Artists
The Push Player
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THE SPIEL-
The Push / Andrew Kitchen Welcome to The Push Player!! What's this new page?? What's it for?? What is The Push Player?? How can The Push Player help my band? Who is The Push Player?? All these questions answered ... |
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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK - Andrew Kitchen / Starting and Keeping the books |
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FRONT AND CENTER - Karina Utomo / Young and Restless Magic Dirt’s Adalita said “Karina has the best scream in the business.” With a rap like that, Karina from Melbourne band ‘Young and Restless’ opens the lid on her band and what the screaming is all about. www.myspace.com/youngandrestlessau |
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SHOW US YOUR WARES 1 - James Hodson / Glory Tuesday Featuring a stellar cast of incredible musicians, James Hodson from Melbourne's 'Glory Tuesday' share of their experience working their way up in the flourishing Melbourne band scene. www.myspace.com/glorytuesday |
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SHOW US YOUR WARES 2 - Beau McKee and Manny Zenelli / Closure in Moscow Beau and Manny from 'Closure in Moscow' let The Push Player behind the scenes of their band on issues like songwriting, recording, touring and McDeath!! www.myspace.com/closureinmoscow |
| BEHIND THE CURTAIN - Tom Harris / White Sky Music With the financial matters of many profile bands on his books (such as Augie March, Eskimo Joe and The Vasco Era), Tom Harris from White Sky has plenty of wisened words about bookkeeping. http://whitesky.com.au |
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IN SHOT - Kane Hibberd / The Art of Capture Having worked along side legendary photographers like Tony Mott, Kane Hibberd is developing an impressive folio of live and studio photography. He shares with The Push Player a few of his tried and tested tips. www.theartofcapture.com |
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THE PUSH PLAYER ARTISTS SUMMIT Want to get together and hear from a guest speaker about artist-related topics? The Push Player is running summits that will help you in your career planning right from heavier topics like copyright and law, down to how to get your next gig. |
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FEEDBACK - Has this page been helpful? Let us know
how we can best help you. Please email andrew@thepush.asn.au with your suggestions. |
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THE PUSHER - Especially for Victoria’s under 25s, The Pusher fills you in on all the stuff happening with all ages and under’s live music across the state. It’s for young bands, artists, punters, music fans and event organisers. Click here or visit http://www.thepush.asn.au/html/thepusher.html |
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FREEBIES - Subscribe to The Push Player to receive updates by clicking here and go into the draw to win: "Young and Restless" full album by Young and Restless; "Live on the Front Line" full live album by Glory Tuesday; or a spanking shirt from "Closure in Moscow." Last Months Winners |
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ARTIST LISTING - Fill out the form here to become a part of the upcoming Artist Listing. |
The Spiel - Andrew Kitchen
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What
is The Push Player?
The aim of The Push Player is to provide you with accurate, precise and read-able information that will assist your band achieve all that it can be. Here you will read articles about songwriting, touring and self-promotion as well as heavier issues like publishing, royalties and copyright law. There are plans to hold a couple of events in November (2007) with a particular focus on an artist-related issue. Stay tuned for more on this in the coming updates ... until then - subscribe for your chance to win prizes!!!
How can The Push Player help my band?
The aim of The Push Player is to provide you a platform to equip yourselves with the knowledge that will better prepare you for the road ahead in a free, accessible, contactable and a ‘face-full’ (as opposed to face-less!!) organisation – The Push. If you are keen to progress your band, start a band, resolve issues within your band, find some resources etc etc … we hope to have some answers for you here (or in the coming months).
Who is The Push Player?
The Push Player is researched, authored and updated by Andrew Kitchen - the Artist Development Project Coordinator for The Push. Andrew is also the lead singer / songwriter for Antiskeptic (Melbourne-based rock band) and is embarrassed to be typing about himself in the third-person. Third person aside!! I’ve done some hard kilometres on the road, developed a band from the ground up and had a lot of fun in the process. I thought it about time I shared from some of my own experience, but not only that – I thought I’d also do some reading, writing and interviewing for you and come back with some gems of wisdom.
