanying Him on the electric guitar. They performed singles from the brilliant Strangely Addicted album. Stein took center stage for her headline show at 9 pm prompt. She and her incredible band made up of her and her brother Joel on the guitar, Tim McNally on bass, Alex Pitt on the drum, opened the set with “All The Way” from the latest album. It is a soft song that shines the light on Stein’s beautiful vocals and it was dedicated to Stein’s grandmother who fled from war ravaged Eastern Europe in search of a better life in Australia. Stein and her band concluded their run of shows in the United States with concerts in San Diego on Wednesday November 7th and the next day in Los Angeles. They then went back across the Atlantic for two concerts in The Netherlands, one in Paris, nine others in the UK including places like Brighton. You can get more information on Stein’s live shows and details of ticket and RSVP on the website https://www.juanitastein.com/live/ Stein’s project Until The Lights Fade is going to be reviewed at the end of 2018 but it goes on sale in the USA on Tuesday November 6th at Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and other select stores.

List of Websites you have to know as an Indy artist

Chris Alan
-
0
List of Websites you have to know as an Indy artist
This is the age of the Indy artist doing it all on his own without the backing of major labels and a team of people pushing your agenda. As an Indy artist, you have to do everything yourself and fortunately, with Google, you have at your fingertips a host of incredible resources and websites that can help you out in your journey. Whatever your needs may be, be it distribution, presence or marketing, the internet is here to serve you. Here is a list of websites that will definitely be useful for you in your independent journey: Distribution Websites: These are websites where you can distribute your content. You don’t need the backing of a major label to get your music on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music or Tidal. You can do this on your won. The websites below will assist you in doing this and ensure you get your income for your hard work, each website has its own terms and conditions so be sure to read them carefully. TuneCore www.tunecore.com CD Baby www.cdbaby.com DistroKid www.distrokid.com SoundCloud www.soundcloud.com Bandcamp www.bandcamp.com Audiomack www.audiomack.com BitTorrent Now now.bt.co RIV www.rivnow.com Mixtape Distribution DatPiff www.datpiff.com Spinrilla www.spinrilla.com Mixtape Monkey www.mixtapemonkey.com Streaming and Analytics: If you want to have detailed information on the demographic that is listening to your music and engaging with your content, you need these websites to help you out: NextBigSound www.nextbigsound.com Spotify for Artists artists.spotify.com Apple Music for Artists artists.apple.com Shazam for Artists www.shazam.com/artists SoundCloud Pro www.soundcloud.com/pro Pandora AMP amp.pandora.com Rights, Licensing and Royalties When you have your music out there and you have it copyrighted, every single time it gets played, you as the artist should get paid for it regardless of where that is. It could be at a bar or at a major service such as Spotify. Music distributors like CD Baby, TuneCore and DistroKid a large chunk of the money for you but you can still get more out there. These websites below will help you get yours: ASCAP www.ascap.com BMI www.bmi.com SESAC www.sesac.com SoundExchange www.soundexchange.com SongTrust www.songtrust.com Submit your music to blogs You can also send your music to blogs or make use of services that link you to journalists and DJs. A lot of these services will also give you feedback on your music: SubmitHub www.submithub.com HumanHuman www.humanhuman.com/campaigns Emusician www.emusician.com/advisor Fluence www.fluence.io StoryAmp www.storyamp.com Create your own website You need a website in your journey and it is a crucial tool to have in this digital age. This is a place where you upload all of your music, sell merchandise and give fans an insight into your personality and your brand. Websites are easy to leverage as soon as you have the funds to make it happen: Squarespace www.squarespace.com Wix www.wix.com Weebly www.weebly.com Performance Opportunities You can also get bookings for shows and festivals with certain services online. You don’t have to go through booking managers and all their hassles. SonicBids is one excellent example of a site where you can get this done. SonicBids www.sonicbids.com

