Long story short.
I've been inspired to try some new recipes lately.
I had some bananas laying around and some Jack Daniels I got for my birthday... I thought I'd try fried bananas with jack daniels. i asked shanda if i just turned up the heat to do a reduction, and she said "no, i think you have to do a flambé"... i thought "oh yeah" and I asked her to get the camera out to capture my first flambé at home...
here are the results:
Showing posts with label My Sister Ocean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Sister Ocean. Show all posts
11.20.2007
Contemplating 30. My longest post ever?
Well it's here today.
The big three oh.
I had a great weekend with some friends and will be sharing some photos when I get a chance.
I share today's birthday with my sister-in-law, so just I wanna say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHEENA!"
Next weekend we're having a party for my daughter who's turning two.
I got my first royalty check as a songwriter yesterday. It was for a small amount, but it has been accumulating since I registered with SOCAN about 4-5 years ago. I thought the timing was appropriate. I spent my entire 20's aspiring to be a successful songwriter and a lot of the work felt like it was going unnoticed and unrewarded, and the day before my 30th birthday, I get this tiny token for my efforts. It sort of served as a reminder of the fact that most of the work I've done didn't have immediate benefits (other than the fact I enjoy it tremendously), and that I should be grateful I had the opportunity to do it in the first place.
I think you sacrifice a lot in the drive toward success in any industry. I'm thankful I never stopped trying and I don't see a stop anytime soon. I think this whole musician thing has cost me over $150,000 - $300,000 in lost income though had I decided to pursue a more traditional occupation. Being self-employed, I've also turned down certain jobs because I wanted to spend the time recording and songwriting rather than working, with the end result meaning less cash-flow in general.
BUT, I don't regret any of it and I feel it all is leading to something great; even if it means never really "making it" in other people's eyes, but simply being at ease with what I can bring to the world in my own little way, and hopefully being remunerated appropriately.
I've had a good run so far, but I have to admit, even the moderate success I've enjoyed this year with some good shows and an album in stores across Canada seems like it could've easily happened a decade ago. I felt ready back then. Now 10 years later, I'm actually glad I never "got signed" or anything when I was that young because I know how gullible I would've been and I think I'd have even less to show for it all than I do now! I still listen to the songs I've written since I was 14 and see a lot of merit in a lot of them. To think I've been performing on stage since I was 14... that's 16 years now. Am I any better than I used to be? Well, I would hope so, but you never know I guess!
Anyway, I'm writing this next part to myself as a 14 year old. That young kid would literally shit his pants if he thought any one of these things would happen to him, let alone all in one year. I just think it could've happened a little sooner, that's all...
********************
February: Gallien-Krueger Endorsement. Gallien-Krueger is the bass amp Flea plays. Nuff said. Oh, and the guys from Tool and Velvet Revolver use 'em too.
Finished recording new songs that would ultimately get released on the album Nucularboy later in the year.
Signed distribution deal for the band with D2/Fontana North/Universal for the album Nucularboy.
February/March: Won 1st place regionally in the Canadian Radiostar Songwriting Contest (flown to Toronto for a showcase at Canadian Music Week).
Played in Toronto.
Met superstar producer Steve Thompson (KORN, Guns and Roses, Tesla, Madonna, Tears for Fears... he recorded Shout, my all time fave Tears for Fears song)
March/April: Won the Kokanee Freeride Contest. Got to play Marmot Basin (outdoor concert in Jasper, Alberta).
April: Opened for Social Code.
July/August: Our CD Nucularboy hit stores across Canada. I was able to personally verify the CDs were on the shelves in Halifax and Toronto. My mom also bought some copies while she was visiting Montreal. Got to play in the West Edmonton Mall HMV.
Licensed song for use in MFC (Maximum Fighting Championship) video.
CD gets a 4 star review (out of five) in The Edmonton Journal. The band was featured twice in the journal in 2 weeks.
September: Opened for Ten Second Epic.
Produced band in my home studio.
October: Our video was played on MuchMusic/MuchLoud. 1st time I've ever appeared on national TV.
Opened for Danko Jones (in front of about 400 people or so).
Played our 3rd SONIC FM 'Band of the Month' show in 2 years.
November: The band hit the the top 20 Modern Rock chart on Garageband.com.
I received my 1st royalty cheque ever!
Producing a band at Powersound Studios.
December: Has yet to be seen....
Keep in mind, all the while the band has been featured constantly on Canadian radio, most notably charting in Winnipeg in the Top 30, and being featured from Victoria, BC to Moncton, NB. The band was also in regular rotation on XM Satellite station The Verge for 7 months.
Also did voice-over work for the MFC throughout the year.
Also featured in several newspapers, did several television appearances, played some shows out of town (Calgary, Grande Prairie, Toronto, Red Deer, Jasper), and did several radio interviews.
****************************
I think the 14 year old me would be giddy. The "now" me sees it all as fun opportunities and great experiences, but only a small portion on the work he wished he could've done in that same span of time, had it not been for the dayjob factor!
I guess I'm thankful to even write anything on that list. Some people would look at that list and laugh I guess, and some would look and be envious. Looking at it in one place like this makes me thankful, but I know how much work needs to get done and I feel like I've just scratched the surface of what needs to happen.
I do feel good knowing that at least something it happening. It's not happening at fast as I'd like, but it's forward momentum.
And I really shouldn't complain.
I also need to add that all this stuff happened because of support from family and friends not just this year, but over the course of my whole adult life.
Some people to deserve special shout-outs to include:
Shanda Holden, my mom, and all my immediate and extended family, including my dad Reg who taught me quite a bit despite our brief time spent together over the years
Eugenio Pacileo
Kevin Kossowan (we honed our songwriting skills together over more than a decade)
Phil Anderson (Owns Powersound Studios)
Eric Anderson (manager/advisor over the years)
Paul Irvine (Entertainment paralegal)
Dulce Barbosa & staff at dB Publicity and Promotions
Randy Wells (Shoreline)
Gene and staff at Gallien-Krueger Bass Amps in California
Every member of every band I've been in, including The Everett LaRoi Band, Turbinado, Cousin Henry, Highway Jones, the cover band with Tavis (who's now in Thornley), Nectar, Spring Heeled Jack, Tribute Penny, and Jamie Kossowan (one of the 1st guys in MSO)
Some Edmonton music industry peeps:
Brent Oliver
Steve Derpack
Tim and staff at the Urban Lounge (sound tech Kevin always does such a great job)
Peter at Windsor Bar and Grill
Mike Diltz
Al at Pawn Shop
Graham Cadell
Park Warden and staff at The Bear
Jason Manning, Al Ford, and all staff at Sonic FM.