What can we expect from The Push Player?
The page is going to be updated once at the start of every month with new articles, interviews, photos and editorials. The Regular sections will be:
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK - This focuses on a particular artist
related issue and explores it for you, making sense of something confusing
(hopefully not vice-versa!!)
FRONT AND CENTER - This is an interview with an artist
that you would have heard of about what brought their success and the
lessons that they learnt along the way.
SHOW US YOUR WARES - This is a section to expose bands
that you may not have heard of yet, to give you an insight into the way
they run their band and what they are aiming at. There will be 2 installments
of 'SHOW US YOUR WARES' with each update of The Push Player.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN - This section is where we are going
to pick the brains of a professional currently working in the industry,
relevant to the topic covered in the 'TAKE A CLOSER LOOK' section.
IN SHOT - This section will look at band photography
- including live and studio shoots, to shooting behind-the-scenes video
footage as well as shooting professional video clips.
FEEDBACK - We would like to hear from you as to whether
you found the page helpful or informative and if there are any issues
that you would like The Push Player to explore in future updates.
Also - this page is unapologetically crafted for developing musicians (and let’s face it – we’re always developing) and the page won’t include cd reviews or a gig guide or a forum or anything like that - check out the rest of The Push site for those. The aim is to get ‘behind-the-scenes’ type interviews from industry professionals who want to let you in on the secrets that got them where they are!!
One last thing - The Push Player will not be a place for me to ‘rant and rave’ and use sentences starting with ‘I reckon …’ if you were worried about that. I am going to attempt to keep this place as opinion-free as possible and keep it to the facts.
Is The Push Player just for beginner musicians?
No it is not. The content will be sound, well-researched, objective and professional in its' music industry content. Some articles might be geared to band’s establishing themselves, but hopefully all of the articles will have ‘something for everyone.’
Can I make a contribution or suggestion to The Push Player?
Yes, yes, yes. I’d love to hear from you with suggestions for subjects that I could investigate for you. Or if you felt up to it, do your reading, write a piece and submit your findings for the benefit of other readers.
Please shoot through your suggestions to : andrew@thepush.asn.au
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK - Starting a business and keeping the books … (part 1) / Andrew Kitchen
So you’ve been given the job of taking care of the books. It’s not exactly the most rock thing that you could be doing for the band – but it is very, very important and keeping your accounts in order and will keep you out of trouble!!
The key to good bookkeeping is to keep it simple and be organized.
For the first 18 months to 2 years of the development of my band, I didn’t worry about the tax, my rationale being that we were spending every cent we earned. I didn’t think we need to worry about it. Unfortunately we did. I got the hard word from an accountant and proceeded to spend six straight days with my computer and a pile of receipts literally up to my knees. It was the most pain staking thing that I think I have ever done. When I was finished I had a very, very, very impressive Excel document that was 11 pages long at 8 point font (I still have a copy of the document!!!).
Since then, I have gotten into a very regimented system of collecting receipts and comparing them against the band’s monthly bank statements. This way all accounting gets sorted only weeks after the transactions occur – as opposed to months (even years) and therefore it is always fresh in my mind.
First thing first – your band is a business – whether you like it or not.
You might be doing it for the love of it and to you, calling your band a ‘business’ sounds like a derogatory term – but the truth is that it is a business. To grow your band you will need to advertise, record, rehearse, print t-shirts, pay for web hosting etc etc … all of this takes money and (like anything thesedays) you will need more than you think!!
When you are starting out, there is very little money coming in, but even if you have to all chip in to pay for a rehearsal room – that is a tax-deductible transaction. That means that at the end of the financial year when the books are balanced each band member (listed on the Registration of business papers) will receive a tax deduction against their personal income.
