Approaching the media

Introduction

There's one sure-fire rule in this business. If someone comes up to you and asks you for a demo / white label / mix tape you can absolutely guarantee that they will listen to it. So your best chance to get your act heard is to create a buzz around to generate that sort of interest. The media can help in two ways:
· They will help raise your profile in your area. As we've said in other Guides, there's a well established grapevine around the country and word will spread if you're buzzing in your home town.
· They will provide you with independent quotes which will help you in other areas. You can use good press from one medium to help get the attention of another. Or it may help secure that distribution or record deal.

Local press

Local press is a good place to start. Every area has a free listings paper with a music page, or a local paper that does entertainment features. Get hold of the Music Editor or the journalist who covers it and start sending them press releases and demos. Local papers have a smaller readership but they're much more approachable and it's much easier to get gigs or recordings reviewed. You may find that if you send them a well written press release, it will be printed more or less whole.

It doesn't sound quite as credible as a review in the NME or Mixmag but it can go an awful long way to helping you out. It's part of building that all-important local buzz. This in turn gets the people that A&R scouts and other industry types rely on for information talking about you. Local promoters, record-shop etc. will get calls from the scouts asking who's big in their area.

"In the quest to drum up some interest in your band, think local when it comes to media coverage. Listings magazines and local newspapers are generally fairly obliging when it comes to coverage of young bands from their area. Nevertheless, there are still a few basic rules to observe when approaching your friendly neighbourhood hack.

"If possible, find out the name of a publication's music correspondent, then email or write to him/her with details of your forthcoming gigs and your contact number/email address. Keep it simple and brief. A sense of humour is appreciated, a bound copy of your biography/influences/previous press clippings is not.

"Contrary to appearances, local music writers are not stupid. They know that when a group describes itself as "The Beta Band meets Miles Davis down a blind alley" it means they sound like The Beautiful South and a DJ claiming to be the next Timo Maas might just be a bit unfocussed. So avoid elaborate and implausible comparisons. Better to supply them with a tape or CD and let the music do the talking. Follow-up contact is fine but leave enough time for them to plough through their demo tape mountain.

"If a journalist then shows interest in you, keep them up to date with your activities, invite them to a show, even suggest a small feature. But don't pester them. If a band or DJ is ripe for coverage, they get it, simple as that. Lengthy phone calls plugging your group will not buy column inches. In fact, they may do more harm than good.

"If the journalist sounds anything other than completely positive, it means they don't like your stuff. Accept it, but don't be discouraged either. Keep sending out your music to let them chart your progress. The main thing to bear in mind is that music journalists like to think that they discovered a band themselves. In order to do this, they often listen to other people's opinions. But never to the band's. Modesty is the best policy." Fiona Shepherd - Music Critic, The Scotsman

National Music Press

This is where things can start happening. Your first approach here is probably sending in a demo or mix tape. It's who you send it to that really counts. Always make sure that there's a name on the envelope, don't just send it to a job title or just the magazine. Have a look through the reviews and find the name of someone who reviews bands that you like, in a way that you like. Put a call in (they probably won't actually answer the phone so leave a message). Then send them some music. Use our Guides to Sending Out Demos and Sending Out White Labels for some more hints on how to package what you send.

As with local press, keep sending them fliers, press releases and any more recordings that you make. Don't bombard them but keep a steady of flow things coming every few weeks so that they get to know your name.

"Don't send your demo to every journalist at the NME. It appeals to a journalist's ego if they're the only one in the office with your tape. If you send it to everyone it seems like you're desperate for anyone to like you and that's not the impression you want to give." Keith Cameron - NME

"In Mixmag we don't review DJ sets that people send in, but there is a space in the front of the magazine called Musica Tremenda, where we'll talk about anything that's great that's sent into the office. So, for example, when we've had past Mixmag competition winners or just great mix tapes from people who send them in, we'll write about them there. More often than not, if they're really great, we'll tell other people in the industry to an ear out for them.