CJSR
Leake at XM Satellite
THE FREQ (Winnipeg)
KICK KM (Winnipeg)
Ex-Bear FM DJ Brandon Manitoba (featured the HELL out of Cousin Henry back in the day)
Sandra Sperounes
Amanda Ash
Tom Murray
Any/all music staff at SEE, VUE, The Edmonton Sun, The Edmonton Journal, Avenue Magazine, and all the weeklies that report on music. Oh and the U of A paper The Gateway.
MSO Street Team Members!!
Other bands we've shared the stage with over the years... we've become good friends with Portal and Murder City Sparrows, but every band gets kudos for keeping the music scene alive.
I'll add Social Code, Ten Second Epic, and Tupelo Honey to the list because these guys are all cool and helping Edmonton get noticed by the industry much more than ever before.
Bekki at CityTV
Gord Sheppard (did the very 1st MSO video back in the day)
You have to include the parents of all the band members too I guess - lots of free food over the years.
Can't forget all the friends that have come to all the gigs over the years. GMCC, U of A, and work friends.
I guess that's only a minor list when you think of the 16 years of thanks that need to be given... if you read this and feel you should be added, let me know, I just thought of doing this on a whim so it's all people off the top of my head right now. Just know that if I know you, I'm thanking you for your impact on my life. If I don't know you yet, well let's change that and you'll get on the next list around my 40th or so...
Well - there's my big 30 year old rant.
Hopefully I can add some more stuff to the accomplishments list before the year is through. Oh, is getting my wife pregnant again worth mentioning? That's the little reward for those that read this far... yup, baby #2 is due in June 2008.
Peace!
The big three oh.
I had a great weekend with some friends and will be sharing some photos when I get a chance.
I share today's birthday with my sister-in-law, so just I wanna say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHEENA!"
Next weekend we're having a party for my daughter who's turning two.
I got my first royalty check as a songwriter yesterday. It was for a small amount, but it has been accumulating since I registered with SOCAN about 4-5 years ago. I thought the timing was appropriate. I spent my entire 20's aspiring to be a successful songwriter and a lot of the work felt like it was going unnoticed and unrewarded, and the day before my 30th birthday, I get this tiny token for my efforts. It sort of served as a reminder of the fact that most of the work I've done didn't have immediate benefits (other than the fact I enjoy it tremendously), and that I should be grateful I had the opportunity to do it in the first place.
I think you sacrifice a lot in the drive toward success in any industry. I'm thankful I never stopped trying and I don't see a stop anytime soon. I think this whole musician thing has cost me over $150,000 - $300,000 in lost income though had I decided to pursue a more traditional occupation. Being self-employed, I've also turned down certain jobs because I wanted to spend the time recording and songwriting rather than working, with the end result meaning less cash-flow in general.
BUT, I don't regret any of it and I feel it all is leading to something great; even if it means never really "making it" in other people's eyes, but simply being at ease with what I can bring to the world in my own little way, and hopefully being remunerated appropriately.
I've had a good run so far, but I have to admit, even the moderate success I've enjoyed this year with some good shows and an album in stores across Canada seems like it could've easily happened a decade ago. I felt ready back then. Now 10 years later, I'm actually glad I never "got signed" or anything when I was that young because I know how gullible I would've been and I think I'd have even less to show for it all than I do now! I still listen to the songs I've written since I was 14 and see a lot of merit in a lot of them. To think I've been performing on stage since I was 14... that's 16 years now. Am I any better than I used to be? Well, I would hope so, but you never know I guess!
Anyway, I'm writing this next part to myself as a 14 year old. That young kid would literally shit his pants if he thought any one of these things would happen to him, let alone all in one year. I just think it could've happened a little sooner, that's all...
********************
February: Gallien-Krueger Endorsement. Gallien-Krueger is the bass amp Flea plays. Nuff said. Oh, and the guys from Tool and Velvet Revolver use 'em too.
Finished recording new songs that would ultimately get released on the album Nucularboy later in the year.
Signed distribution deal for the band with D2/Fontana North/Universal for the album Nucularboy.
February/March: Won 1st place regionally in the Canadian Radiostar Songwriting Contest (flown to Toronto for a showcase at Canadian Music Week).
Played in Toronto.
Met superstar producer Steve Thompson (KORN, Guns and Roses, Tesla, Madonna, Tears for Fears... he recorded Shout, my all time fave Tears for Fears song)
March/April: Won the Kokanee Freeride Contest. Got to play Marmot Basin (outdoor concert in Jasper, Alberta).
April: Opened for Social Code.
July/August: Our CD Nucularboy hit stores across Canada. I was able to personally verify the CDs were on the shelves in Halifax and Toronto. My mom also bought some copies while she was visiting Montreal. Got to play in the West Edmonton Mall HMV.
Licensed song for use in MFC (Maximum Fighting Championship) video.
CD gets a 4 star review (out of five) in The Edmonton Journal. The band was featured twice in the journal in 2 weeks.
September: Opened for Ten Second Epic.
Produced band in my home studio.
October: Our video was played on MuchMusic/MuchLoud. 1st time I've ever appeared on national TV.
Opened for Danko Jones (in front of about 400 people or so).
Played our 3rd SONIC FM 'Band of the Month' show in 2 years.
November: The band hit the the top 20 Modern Rock chart on Garageband.com.
I received my 1st royalty cheque ever!
Producing a band at Powersound Studios.
December: Has yet to be seen....
Keep in mind, all the while the band has been featured constantly on Canadian radio, most notably charting in Winnipeg in the Top 30, and being featured from Victoria, BC to Moncton, NB. The band was also in regular rotation on XM Satellite station The Verge for 7 months.
Also did voice-over work for the MFC throughout the year.
Also featured in several newspapers, did several television appearances, played some shows out of town (Calgary, Grande Prairie, Toronto, Red Deer, Jasper), and did several radio interviews.
****************************
I think the 14 year old me would be giddy. The "now" me sees it all as fun opportunities and great experiences, but only a small portion on the work he wished he could've done in that same span of time, had it not been for the dayjob factor!
I guess I'm thankful to even write anything on that list. Some people would look at that list and laugh I guess, and some would look and be envious. Looking at it in one place like this makes me thankful, but I know how much work needs to get done and I feel like I've just scratched the surface of what needs to happen.
I do feel good knowing that at least something it happening. It's not happening at fast as I'd like, but it's forward momentum.
And I really shouldn't complain.
I also need to add that all this stuff happened because of support from family and friends not just this year, but over the course of my whole adult life.