Say for example the band brought in $10,000 in gig payments and merchandise sales, but the band spent $14,000 in the process, then all members will receive a deduction on their personal tax bill. In the case of a band with 4 members, at the end of the financial year, each member’s personal income will be re-calculated as having earned $1000 less that financial year. Therefore each member gets a larger tax-return. The bigger the loss, the more tax deduction for each member … it also works the other way too. So don’t go out there trying to lose money … there’s enough bands doing that!!
For this reason it is good to divide all expenses evenly across the band as the tax benefit will be spread evenly across its members and will therefore be unfair for any band member who chipped in more than his/her amount. Now the tricky thing with this is that being in a band is a fluid business - for example the band may do a whole bunch of rehearsing, recording, mixing and then press a cd. Therefore that financial year the band may make a loss and everyone gets a better tax return. The following financial year, they release the cd and the band plays heaps of gigs to promote it and therefore, all of a sudden the band member’s personal tax is going up because of the extra income. Try and think in terms of ebb and flow and the fact that the finances will all even out eventually ie. one year you get a return, the next you have to pay. If you have brought in more than you’ve spent (firstly - congratulations), keep in mind that it might be worth doing a big merchandise order just prior to the end of the financial year – otherwise you just lose a lot of it in tax (get proper advice on this too).
Though in the case of extra income, it can be a bit of a blow in that band members may be paying higher tax on income that they didn’t actually receive!! The scary thing is that it may not even be in the bank!! Just remember that the financial year is a hard and fast thing (from a July 01 – June 30) and the band’s finances are a fluid thing that doesn’t’ revolve around those dates.
Here are the steps to starting a business:
1) Register a business
This is done through the Business Victoria webpage (www.business.vic.gov.au). There are easy to follow steps and a few decisions to make along the way. Typically bands register their business as a ‘partnership,’ which means that all members have equal financial responsibility (in case of financial loss).
Here’s the breakdown of the various business models:
Sole Trader:
- One person owns everything (typical in the case of a solo artist)
- Other musicians are paid as contractors
- One person responsible for running the business (eg. Tax lodged, bills paid etc)
- The financial responsibility is entirely upon the soul trader
Partnership:
- There is equal responsibility for the running of the business (eg. Tax lodged, bills paid etc)
- All partners are entitled to an equal share of profits
- Once established, it can’t be altered, only dissolved
- This is the most typical arrangement with bands and musicians
Company:
- The “ownership” of the company can be divided differently between members
- All owners are liable for company’s financial actions,
- Owners receive profits depending on what their share percentage is
- Usually only used by bands for tax purposes. Not really suitable for bands starting out
It is worth establishing a ‘Band agreement’ at this time too - inclusive of ‘leaving member’ clauses and what they are to take with them etc etc. NOTE – this process of registering a business name will more than likely require a credit card or a cheque to complete. Be sure to have one of either handy when filling it out. The process costs $75.30 in total. Doing this is a fundamental step in the building block of your band / business. Registering an Australian business name allows you to register a web page in a .com.au as well.
2) Obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN)
To register an “Australian Business Number” you have a few options. You can register one on the Australian Taxation Office web page (www.ato.gov.au). It is very important to have an ABN because an invoice is worthless unless it has a valid ABN on it. So make sure when you send and receive an invoice that they include an ABN.
3) Gig reconciliation
Each gig you play you will more than likely be asked to provide either one of 2 things.
1) A Statement by Supplier (or Hobby form); this is a form that makes you exempt for needing to provide an ABN (click here for download example)
2) An invoice; a piece of paper with these details: (click here for download example)
- The date the invoice was prepared
- The invoice number (more for your records than anything)
- Your band / trading name
- The total amount owing (including GST – if you are registered to collect GST)
- The exact amount of GST that is included (if applicable to your band)
- If you are not GST registered, then you must also put this: “GST = $0”
- The invoice due date
- Your ABN
- You banking details (Bank, BSB, account number and account name) for direct deposit payments.