How to Craft An Excellent Band Pitch for 5 Different Types of Media Outlets

Chris Alan
-
0
How to Craft An Excellent Band Pitch for 5 Different Types of Media Outlets
In the music industry, the press is always a band’s destiny helper. For this reason, many celebrities (musicians, actors, and comedian) often believe erroneously that “any press is good press.” Wrong. This is far from being the truth. Your fans will quickly get bored if you keep shunning out same content they are already familiar with about you on the different media. You need to tell your band’s story in a way that new listeners will be attracted and your existing fans drawn closer. If this sounds like a great idea to you and you’re looking for ways to tailor your band’s story to maximize the chances of getting featured by five types of media outlets, this post will come handy for you. Let’s find out how:
  1. Newspaper
Chances are, you’re not the only one rolling out a new album soon. Thus, it is imperative that you leverage your local newspaper to reach out to a wider audience. You can do this by identifying the journalist who writes about music for your local newspaper. You can connect with them few days or weeks before dropping your album or stage your next big show. However, you must be prepared to answer tough questions beyond mere statement like “Hey, this band has a new album coming soon.”
  1. Magazine
In case you live in a fairly larger city, you may want to make use of a lifestyle magazine covering your city. If you have an upcoming album or big event, any of these periodicals can come handy for you. However, you should be aware that magazines often plan their content several weeks or months ahead before publication. Therefore, you should reach out to relevant magazines as soon as the date for the release of your CD or big event is set. Magazines can tell your band’s story from an angle a newspaper may not be able to touch due to the pressures involved in daily reportage.
  1. Alt weekly
This class of publications can serve as a goldmine to bands willing to reach out to their fans. This is largely because they can take those chances that other media outlets won’t bother to take. So, if your band regularly hangs out at a neighborhood bar till say 2:00 a.m. in the morning after practice, you might find a music writer with an alt weekly to help tell your story from a fresh angle. Such writer can bring in a new perspective on how the lyrics of your songs resonate with the ongoing political turmoil.
  1. TV and/or radio
Television and radio stations in local neighborhoods are often under pressure to fill their time with reasonable content. These media can be helpful for you. They can give you the opportunity to get a great deal of exposure through live interview or live performance in the studio. This simple exposure can make your audience to look forward to your next album or upcoming events.
  1. Blogs
The web is a hub of opportunities. Blogs offer you greater exposure opportunities than other media. Online media allow you to publish a performance filmed at an unusual location to create the sensations and excitements that will make your fans to long for more.

The Vapors rock the NYC stand with outstanding performance at the Mercury Lounge

Brandon Stein
-
0
The Vapors rock the NYC stand with outstanding performance at the Mercury Lounge
The Vapor’s first performance in New York City since 1981 was a huge success. The concert which held at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan on Friday 19th October through to Sunday 21st October was made feasible by crowdfunding efforts of interested stakeholders. The band is looking to do a more extensive North American tour very soon. The last show on the Sunday was truly glorious. Kicking off the show on October 21st was the excellent group called The Split Squad. This band is made up of experienced and talented musicians. Eddie Munoz, the renowned guitarist and Keith Streng with the Plimsouls and The Fleshstones respectively. Clem Burke, the excellent drummer from Blondie was also part of the group. Michael Giblin, the bassist with Parallax Project and Josh Kantor, the keyboardist for Big Jim’s Ego and The Baseball project. All of these people came together to deliver a truly excellent show. They played for 45 minutes and the crowd enjoyed every bit of it. They are well knit outfit and they complement each other exceedingly well. Fans close to the stage had their eyes on them all through the show as they didn’t know when Streng would spontaneously jump off the stage unto the floor to rock his guitar. The Split squad kicked off their set with a wonderful version of “Superman Says” which was originally written with Scott McCaughey and is included in their first album Now Hear This. They followed this with a performance of Hey DJ which was a criticism of what radio has turned out to be. This song will be on their next project. All of the songs that The Split Squad performed on the day just highlighted how closed knit and tight they all are and how well they work together. The Vapors are known for their 1980 hit single “Turning Japanese” and they were discovered by The Jam’s bassist Bruce Foxton. Foxton eventually co managed the band with John Weller. The Vapor had two albums that were packed with the band’s style of sharp and spiky pop. One in 1980 titles New Clear Days and the other in 1981 titled Magnets. The band eventually went their separate ways in 1981 and got back together in 2016. Dave Fenton, singer, songwriter and guitarist was a part of the reunion alongside Steve Smith, bassist, Ed Bazalgette, guitarist, and Micheal Bowes, drummer. The original drummer in the group, Howard Smith turned down the opportunity to be a part of the reunion. Bazalgette was also indisposed as he had other commitments so Dave Fenton’s son, Dan Fenton took up the role of the lead guitarist. The Vapors performed before a screen where the band logo was projected and they kicked off proceedings with their highly anticipated set with the bass heavy version of “Bunkers”. Dan Fenton made his mark immediately as the lead guitarist. Following this performance was the “Live At The Marquee” which had beautiful guitar interplay between the Fentons. A host of other hit songs were performed subsequently that had the crowd in very good spirits. The Vapors are set to return to their native UK where they will be performing in November and December in places such as Criccieth, Margate, Lewes, Southampton and London. They also have an event set for March at the O2 Kentish Town Forum in London. You can get information on their live schedule from their official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheVaporsOfficial.