Some people to deserve special shout-outs to include:
Shanda Holden, my mom, and all my immediate and extended family, including my dad Reg who taught me quite a bit despite our brief time spent together over the years
Eugenio Pacileo
Kevin Kossowan (we honed our songwriting skills together over more than a decade)
Phil Anderson (Owns Powersound Studios)
Eric Anderson (manager/advisor over the years)
Paul Irvine (Entertainment paralegal)
Dulce Barbosa & staff at dB Publicity and Promotions
Randy Wells (Shoreline)
Gene and staff at Gallien-Krueger Bass Amps in California
Every member of every band I've been in, including The Everett LaRoi Band, Turbinado, Cousin Henry, Highway Jones, the cover band with Tavis (who's now in Thornley), Nectar, Spring Heeled Jack, Tribute Penny, and Jamie Kossowan (one of the 1st guys in MSO)
Some Edmonton music industry peeps:
Brent Oliver
Steve Derpack
Tim and staff at the Urban Lounge (sound tech Kevin always does such a great job)
Peter at Windsor Bar and Grill
Mike Diltz
Al at Pawn Shop
Graham Cadell
Park Warden and staff at The Bear
Jason Manning, Al Ford, and all staff at Sonic FM.
CJSR
Leake at XM Satellite
THE FREQ (Winnipeg)
KICK KM (Winnipeg)
Ex-Bear FM DJ Brandon Manitoba (featured the HELL out of Cousin Henry back in the day)
Sandra Sperounes
Amanda Ash
Tom Murray
Any/all music staff at SEE, VUE, The Edmonton Sun, The Edmonton Journal, Avenue Magazine, and all the weeklies that report on music. Oh and the U of A paper The Gateway.
MSO Street Team Members!!
Other bands we've shared the stage with over the years... we've become good friends with Portal and Murder City Sparrows, but every band gets kudos for keeping the music scene alive.
I'll add Social Code, Ten Second Epic, and Tupelo Honey to the list because these guys are all cool and helping Edmonton get noticed by the industry much more than ever before.
Bekki at CityTV
Gord Sheppard (did the very 1st MSO video back in the day)
You have to include the parents of all the band members too I guess - lots of free food over the years.
Can't forget all the friends that have come to all the gigs over the years. GMCC, U of A, and work friends.
I guess that's only a minor list when you think of the 16 years of thanks that need to be given... if you read this and feel you should be added, let me know, I just thought of doing this on a whim so it's all people off the top of my head right now. Just know that if I know you, I'm thanking you for your impact on my life. If I don't know you yet, well let's change that and you'll get on the next list around my 40th or so...
Well - there's my big 30 year old rant.
Hopefully I can add some more stuff to the accomplishments list before the year is through. Oh, is getting my wife pregnant again worth mentioning? That's the little reward for those that read this far... yup, baby #2 is due in June 2008.
Peace!
11.08.2007
New live clip!
You know what, for all the looseness there is in this performance, I really dig the energy.
I'd love it if you share the video with your friends.
10.27.2007
The Surgents & MSO recap...
Last night's show was at The Pawn Shop. Haven't played this room yet so it was good to get in and do that. We got on around 10:30pm and The Surgents went on 'round midnight.
Eugie and I jammed quite a bit on the songs, in some cases leaving out outros of songs, dispersing hints of others songs within songs, and simply improvising arrangements and ideas on the fly. I know that when you have more than one person playing chords, the jamming has more rules to it (everyone has to be mindful of the key they're in). With only one instrument doing chords or notes, it frees the jamming to a completely different level - which Eugie and I are exploring quite a bit lately.
I think it makes the shows more fun for us (which is honestly the 1st priority), but it also gives the people that see us often some different stuff to chew on. Like in "You Can't Imagine" last night, I sang the 3rd verse over a half-time feel to a different chord progression in the same key, and we've never done that before in rehearsal or live. And it sounded good - like it should've been like that anyway. So the seamlessness of integrating new parts on the fly like that makes being in this band so rewarding!
So it was pretty much a full house last night all night, which is always cool. And we met a ton of new fans after our set, so mission accomplished in that regard. The Sonic FM peeps were out in full force and it was nice to chat with some friends of ours and just chill and enjoy the surgents set.
You can check out the surgents here: http://www.thesurgents.com/
Have a good weekend!
By the way, photos from the Danko Show have been added to our Facebook page... I'll add some here next post.
Eugie and I jammed quite a bit on the songs, in some cases leaving out outros of songs, dispersing hints of others songs within songs, and simply improvising arrangements and ideas on the fly. I know that when you have more than one person playing chords, the jamming has more rules to it (everyone has to be mindful of the key they're in). With only one instrument doing chords or notes, it frees the jamming to a completely different level - which Eugie and I are exploring quite a bit lately.
I think it makes the shows more fun for us (which is honestly the 1st priority), but it also gives the people that see us often some different stuff to chew on. Like in "You Can't Imagine" last night, I sang the 3rd verse over a half-time feel to a different chord progression in the same key, and we've never done that before in rehearsal or live. And it sounded good - like it should've been like that anyway. So the seamlessness of integrating new parts on the fly like that makes being in this band so rewarding!
So it was pretty much a full house last night all night, which is always cool. And we met a ton of new fans after our set, so mission accomplished in that regard. The Sonic FM peeps were out in full force and it was nice to chat with some friends of ours and just chill and enjoy the surgents set.
You can check out the surgents here: http://www.thesurgents.com/
Have a good weekend!
By the way, photos from the Danko Show have been added to our Facebook page... I'll add some here next post.
10.12.2007
MSO is finally rich and famous!
Well, all the hard work paid off.
MSO just signed a 20 million dollar contract for 10 albums to be completed in the next 2 weeks.
Holden bought a home in Los Angeles, New York, and a small flat in Notting Hill. Eugenio will be hosting a reality series set in New Guinea about 2 bands that have to switch drummers for a month - that should be hilarious! Holden will be divorcing his wife of 7 years to marry Eugenio. Holden also lost custody of his daughter to Kevin Federline - damn that K-Fed is such a good dad!
The band's new 10 albums will be released as a single boxed set that includes a 40 Terabyte Hard Drive that will link to your XBox, PSP, or iPod... if the band sells 1 of these the label will make roughly 30 million dollars (since the boxed set is priced at 50 million dollars).
MSO has foregone the need for further fans due to their recent success.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE- "What the hell? Oh, whoa... I just had the strangest and best dream of my life.... Huh? Was I talking in my sleep? Sorry Holden - go back to sleep. I didn't mean to wake you."
"That's okay Eug."
"Holden?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think your wife knows about us?"
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
Have a good weekend everybody.
10.09.2007
Pics from Bodog
So, the Bodog Battle was interesting... they didn't allow 2-piece bands so we entered as a trio. We brought in MSO alumnus Kevin Kossowan... He did a smokin job on his parts and judging from the video clips my wife got, it was a great performance from everyone. We were the only band with no guitar... Sweet.
.JPG)
Kev played bass for The Most and Beautiful Failures.