"For example there's this DJ at the moment that we've been massively supporting. We gave him a free CD on the cover of Mixmag, and we've been talking to lots of club promoters and record labels about what he should do now. It's almost like thinking in the same way that management people think. So we're ringing people up saying, 'maybe you could book him for some clubs.' Or 'maybe you should think about taking him on for a management deal.'

"I think building a profile is quite a complex thing. We love to have mix tapes sent in and we do listen to them but just sending a mix tape into us isn't hugely useful in itself. If people are exciting, we'll get them to play at our club night at Cargo in London, and we'll suggest to various people in the industry that they should listen to them. But then it's up to the bedroom DJ to pick up on that advice and send stuff in to the right people. So if a tape comes in that's absolutely amazing and I know it sounds perfect for, say, a breaks night in Manchester, I'll suggest this to the DJ and hopefully they'll pick up on that and send something in. Then if they get a booking or a residency, hopefully that person will keep in contact with us and ring us up saying, 'I'm doing some regular work now, do you want to do a further piece on me?'

"It is our job to go out and find upcoming talent and we do that quite a lot." Viv Craske - Senior Editor, Mixmag

Specialist music press

As well as mags that cover music, there are also ones that are aimed specifically at musicians. Most (if not all) of these have some kind of demo review page. Submitting your music to something like this can help in two ways. One is that you get genuine, unbiased, expert opinion on your music which can help you refine your sound. The other is that you get some quotes to use in your publicity.

As a band, publications like 'Making Music' and 'NME' are probably your main target. If you're a producer or programmer then some of the more studio-based mags like 'Sound On Sound' and 'Future Music' would probably be more your thing. We spoke the the editor of 'Future Music' for his word on how it can help. They review everything they're sent. Most demos get a line or two but the best three get a full review.

"Our magazine is really there to help musicians to get the music right before they consider their next step. We're therefore not interested in packaging, the band's philosophy or history or what their favourite colours are! We just want to give them advice on what they should do with their music. Once they've got that sorted out they can then work on their look, the packaging and so on, to send out to whoever else they wish.

"Getting a comment in print from an expert magazine can help a band refine their sound or, if the comment is really positive, generate publicity or sales. We have no problem with people quoting us if they wish on any music web site (if they want to generate more downloads) or on flyers (if they want to sell tickets to gigs). The three that get the longer write ups have their tracks included on our cover CD so their music can reach a wide audience at no cost to them. They can also say that they were chosen as one of our demos of the month which could help in all sorts of promotional activity.

"Loads of our demo artists have been signed to smaller labels and some are even running their own labels now. We have even had people ringing up to get details of some of the artists that only get a one line mention. Bands can also meet like-minded musicians through our pages that could result in productive collaborations. Some bands that have appeared through our pages (and I hope I get this right!) are Future Loop Foundation, Uziq, Wave, Mesh, Lange and, recently, Red & Blue." Andy Jones - Editor, Future Music

Local and regional radio

Local and regional radio is another medium that's well worth looking into. Often in such places, budgets and time are tight, so if there's someone focussing on local music, you can bet that they're doing it because they love it. Often it will be presented by someone who's a player in the local music scene, which can help with word of mouth if they like you. As with all these things, find out which stations can help. The internet is usually the best place to start. Check out your local stations' web-sites and find out which might use your material and when. Keep an eye on local press for any one-off competitions or other opportunities that anyone's offering. Remember that you may have more than one option. Chances are you can go for, say, Radio 1's Session in the Regions strand as well as a local Independent station. This isn't going to make you a star overnight, but it's all part of building that local buzz and getting your name into peoples' minds.