PENNAN BRAE “Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars”

Brandon Stein
-
0
PENNAN BRAE “Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars”
Pennan Brae’s music is loaded with the 1970s shade, which is driven by the roaming pedal steel guitar. His 4th album, ‘The Astronot’, with its 11 songs serves as a soundtrack for the sequel film, ‘The Astronot.’ Apart from being the writer and co-producer, Pennan also acted in ‘The Astronot.’ Biography “Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars” Pennan Brae is a singer/songwriter. He is based in Vancouver. His life exemplifies the above quote. As an artist, he decided to take unusual risks during the makings of his fourth album and the results were a surprising fulfillment of his aspirations. He created an incredible career for himself, not only in music but as a rounded independent artist in the entertainment industry. Brae looks back to his past and says “As a kid, I was fascinated by pictures of the planets, solar system and galaxies.” He continues that, “The space picture books of the 1970s really captured this. It was the tail end of the NASA moon landing missions and there were so many books for kids to read. The color of the pages and pictures; I don’t know what was in their ink, but the illustrations seemed so majestic.” This was the mindset that later birth ‘The Astronot’. It is the beginning of another idea. We’ll get to that later. The film was produced mainly in Blue Light Studio in Vancouver by Producer Kaj Falch-Nielsen. Other additional sessions was filmed in Los Angeles with renowned drummer Steve Ferrone. In retrospect, Brae says “Hearing Steve Ferrone lay down the drums and Garry Gary Beers adding bass on “Walk with Me” and “Crashland” is the highlight of my career. When I was younger, I used to watch Steve drum on Eric Clapton’s 24 Nights at the Royal Albert Hall, which I had on VHS. With Garry, I was a big INXS fan in high school. They are an original band with an original sound and one of the all-time greats.” Composer and producer Eric Alexandrakis served as a mentor and one of the producers on THE ASTRONOT, and it was he who brought in Steve and Garry. “Working with Steve and Garry is such an honor. These are my musical heroes, it still hasn’t fully sunk in that I had the chance to record with them.” Just like most of the books Pennan read as a child, ‘The Astronot’ has a touch of the 70s. Aside from the ear-worm worthy tracks arising from incredible guest performers and deft instrumentation that dominate ‘The Astronot,’ there’s something else to the music. It births the idea that finally led to the making of a feature length movie, also tagged THE ASTRONOT. The music serves as the soundtrack to the movie. ‘The Astronot’ brought the progressive change and opportunity that Pennan Brae had been craving. “This release is special because it represents growth. We tried many different arrangements and recorded with different instruments and musicians. It certainly feels like a departure from my earlier three albums. My goal was to write an album instead of a group of separate singles. I wanted this record to flow from song 1 to song 10, and I think we did that. I hope that listeners enjoy hearing it unfold,” he concluded.