.JPG)
I played bass for Don't Change The Station and 'You and Me'. Kev played keys and was on harmonies for those tunes. Eugie was on drum detail of course! The harmonies in 'You and Me' with Kev and Eug singing the "I Love" parts sounded really cool - someone commented to Kev after that they thought we were playing along with a sequencer... nope.
b.jpg)
Me and Eugie after the set.
We only had time for 4 songs - and we even had to cut 'You and Me' short to stay under the 20 minute limit. 20 minutes was definitely the limit that I could handle some of the bands!! :) And I'm sure it was the same for some of them in regards to MSO...
Hey, if you have a second, can you quickly request MSO "Don't Change The Station" on Much? Thanks!
ondemand@muchmusic.com
Peace!
.JPG)
Kev played bass for The Most and Beautiful Failures.
.JPG)
I played bass for Don't Change The Station and 'You and Me'. Kev played keys and was on harmonies for those tunes. Eugie was on drum detail of course! The harmonies in 'You and Me' with Kev and Eug singing the "I Love" parts sounded really cool - someone commented to Kev after that they thought we were playing along with a sequencer... nope.
b.jpg)
Me and Eugie after the set.
We only had time for 4 songs - and we even had to cut 'You and Me' short to stay under the 20 minute limit. 20 minutes was definitely the limit that I could handle some of the bands!! :) And I'm sure it was the same for some of them in regards to MSO...
Hey, if you have a second, can you quickly request MSO "Don't Change The Station" on Much? Thanks!
ondemand@muchmusic.com
Peace!
10.08.2007
Thanks Mallory and Joanna!
MSO is very lucky to have a street team and 2 girls in particular show up to nearly every show.
Tonight they came out to the Bodog Battle and I just wanted to say thanks for the support - you know you have a connection when you share Nachos dipped in Ketchup.
I also didn't know there were so many metal bands in Edmonton.
That is all.
Tonight they came out to the Bodog Battle and I just wanted to say thanks for the support - you know you have a connection when you share Nachos dipped in Ketchup.
I also didn't know there were so many metal bands in Edmonton.
That is all.
10.04.2007
Busy October!
4 MSO shows in Edmonton...
October 7th. BODOG Battle of the Bands. 1 Million Dollars eventually at stake. This is round one. At Jet Nightclub. 9221 34 Ave NW
October 18th. The Urban Lounge. Opening for DANKO JONES. $20. 18+. Part of the New Urban Lounge grand re-opening week.
October 19th. The Locker Room. 10209-100ave (Riverview Inn lower level). Opening for Saskatoon's THE WHEATMONKEYS. $10. 18+.
October 26th. SONIC FM BAND OF THE MONTH SHOW FEATURING THE SURGENTS. The Pawn Shop. 10549 82 ave
Funny - last month we had no gigs lines up for October. Suddenly we have 4 in one city. When it rains it pours I guess! They're all opening slots with different bands though, so thankfully we'll get to play in front of a LOT of new people...
After all, we DO have an album to promote!
Other news - I'm stoked for Eugie. He got a new gig - I'm sure he'll blog about it so I won't say anything further.
I am ridiculously stoked for all the shows this month! This weekend with Kev should be way cool. The Danko show will kick ass. And our 3rd Sonic FM show... our first time we were the band of the month. The second time we were the openers. And this time we're openers again. What's that saying? The best compliment is simply being invited back? Or something like that...
I watched Knocked Up last night. I laughed my ass off a bunch of times. Worth checking out!
Tonight I've got a busy night of wasting time ahead of me... The Office. My Name is Earl. Might check out some Survivor. And we rented Blades of Glory. So much entertainment, so little time.
Oh, and one of these days I might get some work done. :P
Peace y'all.
Screw Flanders!
October 7th. BODOG Battle of the Bands. 1 Million Dollars eventually at stake. This is round one. At Jet Nightclub. 9221 34 Ave NW
October 18th. The Urban Lounge. Opening for DANKO JONES. $20. 18+. Part of the New Urban Lounge grand re-opening week.
October 19th. The Locker Room. 10209-100ave (Riverview Inn lower level). Opening for Saskatoon's THE WHEATMONKEYS. $10. 18+.
October 26th. SONIC FM BAND OF THE MONTH SHOW FEATURING THE SURGENTS. The Pawn Shop. 10549 82 ave
Funny - last month we had no gigs lines up for October. Suddenly we have 4 in one city. When it rains it pours I guess! They're all opening slots with different bands though, so thankfully we'll get to play in front of a LOT of new people...
After all, we DO have an album to promote!
Other news - I'm stoked for Eugie. He got a new gig - I'm sure he'll blog about it so I won't say anything further.
I am ridiculously stoked for all the shows this month! This weekend with Kev should be way cool. The Danko show will kick ass. And our 3rd Sonic FM show... our first time we were the band of the month. The second time we were the openers. And this time we're openers again. What's that saying? The best compliment is simply being invited back? Or something like that...
I watched Knocked Up last night. I laughed my ass off a bunch of times. Worth checking out!
Tonight I've got a busy night of wasting time ahead of me... The Office. My Name is Earl. Might check out some Survivor. And we rented Blades of Glory. So much entertainment, so little time.
Oh, and one of these days I might get some work done. :P
Peace y'all.
Screw Flanders!
9.26.2007
Wheels, start squeaking!!
Well, we've all heard the expression squeaky wheels get the grease...
I'm noticing that really is the case in the music industry.
This is an industry DRIVEN by fans who are vocal. Radio stations and video stations like MuchMusic need an audience for their advertisers, and if an audience wants something, you can bet they're going to give it!
So......
No matter what area of Canada you live in, we urge you to call your local rock station and TELL them, don't ASK them, to play MY SISTER OCEAN!
MuchMusic has received the new video for Don't Change The Station. They need some convincing to play it more often than the odd "indie spotlight". If you have a minute, please email ondemand@muchmusic.com and put Don't Change The Station by MY SISTER OCEAN in the subject line. Please tell your friends to do the same. Every day. For a month.
If you have more than a minute, send some messages to the other Much shows letting them know they need to play more My Sister Ocean!
Countdown – muchmail@muchmusic.com
Going Coastal – goingcoastal@muchmusic.com
Loud (the show) – loud@muchmusic.com
MuchLOUD (the channel) – muchloud@muchmusic.com
MuchOnDemand – ondemand@muchmusic.com
MuchTakeOver – takeover@muchmusic.com
MuchTopTens – toptens@muchmusic.com
The NewMusic – info@thenewmusic.net
PowerShift – powershift@muchmusic.com
The Punk Show – thepunkshow@muchmusic.com
The Wedge – wedge@muchmusic.com
Wheels, start squeaking!!
I'm noticing that really is the case in the music industry.