"Most areas have a BBC or Commercial Local Radio station which will showcase unsigned music. If your BBC local radio station doesn't have a dedicated programme aimed at promoting the local music scene TELL THEM YOU WANT ONE! If they're used to broadcasting to a slightly older audience they may not think anyone would listen to metal, punk, drum 'n' bass, garage etc. Let them know otherwise. Let them know there's an audience there just waiting to hear your music.

"Here at BBC Radio Humberside we run a programme called Raw Talent. Each week we cover local gig and club listings and feature a half-hour live DJ set. We also broadcast a session by an unsigned band. It's a live session, so the bands go straight to air from our studios. It's different to a live gig and different to recording in a studio, but the buzz you'll get is brilliant and it'll give you first hand experience of a live music radio show in action.

"Remember also that a Local Radio station in your area will usually broadcast your stuff to an audience far beyond the town where you're based. It's an excellent way to broaden your fan base and reach people within travelling distance of your gigs who wouldn't otherwise have known about you. If a station hasn't got a radio show that will air your music, they WILL have a website so let them know who you are and where you're playing and get some publicity that way. This can be a valuable part of a band or DJ's attempt to build a buzz locally. You get some exposure, some interesting comments to use in your biography and the experience of a radio session." Katy Noone - Producer, Raw Talent

National radio

A play of your demo on a national station can really build you up a buzz quickly. We spoke to one band who had 200 hits on their web-site the day after their demo was played by Steve Lamacq - and he hadn't even mentioned that they had a web-site. And that's the most important bit. Make sure that you're poised and ready to strike when your demo is played. Keep your web-site up-to-date and make sure that there's a mechanism for people to register their details for your mailing lists. You'll generally find that the phone call comes when you least expect it and goes something like "Hi, this is Speng from the BBC. You remember you sent us in your demo 8 months ago? Well we're going to play it tonight. Yeah, it's 4pm now and it'll be going out at 9." So you may have to move quickly. If you get an actual session then, as Katy points out above, it's really valuable experience. It's a chance to work in a quality studio with a skilled engineer. You may also find that you can take a tape away to use for promotional purposes - although you probably won't be allowed to sell copies of it. It's sad but true that the easiest way to get a National Radio session is to know someone who works at the station. Most Radio 1 shows, even the ones that don't play unsigned music, get 30 or more demos a week so getting yours to the top of the pile is the hard bit. You can make it easier for yourself by targetting the right shows. Also, don't rely on email to communicate with the DJ. Most of our DJ accounts get hundreds of emails a day and it's rare for the DJ themselves to have time to go through them all personally. And please don't just blanket send things to every account we publish. The Sunday Surgery team don't want to know where your next gig or DJ set is! A Peel session can help convince record labels that the band are worth signing - they will have had exposure on the show so it follows that there will be some interest in a record. Anti-hero, Goatboy, and Alliance Underground are 3 bands who've recently been played on the Peel Show and booked for a session off the back of a demo. They've all since been signed to independent record labels.

"Aside from the obvious profile-raising value of a national radio play and the fact that they can use John's name on their publicity, I'd also add that a Peel Session gives a band the opportunity to spend the day in our Maida Vale studios, working with Studio Managers and Engineers unrivalled in their field. Its a unique opportunity to get a really top quality recording - they're not going to get that in their bedroom! (They don't own the rights to the recording but they can buy the rights if they do want to release the tracks).

"We usually ask a band to record 4 tracks for a session so a band needs to have at least 4 strong tracks up their sleeves. It's valuable experience for a band because they need to do it all in one session. Musicians often aren't used to working to deadlines!

"A band can approach the show at any time. John recently played a demo track by a band. He called them up while he was playing the track on air (!) to ask them if they had any more material. They'd only got the one track...so he told them to go and make some more!

"So we don't have any criteria that a band needs to measure up to before they do a session. A demo can be raw and a bit rough round the edges but if the songs have something new/interesting/exciting/beautiful about them then there's no reason why the band can't do a session. Its about the sound and feel of a record, not how well they play their instruments. In the last six months, I'd say 4 or 5 session bands have been complete unknowns.