- Your contact details (name, mobile, email and postal address).
- The words “Tax Invoice” have to appear at the top, otherwise it is not legal
There is a great deal to cover with artists finance – hence the Part 1, I will cover issues of negotiating payment in a later update.
*** much cudos has to be paid to Tom Harris (White Sky Accounting Services) for his help in writing this article too!!
FRONT AND CENTRE - Karina Utomo / Young and Restless
1) Briefly describe how your band goes about writing songs. And how do you avoid getting stuck in a rut?
We are the type of band that relies on capturing the moment. We usually have an idea of the type of sound/song we want to create… our song writing process is probably best described as “ORGANIC” and spontaneous- but we like to experiment as well, and try to not use the same formula twice. I guess to avoid getting stuck in a rut… is to break away from routine-playing the same set over and over can get boring.
2) Did you or do you get music lessons to be able to play your instrument?
When I was in high school I was very much interested in singing and wanted to do it well, so I got vocal lessons for a few months before I got too lazy. Now the type of singing I do isn’t exactly the type where you could get lessons, so I just practice when I rehearse with the band, and try to sing as much as I can when I’m hanging out by myself. I also play guitar (very badly), but it helps to sing and play guitar in my spare time. The rest of the guys have taught themselves with their instruments, except for Ash who was classically trained in Piano.
3) Favourite and least favourite part of recording:
My most favourite is experimenting with new sounds, using different equipment, and when true magic happens- when an idea just works and sounds good on tape… hearing back demos etc, my least favourite would be when you keep trying on ONE idea and it doesn’t work… and you have to move on, it’s also frustrating when you loose confidence in your ability- but this just means you have to push yourself harder!
4) Are you signed? If so, who to and why did you decide to sign to them?
Yes, we signed with our record label because we know for a fact that they work extremely hard with the artists they have on their roster. We wanted to work with people that are equally as hard working and passionate about the band as we are- it makes a huge difference in how things are done.
5) In your opinion : in 10 years, is music going entirely digital downloads or will there still be a place for pressed cd release?
Even nowadays people are still buying records, I think the physical aspect of music like CDs and records will always have a place, aesthetically it is more pleasing to purchase a physical item, also the art aspect- people will buy a CD not solely on the music but the art and album information such as lyrics that comes with it- as a package. Having said that, digital download will clearly be a very common medium to sell music in the future. Hopefully there will still be a place for specialty record shops.
6) Describe a moment in your band’s history where you had to pinch yourself to make sure it was really happening:
Before we start a set and you can feel the crowd’s anticipation and see bright eyed faces.
7) Top 5 tips for developing bands:
1. Rehearse constantly and don’t play a show until everybody is TIGHT (your first show is no excuse for being loose)
2. No matter the crowd/venue what type of gig it is ALWAYS put in your best effort- there’s nothing worse than seeing a band play when you can tell they don’t want to be there
3. Spend extra time/effort recording, you can tell if a demo has been put together overnight
4. Help out other bands- with gigs, loading gear, if they need a place to stay etc- what goes around comes around
5. Don’t take everything so seriously!!!! This is very important for your emotional well being
8) How often does your band rehearse?
As often as Nugie our drummer is in town (he lives in Canberra whereas the rest of us live in Melbourne). When we started out we rehearsed once or twice a week. I think the important thing is to feel confident with your performance, and rehearsal plays a big part.
9) Do you have to be a ‘bastard’ or play hard-ball to get where you want to go in music in Australia?
Not at all, you have to be the opposite. Nobody wants to work with a ‘bastard’. I cannot stand people who try too hard and becomes inappropriate- it’s off-putting and incredibly unprofessional!
10) How do I write a hit?
I think if you constantly write songs that please YOU aesthetically it might just end up being a hit. The main issue is NOT trying to directly emulate what you think everybody thinks it’s cool- it gives birth to mediocre bands who sound like other ‘cool’ bands.