This is an industry DRIVEN by fans who are vocal. Radio stations and video stations like MuchMusic need an audience for their advertisers, and if an audience wants something, you can bet they're going to give it!
So......
No matter what area of Canada you live in, we urge you to call your local rock station and TELL them, don't ASK them, to play MY SISTER OCEAN!
MuchMusic has received the new video for Don't Change The Station. They need some convincing to play it more often than the odd "indie spotlight". If you have a minute, please email ondemand@muchmusic.com and put Don't Change The Station by MY SISTER OCEAN in the subject line. Please tell your friends to do the same. Every day. For a month.
If you have more than a minute, send some messages to the other Much shows letting them know they need to play more My Sister Ocean!
Countdown – muchmail@muchmusic.com
Going Coastal – goingcoastal@muchmusic.com
Loud (the show) – loud@muchmusic.com
MuchLOUD (the channel) – muchloud@muchmusic.com
MuchOnDemand – ondemand@muchmusic.com
MuchTakeOver – takeover@muchmusic.com
MuchTopTens – toptens@muchmusic.com
The NewMusic – info@thenewmusic.net
PowerShift – powershift@muchmusic.com
The Punk Show – thepunkshow@muchmusic.com
The Wedge – wedge@muchmusic.com
Wheels, start squeaking!!
9.14.2007
MSO on the radio...
Alright, well if you don't live in Winnipeg, MSO might not quite be played in your city as of yet...
BUT, you can hear MSO on the radio anyway!
I have the playlist for tomorrow at THE FREQ (they post it everyday) and it looks like we'll be played at 11:42AM.
http://www.freq107.com/htm_playlists/saturday.HTM (note the info will change by next week)
So, if you can't wait to hear MSO on the radio, check it out at http://www.freq107.com/
You can stream the station on your computer.
I gotta say, I like their playlist!!
BUT, you can hear MSO on the radio anyway!
I have the playlist for tomorrow at THE FREQ (they post it everyday) and it looks like we'll be played at 11:42AM.
http://www.freq107.com/htm_playlists/saturday.HTM (note the info will change by next week)
So, if you can't wait to hear MSO on the radio, check it out at http://www.freq107.com/
You can stream the station on your computer.
I gotta say, I like their playlist!!
9.08.2007
New photos in MSO album.
Me signing a breast. Nicole's breast to be specific.
Andrew fromTen Second Epic and me after the show. Both quite sweaty from rocking the crowd so hard.
Check out all the photos from last night's show toward the end of the album on Facebook...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13824&l=58e94&id=770960393
Ten Second Epic & NESTFEST
Tonight we opened for Ten Second Epic at NAIT for the NESTFEST, a yearly back to school event put on by the Nait Student's Association. Superbeing from Vancouver also played - they opened for us last year at the Sidetrack Cafe. It was a great crowd and I got some hilarious photos that I'll be posting tomorrow.
We only played a 30 minute set. We rocked though.
A special thanks to Chuck for having us and to all the new fans we made tonight - thanks for buying the CDs and T-shirts! Hope to see you next time we play in Edmonton.
I just found out this afternoon that TSE was the headliner so it was a pleasant surprise as we hadn't played with them yet, and they are doing very well nationally. The guys were really nice (like good Alberta boys should be) and it was fun to hang out a bit after.
Eug and I went to Denny's after. Now I'm so tired it's rediculous but I am also hopped up on coffee. Why do I do this to myself? :)
We're still getting played quite a bit in Winnipeg so we just wanted to say thanks to them for keeping on with the MSO. That's very cool.
Peace.
We only played a 30 minute set. We rocked though.
A special thanks to Chuck for having us and to all the new fans we made tonight - thanks for buying the CDs and T-shirts! Hope to see you next time we play in Edmonton.
I just found out this afternoon that TSE was the headliner so it was a pleasant surprise as we hadn't played with them yet, and they are doing very well nationally. The guys were really nice (like good Alberta boys should be) and it was fun to hang out a bit after.
Eug and I went to Denny's after. Now I'm so tired it's rediculous but I am also hopped up on coffee. Why do I do this to myself? :)
We're still getting played quite a bit in Winnipeg so we just wanted to say thanks to them for keeping on with the MSO. That's very cool.
Peace.
9.06.2007
Music Video Q&A
I've had so many questions about the latest music video so I thought I'd answer some of them here...
Q1. Who directed it?
A: Me. Camera operators were myself, Eug (drummer in the band), and my wife Shanda. Most of it was handheld.
Q2. Where was it shot?
A: The postering shots were done on Whyte Ave in Edmonton (any Edmonton people would recognize the location). The brick wall/graffiti shots were done on Whyte as well (in an alley just off 104st). The industrial looking power line shots were done around 82ave and 25st.
Q3: Did you use a Mac or PC to edit?
A: A PC. I've been using Avid Liquid Edition to edit everything for the last several years. Don't ask me why - I just jumped into it. If I were to start over again I think I'd go with Final Cut Pro (have used it). I may end up getting a Mac soon though.
Q4: HD?
A: Yes.
Q5: Is it hard to direct and star in your own music video.
A: It took many efforts over many years to get comfortable with it. This time around it was very easy and fun but it took a lot of planning and thought beforehand (I actually wrote a treatment this time), and many failed attempts as well. In the past I've always tended to rely on effects to make a video interesting. It took a while for me to realize what makes a music video interesting to me (and others) and what makes it good for places like MuchMusic, MTV, etc... Which brings me to question 6.
Q6: Why did you do another video for Don't Change The Station?
A: Well, we do have 2 other singles in mind from Nucularboy so we could've just dove into doing a better video for a new song. BUT. When we spoke with MuchMusic, they said that the song was strong (which we agree with) and that it would have a better likelihood of getting played with a video that wasn't so dark as our first one. We're still just starting to get airplay for this song and didn't want to change horses mid-race so to speak. So, we cut our losses, learned from the mistake, and made a much clearer video! We'll find out in a week or so if Much will play it, but regardless, it's still a great marketing tool for the band thanks to YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, etc. People can associate faces with the song, and it's now part of our press kit as well. For the laser video, I wanted us to be shrouded in mystery. I simply did too much of it and now I have learned that I needed some foreground lighting just to show our faces a bit more. Oh well. Now that I've done both, I can say that in the process I learned so much about what to do and not do with music videos, and fell much more confident going forward with directing future MSO videos or even music videos for other bands/artists.
Q7: Are you interested in doing a music video for my band?
A: Yes. Send me an email mso at mysisterocean dot com (replace at with @ and dot with . and delete the spaces) for info. I've been doing professional video work for years but the music video medium has always been this elusive tricky thing for me for some reason. Anyway, I've cracked the code, got rid of the mental block I had, and am now ready to call myself a music video director (keep in mind I've directed many over the years, but only recently would I say I am one). I feel like the latest video shows what I can do and anyone interested should consider that video a "minimum level of quality" for any video they might want me to do for them.
