26
Jul
2005
If you're in a band, you might know that things are getting serious when business overtakes music as your primary concern.
"Lately, it's been all business," said Tom Swanson, singer and guitarist for Jim the Mule. When I talked to him last week, he said Monday was the first time the band had even practiced together in three months. "That can be a little frustrating," he said.
But it's also a necessary evil. If a band is interested in breaking out of the "weekend warrior" habit - whether its long-term goals are to top the charts, land a major-label deal, or simply be able to quit the day job and pursue music full-time - it has to attend to the business of being in a band. And while it's not very sexy (or fun), it's critical.
For Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls, it involves sitting down with A&R directories - the guides that tell bands who to contact at record labels - and otherwise learning about the recording industry. The band hopes to use its new CD as an entrée with labels and radio stations. "We're shooting to quit our day jobs," said Liz Treiber, the band's singer. "Our goal is definitely to be able to do this full-time." She added that she doesn't think the band's targets are larger than its talent: "I don't think we're overshooting ourselves."
Swanson doesn't have his eyes on a major label, but that's not a reflection of lower goals. "These days people don't need labels," he said. Instead, he and the band are going to take things as far as they can before they bring in assistance such as a booking agency or a PR firm. The do-it-yourself ethic is part of doing things right. "You never know who's looking out for you," Swanson said.
Both of these bands are examples of how to pursue music careers in an industry that rewards luck as much as hard work. They might not be the area's best bands, but they're conscientiously and thoughtfully working toward careers in music. While they haven't hit the big time yet - or even found a way to make music their full-time jobs - they've laid the groundwork and certainly seen signs that they're on the right track.
The two bands have frequently shared stages, and both have new CDs out - Hulathong is Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls' third studio CD, while Jim the Mule's self-titled record is its second album but its first full-length studio offering. (Hulathong was reviewed in the June 22 issue of the River Cities' Reader. Jim the Mule is reviewed on page 9 of this week's issue.) Wicked Liz has opened for Sugarland and REO Speedwagon and has recorded appearances on both public television and public radio, while Jim the Mule landed a spot on the lineup for the inaugural River Roots Live festival with its Southern-fried rock and roll. Both groups have been able to consistently land gigs in major Midwestern cities, from Minneapolis to Chicago to Indianapolis.
The two bands have also upgraded their recording studios for their latest discs, choosing state-of-the-art facilities - Wicked Liz at Catamount, Jim the Mule at Brass Sail. Both bands feel like the recordings represent growth.
That's not just because the digs were better, but because the material was better and more deserving. Although both bands have been around for five years, they waited to put down tracks at first-rate venues. And that's because both groups recognize that they have a lot to learn. There's a modesty and maturity about these bands.
For the first time, Wicked Liz bassist Bob Kelly said, "there's stuff left on the cutting-room floor." Five songs that the band had written were left off the final project.
"I think we always want to get better," said Leo Kelly, Wicked Liz's guitarist and chief songwriter. And Treiber said she has improved over the years. "I feel I'm a better musician," she said. "My ear gets better."
Those sentiments were echoed by Swanson. The recording process helped Jim the Mule understand that there had been conflicts between instruments in different frequency ranges. Engineer and producer Mark Johnson of Brass Sail helped the group understand where the problems were and resolve them. "It really helped us clean up our sound," Swanson said. "It'll continue to help our songwriting."
Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls also had a learning experience in the studio, with Tom Tatman at Catamount. The primary lesson the group learned was that sometimes it pays to be imperfect.
The band's brand of sugary power pop already had plenty of polish, but its first two records suffered from not having any rough edges. "Both of our previous albums weren't a good representation of what we are live," Treiber said.
Tatman encouraged the band to indulge in some of its quirks. So if Treiber's voice goofed into one of its characteristic "squeals and groans and gunts" (as she calls them), they were left in. The basic tracks were recorded in one pass, and there are more layers of guitars with less distortion. "We played real loose," Leo Kelly said, and Tatman was able to coax "a lot more raw sounds" out of the band.
Wicked Liz has already had a good year. The band was on KUNI's Live from Studio One earlier this year and has recorded a session for Iowa Public Television's Living in Iowa show that will be broadcast starting in October. "We made a $10-million donation to Iowa Public Television," joked Bob Kelly. But money can't buy that kind of exposure.