11) Who are you listening to (iPod/radio/cd/podcast)?
EVERYTHING. From metal to kraut rock, pop to experimental. I listen to a variety of radio stations too.
12) What do you think have been the key aspects of your success?
A good work ethic and a positive attitude- but most of all confidence in your work.
13) Did your band write and agree on a 5-year plan (or less/or more) when you got together?
No we didn’t. We simply got together because we wanted to write songs we liked and play outside of our home-town of Canberra.
14) What are YOU aiming to achieve in your career in music?
I want to write songs people want to listen to. My ultimate dream is a gig where everybody watching wants to get involved and people are psyched to be a part of it.
15) When you were starting out, how did you get your first few gigs and how did you get people to notice you?
We played with friends who were also starting out, we didn’t have to try to get people to notice us- from the start we knew that we wanted to hold a strong performance, and people got the vibe.
16) Young musicians get me annoyed when they ...
Are doing it for the wrong reasons, and don’t support local music
17) How do you prepare for a gig?
Make sure that I’ve eaten well throughout the day, and that I’ve warmed up my vocals, stretches and punching into the air (for mental psyche).
18) How do you deal with minor setbacks like low record sales, bad reception at a gig etc.?
Things like that should don’t affect who you are, more so you should step back and learn from the experience or figure out a way to improve the situation. But every band will come across a situation where it can be a downer- the best way to deal with it is to stay positive.
19) What are the best and worst things about doing what you do?
Best things: being on tour, constant physical/emotional challenge, playing with bands you respect, the crowd
Worst things: exhaustion and when you’re not on tour
20) What interests you outside of music?
Philosophy, Science and Human Behaviour.
SHOW US YOUR WARES 1 - James Hodson / Glory Tuesday
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1. How did the band form and when?
John Flanagan (vox/keys/guitar) and James Hodson (guitar/trumpet) got together and started writing some tunes after they'd finished high school. Before long Lachlan Mason (bass), Jane Patterson (vocals/violin) and Tim White (drums/percussion) were enlisted to form the band now known as Glory Tuesday.
2. What sets you apart in the flourishing sea of bands in Melbourne?
We value a high level of improvisation in our music. It keeps the material fresh for us, and that communicates well with our audience. It is also a key factor to make the audience feel like they are being part of something spontaneous, which is a powerful element.
3. Within the band, do you have delegated duties, other than performing?
We all participate actively in the business side of keeping a band up and running, from promotion such as posters, fliers and ads, to networking with other bands, musicians, venue owners and band bookers. Tim is also the delegated head of 'rider-management'.
4. Do you write your songs individually, or together in a jam?
John and James often write the majority of a song together or separately, but the jam context ads all the flavour to a song, and the creative process is enhanced immeasurably.
5. Tell The Push Player about a particular song and how it was written, arranged, crafted and produced?
We have a song now known as 'Better', which was for a long time known as 'Aminor funk' (for obvious reasons). When we recorded our debut album 'Live on the Front Line' at Cape Live on Brunswick Street, there was a technical hold-up before we stared the set. James started playing a groove in A minor and soon the band joined in and started riffing on this small 4-bar phrase while the sound engineer was getting the computer sorted. The last minute of the jam was preserved on the unedited takes, and resurfaced about a year later, where John set some words to it, added a chorus, and then we all jammed on it together and came up with the song.
6. Do you have a 5-year plan or an on-going vision statement or are you just 'rolling with the punches'?
We 'rolled with the punches' for quite a while, and did very well for ourselves all things considered. We do have a larger plan with regard to making the most of our gigs and playing in a more effective and economic way.
7. Have you performed interstate? How did that come about?
John, James and Tim took to the road as a trio for two weeks to Brisbane and Sydney earlier this year. John actually arranged most of the engagements himself through connections with bands, booking managers and venue owners, also with the help of sites like myspace and other digital networks.