Q8: Why didn't you just get someone else to do it?
A: Cause as it says in my blogger profile, I'm a megalomaniac.
Q9: Oh yeah, didn't you also produce the MSO album.
A: Yeah.
Q10: So, you're basically in love with yourself?
A: This interview is over! But yes. The answer is yes I do.
Q1. Who directed it?
A: Me. Camera operators were myself, Eug (drummer in the band), and my wife Shanda. Most of it was handheld.
Q2. Where was it shot?
A: The postering shots were done on Whyte Ave in Edmonton (any Edmonton people would recognize the location). The brick wall/graffiti shots were done on Whyte as well (in an alley just off 104st). The industrial looking power line shots were done around 82ave and 25st.
Q3: Did you use a Mac or PC to edit?
A: A PC. I've been using Avid Liquid Edition to edit everything for the last several years. Don't ask me why - I just jumped into it. If I were to start over again I think I'd go with Final Cut Pro (have used it). I may end up getting a Mac soon though.
Q4: HD?
A: Yes.
Q5: Is it hard to direct and star in your own music video.
A: It took many efforts over many years to get comfortable with it. This time around it was very easy and fun but it took a lot of planning and thought beforehand (I actually wrote a treatment this time), and many failed attempts as well. In the past I've always tended to rely on effects to make a video interesting. It took a while for me to realize what makes a music video interesting to me (and others) and what makes it good for places like MuchMusic, MTV, etc... Which brings me to question 6.
Q6: Why did you do another video for Don't Change The Station?
A: Well, we do have 2 other singles in mind from Nucularboy so we could've just dove into doing a better video for a new song. BUT. When we spoke with MuchMusic, they said that the song was strong (which we agree with) and that it would have a better likelihood of getting played with a video that wasn't so dark as our first one. We're still just starting to get airplay for this song and didn't want to change horses mid-race so to speak. So, we cut our losses, learned from the mistake, and made a much clearer video! We'll find out in a week or so if Much will play it, but regardless, it's still a great marketing tool for the band thanks to YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, etc. People can associate faces with the song, and it's now part of our press kit as well. For the laser video, I wanted us to be shrouded in mystery. I simply did too much of it and now I have learned that I needed some foreground lighting just to show our faces a bit more. Oh well. Now that I've done both, I can say that in the process I learned so much about what to do and not do with music videos, and fell much more confident going forward with directing future MSO videos or even music videos for other bands/artists.
Q7: Are you interested in doing a music video for my band?
A: Yes. Send me an email mso at mysisterocean dot com (replace at with @ and dot with . and delete the spaces) for info. I've been doing professional video work for years but the music video medium has always been this elusive tricky thing for me for some reason. Anyway, I've cracked the code, got rid of the mental block I had, and am now ready to call myself a music video director (keep in mind I've directed many over the years, but only recently would I say I am one). I feel like the latest video shows what I can do and anyone interested should consider that video a "minimum level of quality" for any video they might want me to do for them.
Q8: Why didn't you just get someone else to do it?
A: Cause as it says in my blogger profile, I'm a megalomaniac.
Q9: Oh yeah, didn't you also produce the MSO album.
A: Yeah.
Q10: So, you're basically in love with yourself?
A: This interview is over! But yes. The answer is yes I do.
8.28.2007
MSO cracks Top 30 in Winnipeg!
2 Winnipeg stations are giving MSO some serious love, and one of them (KICK FM) has us at #26 in their weekly chart (last week was #29).
This chart is updated weekly, so the info may change, but I've posted this week's info below (although it's not in table form anymore).
http://thekick40.blogspot.com/
Anyway, we'll be playing Winnipeg sometime this fall so we're looking forward to meeting the new MSO fans that have been hearing us on the stations and letting us know they love MSO. Now if only Edmonton were to jump on board too... :)
Here's the report:
the kick top 40
For the week of August 26, 2007
TW
LW
Artist
Title
CD
1
1
Modest Mouse
Missed The Boat
We Were Dead Before This Ship Even Sank
2
2
Amy Winehouse
You Know I'm No Good
Back To Black
3
3
The Kaiser Chiefs
Heat Dies Down
Yours Truly, Angry Mob
4
4
Coconut Records
West Coast
Nighttiming
5
7
Patrick Wolf
The Magic Position
The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
6
6
The Editors
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
An End Has a Start
7
10
Peter Bjorn and John
Young Folks
Writer's Block
8
8
The Grenadiers (formerly the Attics)
Worth Our Weight In Gold
WinCon
9
12
Polyphonic Spree
Running Away
The Fragile Army
10
5
The Cribs
Man's Needs
Men's Needs, Women's Needs Whatever
11
9
Why
To Be Human
Red
WinCon
12
16
Mute Math
Typical
Mute Math
13
17
Lily Allen
Nan, You're a Window Shopper
Alright Still
14
11
The Morning After
Butterfly Song
WinCon
15
19
The Idgets
Arabia
Come On
WinCon
16
20
The Playing Cards
What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf
WinCon
17
22
Consumer Goods
Sam Katz
Happy Bidet
WinCon
18
13
The Bravery
Time Won't Let Me Go
The Sun and the Moon
19
14
The Rumble Strips
Alarm Clock
The Rumble Strips
20
23
Reverend and the Makers
Heavyweight Champion of the World
And Whilst The World Was Asleep…
21
21
Wazookaa
Bermuda Love Triangle
WinCon
22
25
The National
Fake Empire
Boxer
23
26
Spoon
The Underdog
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
24
27
Silversun Pickups
Well Thought Out Twinkle
Carnavas
25
28
Mike Burnard
Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust
WinCon
26 (this week)
29 (last week)
My Sister Ocean
Don't Change The Station
Nucular Boy
27
30
The Original Painkiller
The Occult
WinCon
28
31
Arctic Monkeys
Fluorescent Adolescent
Hospital Music
29
18
The Klaxons
Golden Skans
Myths of the Near Future
30
32
Rilo Kiley
The Moneymaker
Under The Blacklight
31
15
Manic Street Preachers
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Send Away The Tigers
32
34
Matthew Good
Born Losers
Hospital Music
33
36
Rooney
When Did Your Heart Go Missing
Calling The World
34
37
Tegan and Sara
Back In Your Head
The Con
35
38
Hard-Fi
Suburban Knights
Once Upon a Time in the West
36
39
Stars
Take Me To The Riot
In Our Bedroom After The War
37
24
Interpol
The Heinrich Maneuver
Our Love To Admire
38
new
The Details
Always Always Always Never
Draw a Distance, Draw a Border
WinCon
39
new
Paramore
Misery Business
Riot!