Jim the Mule doesn't have those types of things on its résumé, but it will get high-profile exposure with the River Roots Live show. And if Wicked Liz has done a better job than the Mule in terms of potential reach through broadcast outlets, Swanson and his band have excelled at the business side of things, from Web-site design to marketing materials to legal issues. The group has also had its share of choice opening gigs, from the Little River Band to Heartsfield.
"We don't pay for stuff out-of-pocket," said Swanson, a friend and former co-worker at the Reader. The band has drawn up a partnership agreement, has gotten a tax identification number, and has gotten two bank loans - one for equipment (paid off) and one to pay for the cost of recording and marketing the new CD (already half paid off).
That sort of attention to detail can detract from a band's original mission: music. Jim the Mule has been so consumed with getting the CD out that music hasn't played much of a role in its recent existence. "We're all itching to get back to writing," Swanson said.
Every so often, the band members need to decide how serious they are about the band. Are they willing to do what it takes? Swanson said all five band members have committed, but he seemed to rue one missed opportunity: an opening gig for Dickey Betts last week. "Next year we need to be serious about coordinating our vacations," he said.
And while Jim the Mule will be playing River Roots Live and the Iowa State Fair the same weekend, Swanson has bigger aims: Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Summer Camp festival near Peoria, and perhaps even Bonnaroo. But a measure of short-term success is to "keep getting better and better gigs."
While keeping its eye on its goals, Wicked Liz also recognizes that it's already had more success than many groups can fathom. "What we're doing already is extremely successful," Leo Kelly said.
"Ninety-nine percent of people who pick up an instrument never have this level of success," Bob Kelly said, and he's talking both about the public-television and -radio shows but also having the opportunity to play live before any audience.
Still, Wicked Liz isn't satisfied with what it's accomplished. The group still has its dreams, but it also has an idea how to accomplish them. Its sound can fit comfortably in a variety of radio formats, and it's trying to reach out to labels. "We've got a game plan now," Treiber said.
For more information on Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls, visit (http://www.wicked-liz.com). The group's third CD, Hulathong, is available online at (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/wickedliz3). For more information on Jim the Mule, see (http://www.jimthemule.com).
But it's also a necessary evil. If a band is interested in breaking out of the "weekend warrior" habit - whether its long-term goals are to top the charts, land a major-label deal, or simply be able to quit the day job and pursue music full-time - it has to attend to the business of being in a band. And while it's not very sexy (or fun), it's critical.
For Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls, it involves sitting down with A&R directories - the guides that tell bands who to contact at record labels - and otherwise learning about the recording industry. The band hopes to use its new CD as an entrée with labels and radio stations. "We're shooting to quit our day jobs," said Liz Treiber, the band's singer. "Our goal is definitely to be able to do this full-time." She added that she doesn't think the band's targets are larger than its talent: "I don't think we're overshooting ourselves."
Swanson doesn't have his eyes on a major label, but that's not a reflection of lower goals. "These days people don't need labels," he said. Instead, he and the band are going to take things as far as they can before they bring in assistance such as a booking agency or a PR firm. The do-it-yourself ethic is part of doing things right. "You never know who's looking out for you," Swanson said.
Both of these bands are examples of how to pursue music careers in an industry that rewards luck as much as hard work. They might not be the area's best bands, but they're conscientiously and thoughtfully working toward careers in music. While they haven't hit the big time yet - or even found a way to make music their full-time jobs - they've laid the groundwork and certainly seen signs that they're on the right track.
The two bands have frequently shared stages, and both have new CDs out - Hulathong is Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls' third studio CD, while Jim the Mule's self-titled record is its second album but its first full-length studio offering. (Hulathong was reviewed in the June 22 issue of the River Cities' Reader. Jim the Mule is reviewed on page 9 of this week's issue.) Wicked Liz has opened for Sugarland and REO Speedwagon and has recorded appearances on both public television and public radio, while Jim the Mule landed a spot on the lineup for the inaugural River Roots Live festival with its Southern-fried rock and roll. Both groups have been able to consistently land gigs in major Midwestern cities, from Minneapolis to Chicago to Indianapolis.