8. If you have performed interstate, how did you make sure your band gained as much out of the trip as possible? Before and during?
As it was our first foray into the touring aspect of a band, we gained an insight into the music scenes of the other two major cities on the east coast. We approached the tour with the view to make contacts and hear as many bands as possible, as well as visit as many venues as possible, in order to arrange a successful tour with the full band at a later date.
9. What are you looking for in bands to support you?
We like bands that have a common thread with our music, although we may not sound alike at all. I think its important to have a band who has a fair bit of variety, and have a different sound than we do, so that their audience find something new when they hear us, and vice versa with our audience when we support other bands.
10. Describe a typical band practice?
We rehearse in James' studio, where its usually always acoustic. Tim will often only bring a snare, and Jane will bring her acoustic violin. We don't find the need to run a new song more than twice, and we never rehearse solo sections (besides the logistics of harmonic progressions). This practice allows us to approach the material with a freshness when we step on to the stage and turn it up.
11. Do you have 'artist representation'? And if so, how did that come about?
We make most decisions together like recordings, set-lists, supports, new material, and we are assisted by a friend of the band who does our publicity, bookings and manages the business side of things with us.
12. Complete the sentence: When starting out (or when you start to take your band seriously) it is really important to....
... make sure you're all on the same page, and that you have a clear idea of what you (as a band, and as a person) want to get out of being a musician/band. The music scene in Melbourne is particularly vibrant, which is a blessing but also a curse in that there's a new band every week on Brunswick Street.
13. What is the most effective online presence that your band invests time or money in? (Myspace/your own page/Virb/Pure Volume/MP3.com.au)
We update our Myspace site mostly, and are currently developing our own website.
14. What recordings have you done and where were they done?
We have done many demo recordings, but our release-standard recordings were done at:
- Pound Studios in Moorabbin in September 2005
- Cape Live (live album) in January 2006
- Melba Hall (live album with the Deckchair Orchestra) in April 2007
15. If we were to start this band again, the things I would do differently are ......?
... probably take the time to make each gig as effective as possible, because you never know who may turn up, and you want to be prepared to be your best as a musician and a manager.
16. Describe your best gig to date and why?
Our most recent gig at the Cornish Arms, in August 2007. There was an electricity about the atmosphere that night, and all of us were playing at our best. The sound engineer, and the lighting added to the presence of the show and we were all really pleased at doing some good rockin' out.
17. Do you employ regular sound/lighting engineers?
Often we will use Jared Hill and Tom Sherburn when we are required to bring our own sound engineer for a gig, however we will use the in-house engineer if there is one, especially if we have worked with them before. We usually use Matt White to run the lighting rig, who kindly gives up his time to come down and share some of the rider.
18. Typically, how much promo do you put into your shows and what methods do you think work the best?
We always list our gigs in the Gig Guides in Beat, Inpress, EG, Triple R and PBS, and always list our gigs on our Myspace, and email or sms our Mailing List.
Depending on the gig, like if it's a CD launch or special event we look at print or radio advertising, issue media releases to music journalists and we put up posters around the venue (in legal places of course!)
We find promoting our gigs to our Mailing List is the most effective way of promotion.
19. How do you go about setting up a tour and how much attention do you take to when other 'similar' bands are touring?
It is obviously a consideration, but the main consideration is making sure personal timetables are in order.
20. Do you have much merchandise available? And if so, what has been the product that has sold the best for you?
We sell t-shirts, our CDs and have had badges in the past. Our CDs and badges are good sellers, and we are always thinking about new merchandise ideas
SHOW US YOUR WARES 2 - Beau McKee and Manny Zenelli / Closure in Moscow
1) How did the band form and when?
Brad, Beau and Barrett are all high school chums, Chris and Manny were in other bands and joined the fold after realization of bigger things, and a lack of commitment from other members in previous bands.
2) What sets you apart in the flourishing sea of bands in Melbourne?