"John is unique in the faith he has in unknown, unsigned bands. To him, it doesn't matter whether the band is signed to a major label, or whether they put together a demo in their bedroom. The only rule of thumb he has is that if he likes it, he'll play it. " Louise Kattenhorn - Producer, John Peel Show

Internet

It's not hard to get on the net. It can help in two ways. First of all, many sites allow visitors to post comments about the music that's up there. That'll give you some objective views from people other than your friends. These can be brutally honest but also very helpful. There are also sites which give professional reviews of demos by music journalists. These can be handy for generating quotes for press releases or biographies. The internet is a strange beast. Although it's theoretically world-wide exposure, in practise there are so many sites that it might be less exposure than you think. But it's all useful quotes for your press pack if you get a good review. What can happen is that a kind of music with a cult following will have a site with a very loyal following. You may not reach thousands of people but a few people who are fanatical about a certain kind of music can be worth thousands of casual visitors. It can take a bit of time to find a site like that but once you get one, you'll find more sites in their links page.

Underground press

In spite of the rise of the internet there are still plenty of fanzines up and down the country. Some are tied into a particular band. So if your music appeals to Manic Street Preachers fans then you may get a review in one of their fanzines. Alternatively, they may be tied into a particular scene, geographical location or genre. Cult music like Dub or UK Hip-Hop tends to inspire the kind of fanaticism a writer needs to start a fanzine. Finding fanzines can be the hard bit. Independent record shops will often stock them. Keep your eyes peeled at gigs and club nights or have a chat with your local Students Union Ents officer. Fanzine writers will often approach them for permission to review college gigs so they may be able to give you some pointers. Many have a web-site of some sort as well as the printed version, so have a poke about on the 'net. Again, it's not worldwide exposure but it will target a small audience in your immediate area, or a bunch of people with a proven interest in your kind of music. It can be a good way of hitting your target audience. We spoke to Steve Whittle and Jenny MacDonald of Preston-based 'zine 'The Grapevine' who explained how they big up local bands:

"We set up the Grapevine because we got fed up hearing about all the supposedly great gigs that we'd missed out on yesterday / last week, all the stories of bands playing to non-existent crowds and of pubs and venues giving up live music because of a lack of interest. It's not that there wasn't a live music scene and it's wasn't a lack of talented musicians. It was just that unless you were out on the town most nights of the week and knew the people who knew the people, the chances of going out and finding a good gig seemed like pot luck. So, we gathered the gossip and crammed it into a monthly magazine which is sold around Preston in pubs, venues, music shops and record shops.

"Fanzines tend to have a pretty eclectic editorial policy. The Grapevine's content control is basically 'if it's musical, it has some local connection, and it may be of interest to people in the Preston / Lancashire area, then it stands a pretty good chance of being included' There's no restriction on the styles of music covered … Goth weekends in Morecambe, folk nights, the thrash/metal circuit, Band Battles, punk festivals, jazz residencies….anything that catches our eye. We cover as much of Lancashire as time and resources allow It's up the bands themselves to tell us what they're up to.

"We list local gig dates and also shows by local bands further afield. You may not get a coach-load of people travelling down to Ipswich or up to Inverness with you, but next time you play locally people will wonder what they missed. People send us the CDs they sell at gigs for review, which can help boost sales. We also do live reviews. If a band plays a good show, their audience can send their comments in to us. We have a staff of zero, and a similarly generous timescale and budget, so our reviewers are generally random music fans who want to tell the rest of the city what a good night they missed out on. We have one or two regular contributors, but we don't ask them to review particular gigs. They just go where they were going anyhow and write if they feel the gig was worth sharing.

"The Grapevine is online too. If a band sends us their URL, we'll put a link on our page. It's all publicity for them." Steve Whittle and Jenny MacDonald - 'The Grapevine'

Copyright © 2002 Esoteric