‘Living the Dream’ from Uriah Heep: One of the Best Albums of 2018

Brandon Stein
-
0
‘Living the Dream’ from Uriah Heep: One of the Best Albums of 2018
It is a common believe that masterpiece album such as this would knock off one star. After all, we are no longer in 1973. However, Uriah Heep’s ‘Living the Dream’ defies all odds. The album delivers an almost evangelical show of classic prog metal with no weak links at any of the corners. In fact, the bass and drums (the youth contingent), killer Hammond-mad keys, smiling Buddha guitar or, hardest to maintain, vocals and front duties, were classic performances against the rules of physics. This might sound unbelievable, but I had to resist the one-star docking due to the fact that the band’s go beyond live shows to indicate that the electric chemistry that’s all over Living the Dream is real. Thus, Living the Dream, the band’s 25th album in 49 years of existence, exhibits a collective demonstrations on fire and in tune with their base as showcased in the band’s over 125 shows a year, thereby providing global inspiration. There are numerous comparisons. Foremost, producer Jay Ruston (Black Star Riders, Stone Sour, Winery Dogs, Europe) was able to capture the band lively, high-fidelity and old school within that fidelity. Yet, without any distractions from the purity of the instrumentation, which was the only output with the use of a half dozen keyboard directives from Phil Lanzon, including a similar mélange from guitarist Mick Box, who is an original member and anchor of the band. Meanwhile, there are certain spirited jams, which may exist for back half of the eight minute-long “Rocks in the Road” — which mirrors the live events by Heep dubbed “The Magician’s Birthday,” as well as the most pertinent, raucous, and relentless drums from Russell Gilbrook. Today, I can boldly say, Gilbrook is the modern-day Heep. He’s the force driving his cohorts to excel. He regularly whacks double bass with a constant shower of crash cymbals which functions as rides. Classically, he tears off a “Hot for Teacher” shuffled deep in the sequence to deliver “Goodbye to Innocence,” a fast-pacing Purple party blues that injects a new dimension into a record known to be stuffed with the band’s soul-replenishing Yes-like positivity and choruses filled with sublime hooks for miles. All these pointed to the fact that all those Purple comparisons will linger on. Though, that’s no slag. The two bands are still waxing strong with more great records, even in recent times. It’s all about one guitar battling with a grinding Hammond, progressively, with note-density as well as circular logic and resolution. If you add a little Kansas, with Led Zeppelin, Rainbow as well as massive reverence to classic, Heep moments such as “Easy Livin’” and “July Morning,” inclusive of what we get with “Living the Dream” will pass as an album that can be considered the strongest of the fine spread starting with the 1995’s Sea of Light return. This comes after a couple wobblers in Raging Silence and Different World, which are Bernie’s first two with the band. Sure, it was a sweet suite, but there’s a uniqueness about Living the Dream that makes the band to keep putting aside any of their recent technological or stylistic nods into it to make it timeless.

How to Pitch Your Band Without PR

Chris Alan
-
0
How to Pitch Your Band Without PR
In my recent article “Ask a Publicist,” I explained that having a publicist is essential to the growth and success of your band. In reality, however, there are many bands, especially the beginners, that can’t really afford a PR. This can impede or slow down their growth. The good news is there are ways around it. So if you aren’t signed to a label with an in-house PR, I want you to relax. I will teach you how to do your own PR without breaking the bank. This approach will help you survive in the music terrain and make inroads in the media before a trained PR professional comes in to takeover your publicity. Here are things you should do:
  1. Connect with Local Press, Radio, and Promoters – BFF-Style
Your neighborhood local press like print, electronics, radio, TV and web can come handy for you when you’re just starting out. So make it a priority to make them your friends from the onset. They will see you as one of their own and do a lot of publicity for you for free. However, don’t forget to continue to nurture the relationship even if you have become a red carpet celebrity.
  1. Be Persistent without Being Annoying
If you are too pushy, you may end up becoming annoying to people who are meant to be your destiny helper. This aspect depends largely on the use of your common sense. Learn how to get the attention of people in the press without constituting a burden or a disturbance. One Golden Rule is: ‘Don’t call or send email to someone on daily basis.’ They may start ignoring your calls, and may not bother to open your emails. Make your calls once in a week or as you deem fit.
  1. Offer Something of Value for Free to Your Local Market
You can bring a lot of attention to yourself by doing something for free. This can be a free show or something that’s of value in your local market. This can help your band thrive beyond your imaginations.
  1. Take a Leap of Faith by Attempting a National Campaign
Do not limit yourself to your local market. If you know people who write in your genre and are outside of your local setting, try to pitch them to see if you can grab their attention. You can send them a song or video links of your performance digitally. You never can tell, he may start paying attention to you and your music.
  1. Don’t Take Your Friend or Your Girlfriend for Granted
If a friend of yours offers to do your PR, try to offer something of value in return. You can as well partner with a local PR person in your neighborhood for a mutually beneficial relationship. For instance, if a member of your band does IT, you can help the PR person to work on his or her website in exchange for a blasting press release or pitches. The above listed tips are some of the things you can do if you can’t afford a PR. This will help you stay abreast of your games while trying to operate within your resources.

