Relapse records.

i hate even putting there name in print but someone asked.

Some good people work for that label, and as i said there are some good bands.
I can believe Mastadon would sign with anyone they could if they went through 5% of what i had too.

Sick Room:

No contract, One record at a time, artist keeps all publishing rights. Losing money since 2002...

but doesn't it make you feel better?
i can sleep knowing that i haven't made a cent.

deliberately fucking someone over?
I couldn't sleep.

the very first band i was in when i was 17 was approached by atlantic. we had practiced about 7 times, wrote something like 8 terrible songs in that time, actually flew to a studio to record, put mp3s up on mp3.com and then like 4 days later had tons of downloads for some reasno and then atlantic's a/r from california started calling me in ottawa. at that point i was under the impression that this whole major label business was the easiest thing in the world, we still hadn't played a live show and had been a band for all of maybe 10 weeks at that point practicing out of practice amps in my parents basement

nothing ever came of that but it totally ruled, probably because nothing ever came out of it.

some friends of mine signed away the rights to one of their songs to a major label for about $30,000.00 and the song was horrible, and to this day (about 8 years later) the only thing the label has been able to use it for is a video game. this is the only occurance i know of where the band didn't get fucked and actually came out on top.

also i would definitely like to thank people like jonah and steve for writing articles like the one starting this thread

because of articles like these, i have/will always stay away from major labels and as a result i am not 6 billion dollars in debt, i can put out any music i write, i don't owe anyone anything, and i might one day even be profitable putting out my own music.

so at least one person has taken these views to heart.

We just signed a "contract" this month. We will be getting 100 copies of a 7" this kid is putting out, followed by %20 of sales after he recoups his money.
The songs are off of an album we've already released and we don't owe him anything after he puts out this record.
And this is about the only type of contract I think I would sign; strangely enough I think our band might even have more money than the label so I guess that proves the theory.

Adam CR wrote:

windowlicker wrote:But what person freezing their balls off for years in a factory is going to turn down the chance to go fulltime at music?

Probably nobody, but it's rarely useful to deal in rhetoric unless of course you've been freezing your balls off in a factory for years?

Two of us have been working in factories for years, myself and the other guy have meandered around in McJobs before deciding a few years ago to get an education. This band is only going 12 months.

I acknowledge your point as regards the soul-destroying aspect, I'm already feeling like we're in over our heads, and it'll end in tears...but another part of me is going "this is what we're supposed to be doing, go with it".

windowlicker wrote:Of course it's something we'd be concerned about, but the way it is now financially, we can't even afford a rehearsal space, equipment or a van to trek up and down the country in.

And you think this band that can't attract enough of an audience to support a rehearsal space can carry its weight through a much more expensive obligation to a huge company that can destroy it at whim?

We love playing music, but can't even find a way to fit it in around our shitty jobs and other commitments, so when, out of the blue, a big, historic label shows an interest in your music what are ya going to do?

First thing, you should remember how much you love playing music, and realize that you are putting that very thing in jeopardy by getting involved with the entertainment industry.

Financially, I'd say we're as fucked right now as we'll ever be. It surely can't get much worse by signing to a major. Even if we end up owing them money, they can't get blood from a stone.

They can destroy your band with legal costs. They can make sure you never release another record. They can make sure that whatever you record for them is never heard. That would be worse.

steve wrote:

windowlicker wrote:Of course it's something we'd be concerned about, but the way it is now financially, we can't even afford a rehearsal space, equipment or a van to trek up and down the country in.

And you think this band that can't attract enough of an audience to support a rehearsal space can carry its weight through a much more expensive obligation to a huge company that can destroy it at whim?
[quote]

Fair point, but we haven't even released anything yet to get airplay or attract people to gigs. We've played less than 20 gigs. These labels are so quick, they seem to be onto bands before they have played a paying headline show.

windowlicker wrote:Fair point, but we haven't even released anything yet to get airplay or attract people to gigs. We've played less than 20 gigs. These labels are so quick, they seem to be onto bands before they have played a paying headline show.

Maybe I'm "out of touch", but since when do you require "airplay" or recordings to attract an audience? I remember playing shows for about two years before we ever even thought of recording.

The fact that these labels are "so quick" to sign should be telling.