40
new
VHS or Beta
Can't Believe a Single Word
Bring on the Comets
This chart is updated weekly, so the info may change, but I've posted this week's info below (although it's not in table form anymore).
http://thekick40.blogspot.com/
Anyway, we'll be playing Winnipeg sometime this fall so we're looking forward to meeting the new MSO fans that have been hearing us on the stations and letting us know they love MSO. Now if only Edmonton were to jump on board too... :)
Here's the report:
the kick top 40
For the week of August 26, 2007
TW
LW
Artist
Title
CD
1
1
Modest Mouse
Missed The Boat
We Were Dead Before This Ship Even Sank
2
2
Amy Winehouse
You Know I'm No Good
Back To Black
3
3
The Kaiser Chiefs
Heat Dies Down
Yours Truly, Angry Mob
4
4
Coconut Records
West Coast
Nighttiming
5
7
Patrick Wolf
The Magic Position
The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
6
6
The Editors
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
An End Has a Start
7
10
Peter Bjorn and John
Young Folks
Writer's Block
8
8
The Grenadiers (formerly the Attics)
Worth Our Weight In Gold
WinCon
9
12
Polyphonic Spree
Running Away
The Fragile Army
10
5
The Cribs
Man's Needs
Men's Needs, Women's Needs Whatever
11
9
Why
To Be Human
Red
WinCon
12
16
Mute Math
Typical
Mute Math
13
17
Lily Allen
Nan, You're a Window Shopper
Alright Still
14
11
The Morning After
Butterfly Song
WinCon
15
19
The Idgets
Arabia
Come On
WinCon
16
20
The Playing Cards
What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf
WinCon
17
22
Consumer Goods
Sam Katz
Happy Bidet
WinCon
18
13
The Bravery
Time Won't Let Me Go
The Sun and the Moon
19
14
The Rumble Strips
Alarm Clock
The Rumble Strips
20
23
Reverend and the Makers
Heavyweight Champion of the World
And Whilst The World Was Asleep…
21
21
Wazookaa
Bermuda Love Triangle
WinCon
22
25
The National
Fake Empire
Boxer
23
26
Spoon
The Underdog
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
24
27
Silversun Pickups
Well Thought Out Twinkle
Carnavas
25
28
Mike Burnard
Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust
WinCon
26 (this week)
29 (last week)
My Sister Ocean
Don't Change The Station
Nucular Boy
27
30
The Original Painkiller
The Occult
WinCon
28
31
Arctic Monkeys
Fluorescent Adolescent
Hospital Music
29
18
The Klaxons
Golden Skans
Myths of the Near Future
30
32
Rilo Kiley
The Moneymaker
Under The Blacklight
31
15
Manic Street Preachers
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Send Away The Tigers
32
34
Matthew Good
Born Losers
Hospital Music
33
36
Rooney
When Did Your Heart Go Missing
Calling The World
34
37
Tegan and Sara
Back In Your Head
The Con
35
38
Hard-Fi
Suburban Knights
Once Upon a Time in the West
36
39
Stars
Take Me To The Riot
In Our Bedroom After The War
37
24
Interpol
The Heinrich Maneuver
Our Love To Admire
38
new
The Details
Always Always Always Never
Draw a Distance, Draw a Border
WinCon
39
new
Paramore
Misery Business
Riot!
40
new
VHS or Beta
Can't Believe a Single Word
Bring on the Comets
8.10.2007
MSO loves Winnipeg!!
Winnipeg is the first Canadian city outside of Edmonton to give My Sister Ocean rotation! IN fact, 2 Winnipeg stations are spinning MSO!
Their rock station The Freq 107 added us to their playlist last week.
So did Kick FM.
We're stoked about that and hopeful that other stations will start to follow suit soon.
Also, I finally got to see where our CD is selling and there are more CDs in some areas in Canada, but every HMV in Canada has them in stock. If your local HMV is sold out, you can order it from them very easily.
Cities where here are lots of CDs include Edmonton, Calgary, Richmond, Montreal, Toronto. Most other towns/cities have only a handful of CDs so they may have alraedy sold out. Please don't let that deter you!! Make sure you let the store know how many friends of yours might also buy the disc within the next month or so, that way they can order enough to accommodate everyone.
This is an interesting time for MSO! A lot of firsts for us... So if you feel like being extra supportive of the band and hearing us on the radio, a simple word to your friends and family to buy the CD would really go a long way. It's simple math really - if people buy our CDs, radio will notice and play us because they'll see evidence of listeners who have bought it. Once a little radio buzz starts happening, the shows will start to get bigger and better. We as a band have done as much as we can to lay the groundwork but now a lot of this is up to our friends, family, and fans to help wave the MSO flag and make sure the whole country knows who we are.
Thanks to everyone that's been buying the CD, special-ordering it, and requesting us. You can now request us in Winnipeg and they'll actually play the song, as opposed to other stations who are still giving some of you some resistance. Keep it up - ultimately you decide what you want to hear on the radio! THANKS Y'ALL!
Their rock station The Freq 107 added us to their playlist last week.
So did Kick FM.
We're stoked about that and hopeful that other stations will start to follow suit soon.
Also, I finally got to see where our CD is selling and there are more CDs in some areas in Canada, but every HMV in Canada has them in stock. If your local HMV is sold out, you can order it from them very easily.
Cities where here are lots of CDs include Edmonton, Calgary, Richmond, Montreal, Toronto. Most other towns/cities have only a handful of CDs so they may have alraedy sold out. Please don't let that deter you!! Make sure you let the store know how many friends of yours might also buy the disc within the next month or so, that way they can order enough to accommodate everyone.
This is an interesting time for MSO! A lot of firsts for us... So if you feel like being extra supportive of the band and hearing us on the radio, a simple word to your friends and family to buy the CD would really go a long way. It's simple math really - if people buy our CDs, radio will notice and play us because they'll see evidence of listeners who have bought it. Once a little radio buzz starts happening, the shows will start to get bigger and better. We as a band have done as much as we can to lay the groundwork but now a lot of this is up to our friends, family, and fans to help wave the MSO flag and make sure the whole country knows who we are.
Thanks to everyone that's been buying the CD, special-ordering it, and requesting us. You can now request us in Winnipeg and they'll actually play the song, as opposed to other stations who are still giving some of you some resistance. Keep it up - ultimately you decide what you want to hear on the radio! THANKS Y'ALL!
8.01.2007
My Sister Ocean mentioned briefly in Nickelback story
I was asked my opinion about Nickelback... it showed up here somehow!
http://www.whatsonwinnipeg.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26701
http://www.whatsonwinnipeg.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26701
MSO Mailbag Question 1
New feature of my blog: your questions and my answers.
This question came as an email to our main mso account.