Johnny Marr’s Show in Manhattan Was Glorious

Brandon Stein
-
0
Johnny Marr’s Show in Manhattan Was Glorious
Johnny Marr was on a tour to promote his great third solo album, Call The Comet and on October 15th, at the New York City Irving Plaza, he sold out a truly great show. Marr was accompanied by his excellent band made up of James Doviak playing the guitars and keyboards, Iwan Gronow with the bass and vocals and Jack Mitchell with the drums. They all came together to perform for 100 glorious minutes and the house was very excited. The show kicked off with a powerful version of “The Tracers” from the latest album that featured Mitchel and his drums and Marr with his stellar voice. Following the next song was Marr’s excellent guitar work and The Smiths’ “Bigmouth Strikes Again” which had the crowd in an uproar. The single “New Dominions” was a bit edgy on the latest album due to the fact that its synth driven with a Kraftwerk vibe. It plays out beautifully live and it features Mitchell and his drums and Marr with his excellent voice. Another single titled Hi Hello is the latest one from Call The Comet and it got a nice performance that was again highlighted by Marr’s stellar guitar skills. The crowd went wild when Marr and his gang completely bodied The Smiths’ “The Headmaster Ritual” and this was a big highlight of the show. The single “Walk into the Sea” followed next and it was graced by excellent work by Marr on the guitar and Doviak on the keyboards. Gronow’s bass brought a solid foundation for an excellent and electric performance on Electronics’ “Getting away with it”. The band performed a quality performance of the song as the crowd roared in enjoyment of the show. The spotlight was redirected to the rotating mirror ball on the ceiling of Irving Plaza and this lit up the venue in a spinning reflection. It was quite beautiful and this was another big highlight of the show. Marr and his gang then played the hit “Hey Angel” from the new album and they did justice to it Following a brief intermission, Marr and his gang got back to stage and started with the encore with an intense performance of “Rise” from the new album. This song Marr had started writing when he was in New York City just two days following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race of 2016. The song is against the right wing and it opens up with the lyrics “Now here they come/ it’s the dawn of the dogs….” The crowd enjoyed it. The encore came to a close with three songs from The Smith Catalog. Marr introduced Kevin Drew from the Canadian band Broken Social Scene to the stage to help with the vocals on “Please Please Please Let ME Get What I Want.” Marr and his gang performed brilliantly and the crowd loved every bit of it. Marr has taken a lead role after the tours to support the three solo albums and he and his current band have become very close and work together as a unit.

5 Types of Email Pitches Journalists Hate to Get

Chris Alan
-
0
5 Types of Email Pitches Journalists Hate to Get
It is common to see journalists being skeptic about pitches from brand new bands and artists that are yet to have a tie with a public relations company. In fact, many of them will pass you over once your name is not familiar in the midst of an avalanche of emails from recognizable PR companies. If, however, they eventually opened your message, a single blunder could cost you a great deal. This may sound harsh, but it is the reality of the industry. For me this is understandable. The fact remains that writers are humans too. They had to deal with tons of music daily. Of course, they had to deal with issues pertaining to the quality of your music as well as the presentation of your inquiry. In order to help you get on the good side of a writer’s judgment, I will share with you 5 general types of pitches you should avoid, including the common mistakes inherent in them. If you can keep them in mind while putting your pitch together, then you stand a better chance of getting positive feedbacks.
  1. Avoid a Pitch with Too Few Details
Too little details will make your pitches generic, thereby failing to grab journalists’ attention. By just saying, “Hey, I’m Punk-D, and here’s a link to my new music. Check it out! Hope you enjoy,” you’re only creating a recipe for failure. Take your time to craft a pitch that include your bio, photo, links to music, or anything else that has to do with your style of music. A vague intro won’t sell you well as someone with good credibility. Most journalists won’t waste their time opening your email.
  1. Avoid a Pitch with Too Many Details
Moderation is the key to a successful pitch. Of course, the writer needs to learn about your band first. But, sending every minute detail about your recording will be a put off. The pitch can briefly made mention of the studio and producer, but we don’t need the story of everyone in the band. A sweet synopsis of how the group came together will suffice.
  1. Avoid a Pitch That Is Full of Excuses
Journalists are not interested in your excuses. So whatever the demo or picture you’re sending across, be sure it is free of any follow-up excuses. Therefore, you should try avoiding the following lines like a plague: “Please bear with me, my demo is terribly rough.” or “The guy on the extreme right is no longer part of the band.” Such excuses will only draw attention to your shortcomings.
  1. Avoid a Pitch That Undersells Your Band
Don’t judge yourself before others judge you. Comments like “we’re an upcoming band and I know our name is yet to make…” should not find their way into your pitch. Always look on the positive side.
  1. Avoid a Pitch That Oversells Your Band
It is good to exhibit a great deal of confidence in your pitch, but don’t go overboard with it. Never craft a pitch that showcases your band as the best in town or try adding credentials you haven’t earn. Always tell your story as they are.
1...686970...72Page 69 of 72