The two bands have also upgraded their recording studios for their latest discs, choosing state-of-the-art facilities - Wicked Liz at Catamount, Jim the Mule at Brass Sail. Both bands feel like the recordings represent growth.
That's not just because the digs were better, but because the material was better and more deserving. Although both bands have been around for five years, they waited to put down tracks at first-rate venues. And that's because both groups recognize that they have a lot to learn. There's a modesty and maturity about these bands.
For the first time, Wicked Liz bassist Bob Kelly said, "there's stuff left on the cutting-room floor." Five songs that the band had written were left off the final project.
"I think we always want to get better," said Leo Kelly, Wicked Liz's guitarist and chief songwriter. And Treiber said she has improved over the years. "I feel I'm a better musician," she said. "My ear gets better."
Those sentiments were echoed by Swanson. The recording process helped Jim the Mule understand that there had been conflicts between instruments in different frequency ranges. Engineer and producer Mark Johnson of Brass Sail helped the group understand where the problems were and resolve them. "It really helped us clean up our sound," Swanson said. "It'll continue to help our songwriting."
Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls also had a learning experience in the studio, with Tom Tatman at Catamount. The primary lesson the group learned was that sometimes it pays to be imperfect.
The band's brand of sugary power pop already had plenty of polish, but its first two records suffered from not having any rough edges. "Both of our previous albums weren't a good representation of what we are live," Treiber said.
Tatman encouraged the band to indulge in some of its quirks. So if Treiber's voice goofed into one of its characteristic "squeals and groans and gunts" (as she calls them), they were left in. The basic tracks were recorded in one pass, and there are more layers of guitars with less distortion. "We played real loose," Leo Kelly said, and Tatman was able to coax "a lot more raw sounds" out of the band.
Wicked Liz has already had a good year. The band was on KUNI's Live from Studio One earlier this year and has recorded a session for Iowa Public Television's Living in Iowa show that will be broadcast starting in October. "We made a $10-million donation to Iowa Public Television," joked Bob Kelly. But money can't buy that kind of exposure.
Jim the Mule doesn't have those types of things on its résumé, but it will get high-profile exposure with the River Roots Live show. And if Wicked Liz has done a better job than the Mule in terms of potential reach through broadcast outlets, Swanson and his band have excelled at the business side of things, from Web-site design to marketing materials to legal issues. The group has also had its share of choice opening gigs, from the Little River Band to Heartsfield.
"We don't pay for stuff out-of-pocket," said Swanson, a friend and former co-worker at the Reader. The band has drawn up a partnership agreement, has gotten a tax identification number, and has gotten two bank loans - one for equipment (paid off) and one to pay for the cost of recording and marketing the new CD (already half paid off).
That sort of attention to detail can detract from a band's original mission: music. Jim the Mule has been so consumed with getting the CD out that music hasn't played much of a role in its recent existence. "We're all itching to get back to writing," Swanson said.
Every so often, the band members need to decide how serious they are about the band. Are they willing to do what it takes? Swanson said all five band members have committed, but he seemed to rue one missed opportunity: an opening gig for Dickey Betts last week. "Next year we need to be serious about coordinating our vacations," he said.
And while Jim the Mule will be playing River Roots Live and the Iowa State Fair the same weekend, Swanson has bigger aims: Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Summer Camp festival near Peoria, and perhaps even Bonnaroo. But a measure of short-term success is to "keep getting better and better gigs."
While keeping its eye on its goals, Wicked Liz also recognizes that it's already had more success than many groups can fathom. "What we're doing already is extremely successful," Leo Kelly said.
"Ninety-nine percent of people who pick up an instrument never have this level of success," Bob Kelly said, and he's talking both about the public-television and -radio shows but also having the opportunity to play live before any audience.
Still, Wicked Liz isn't satisfied with what it's accomplished. The group still has its dreams, but it also has an idea how to accomplish them. Its sound can fit comfortably in a variety of radio formats, and it's trying to reach out to labels. "We've got a game plan now," Treiber said.
For more information on Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls, visit (http://www.wicked-liz.com). The group's third CD, Hulathong, is available online at (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/wickedliz3). For more information on Jim the Mule, see (http://www.jimthemule.com).