Subject: ....? no free music?
Hey,Why don't you have downloads of some of your stuff? I just heard you on the radio, sounded pretty good, I want to hear some more... no I am not buying a full CD, nor am I going to pay a dollar a download (at this point).Don't you make most of your money from touring anyway (its what I've heard, please tell me if I am wrong)? It would make sense to get people interested in your music by allowing others to share and distribute it freely, that way when you come to a city more people will put out money which actually ends up in your pockets.Thanks for your time, Edmonton Student
My response.
Subject: re: ....? no free music?
Hey (Edmonton Student) - you can stream to whole album freely at http://www.thesoundradio.com/artist/mysisterocean (this link is already on our website in the links section)We sometimes offer free downloads to our street team members and mailing list subscribers.Most artists at our level actually lose money on tours, believe it or not, so merch sales and album sales are important for any type of revenue. While free downloads could in theory help get our name out there more, in the past it's simply meant no one was buying anything, so we've been pretty stingy on the free stuff without getting anything in return (ie an email address on the mailing list).I agree with being able to check out a whole album before buying it, that's why you can stream it in its entirety and not pay a thing. Plus, you can do that as many times as you want. If you like the band enough to distribute songs to your friends, we would ask that you distribute the link http://www.thesoundradio.com/artist/mysisterocean and let them purchase the album or any single at iTunes (or similar sites) if they happen to like it as well.
We offer free downloads every once in a while on MySpace but it's rare and the people on the mailing list, Facebook group, or in our friends list on MySpace are generally the only people who know about it, and it only lasts 1-2 days before we make it not downloadable anymore. But now that Nucularboy is in stores and the single is climbing the charts in radio, we actually haven't thought about whether we'd offer the single for free or not. If we offer it for free, then I really don't think anyone would buy it. And in all honesty, I think it's very fair to be paid for it from people who want it, and to allow people who are on the fence about it to listen to the whole thing for free.
I think if we offer anything for free in terms of MP3s it would be B sides and/or live versions of the songs, that way the band name would be shareable and distributable, without taking potential sales away from the actual album we're trying to sell.
In a perfect world, all the music would be free and the artists could rely on tour revenue exclusively, but at this point, we actually rely on any sales we can get because until you're a household name, tours need funding from government agencies (FACTOR) to supplement the losses most bands incur! We're trying to be smarter about that and being a duo makes touring a lot easier, but yeah, you're assumption about the touring really only applies to a small percentage of bands!
So if you are becoming an MSO fan (which would be great!), all we ask is you enjoy the music and spread the word. We'll have some free MP3s soon of our acoustic performance at HMV yesterday, but we're not planning on offering any singles from the album for free to anyone except people who are active subscribers to our mailing list or members of our Facebook or MySpace group, which I think you'd agree is fair?
Great inquiry (Edmonton Student) and thanks for a great question! Hope my answer A) makes sense and B) doesn't piss you off!
PS: Which station did you hear us on? And when?
Cheers, Holden - My Sister Ocean
*******************************************
What do YOU think? Send me a message!
This question came as an email to our main mso account.
Subject: ....? no free music?
Hey,Why don't you have downloads of some of your stuff? I just heard you on the radio, sounded pretty good, I want to hear some more... no I am not buying a full CD, nor am I going to pay a dollar a download (at this point).Don't you make most of your money from touring anyway (its what I've heard, please tell me if I am wrong)? It would make sense to get people interested in your music by allowing others to share and distribute it freely, that way when you come to a city more people will put out money which actually ends up in your pockets.Thanks for your time, Edmonton Student
My response.
Subject: re: ....? no free music?
Hey (Edmonton Student) - you can stream to whole album freely at http://www.thesoundradio.com/artist/mysisterocean (this link is already on our website in the links section)We sometimes offer free downloads to our street team members and mailing list subscribers.Most artists at our level actually lose money on tours, believe it or not, so merch sales and album sales are important for any type of revenue. While free downloads could in theory help get our name out there more, in the past it's simply meant no one was buying anything, so we've been pretty stingy on the free stuff without getting anything in return (ie an email address on the mailing list).I agree with being able to check out a whole album before buying it, that's why you can stream it in its entirety and not pay a thing. Plus, you can do that as many times as you want. If you like the band enough to distribute songs to your friends, we would ask that you distribute the link http://www.thesoundradio.com/artist/mysisterocean and let them purchase the album or any single at iTunes (or similar sites) if they happen to like it as well.
We offer free downloads every once in a while on MySpace but it's rare and the people on the mailing list, Facebook group, or in our friends list on MySpace are generally the only people who know about it, and it only lasts 1-2 days before we make it not downloadable anymore. But now that Nucularboy is in stores and the single is climbing the charts in radio, we actually haven't thought about whether we'd offer the single for free or not. If we offer it for free, then I really don't think anyone would buy it. And in all honesty, I think it's very fair to be paid for it from people who want it, and to allow people who are on the fence about it to listen to the whole thing for free.
I think if we offer anything for free in terms of MP3s it would be B sides and/or live versions of the songs, that way the band name would be shareable and distributable, without taking potential sales away from the actual album we're trying to sell.
In a perfect world, all the music would be free and the artists could rely on tour revenue exclusively, but at this point, we actually rely on any sales we can get because until you're a household name, tours need funding from government agencies (FACTOR) to supplement the losses most bands incur! We're trying to be smarter about that and being a duo makes touring a lot easier, but yeah, you're assumption about the touring really only applies to a small percentage of bands!
So if you are becoming an MSO fan (which would be great!), all we ask is you enjoy the music and spread the word. We'll have some free MP3s soon of our acoustic performance at HMV yesterday, but we're not planning on offering any singles from the album for free to anyone except people who are active subscribers to our mailing list or members of our Facebook or MySpace group, which I think you'd agree is fair?
Great inquiry (Edmonton Student) and thanks for a great question! Hope my answer A) makes sense and B) doesn't piss you off!
PS: Which station did you hear us on? And when?
Cheers, Holden - My Sister Ocean
*******************************************
What do YOU think? Send me a message!
7.26.2007
MSO in the Edmonton Journal today...
Pick up a Journal and check out the back page of Section D.
Sandra Sperounes wrote a great story on the band.
It's fun to see a huge article about the Simpsons movie on the cover and our little picture right above it too... sweeeeet. :)
Sandra Sperounes wrote a great story on the band.
It's fun to see a huge article about the Simpsons movie on the cover and our little picture right above it too... sweeeeet. :)
SEE Article
Special thanks to Amanda Ash for chit-chatting with me about the album and taking the time to write this story.
http://www.seemagazine.com/Issues/2007/0726/mus2.htm
http://www.seemagazine.com/Issues/2007/0726/mus2.htm
6.28.2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG){kind=link}