MANNY: I think that what really shows is that instead of going out on the weekend and getting smashed, we sit in a room and write and bounce ideas off each other. Look, okay, we still go out and have a lot of fun, but a lot of our time is put into what we believe in. We’ll try and write some weird stuff, collectively, or separately, and then we’ll try to develop it into something cooler!
3) Within the band, do you have delegated duties, other than performing?
BEAU: Yeah, for sure, it’s a hugely important thing. We all work as a team to achieve our goals, which so far has been going great! Things like organizing shows, merchandise, band practice, gear servicing and stuff.
4) Do you write your songs individually or together in a jam?
BEAU:A bit of both, we write songs practically anywhere, we are all fortunate enough to have our own basic setup for recording, so we often demo ideas and see where they go. On the other hand we can drop a riff/ fill or melody at rehearsal, or have an idea out somewhere, who knows, it’s really a weird thing.
5) Tell The Push Player about a particular song and how it was written, arranged, crafted and produced.
BEAU: We will talk about a track off our upcoming albumette ‘The Penance and The Patience’ titled “Ofelia…Ofelia”. We watched a movie called Pan’s Labyrinth at a mate’s house which we all loved (the movie, that is :D). About halfway through the film, Brad said “I’ve got something that really has a similar feel to the theme of this movie”. So we had a listen and it seriously sounded like it belonged in the score of the movie. So we then took Brads song and worked with it in pro tools for a bit, we added an ending to it. So we went into Sing Sing with all of the music in a bunch of loosely mapped progressions, and lyrics which Chris and Manny had never sung before. In the studio whilst laying down the “meat and potatoes” of it, Chris and Manny went of to write the vocals ad vocal melodies. They crunched it all day and at the end came out with some great stuff. So we laid down all of the vocals and the track was finished. Barrett then had an outro for it and we finished it with 1 day left. All of the vocal structures were done in the studio, which was quite liberating as you can completely get lost in it without other distractions.
6) Do you have a 5-year plan or an on-going vision statement or are you just ‘rolling with the punches’?
MANNY: I would say we all have the same vision and goals and we all work together to achieve them. Some things are planned; other times its like, “we’re lucky”.
7) Have you performed interstate? How did that come about?
MANNY: We were approached by other bands! The best way to hookup interstate shows, is to offer a “trade show” as it’s known as. They put you on a few good shows with them in their state; you put a few shows on for them in your state.
8) If you have performed interstate, how did you make sure your band gained as much out of the trip as possible? Before and during?
MANNY: Try and cut down and keep costs at a minimum. We have our own band van we travel interstate in, so that cuts down costs for us. Also, try and maximize your time in other states. Make local radio appearances. Hook up interviews. Play two or three shows. Next time we go to Adelaide, we have a mate who owns a caravan park, so we’ll be getting a cabin for free :D
9) What are you looking for in bands to support you?
BEAU: Nice dudes with great songs. Nothing gets better than that for me!
10) Describe a typical band practice.
MANNY: We roll up at around 6pm; most of us are clutching McDonalds, as we near our rehearsal space, there is a conveniently placed one. We then setup whilst polishing of the rest of our McDeath. We jam through the set as many times as we can and go through ideas and generally have a good time till about 11:30-12am, then we get kicked out and come back and do it all over again the next day.
11) Do you have ‘artist representation’? And if so, how did that come about?
BEAU: This is one thing I was quite against in the beginning, but I think GOOD artist representation can really help bring a band to fruition. So far, Closure in Moscow have done everything off their own backs. I find personally, it is hard to focus on writing good music and chasing up old cheques, but it can be done, it does alright for me at this time. There are a lot of people calling themselves “managers” for bands these days. If you are a “manager”, get that band really happening.
12) Complete the sentence: When starting out (or when you start to take your band seriously) it is really important to …
MANNY: Not get caught up in to the business side of being in a band, as it can literally consume you. People worry so much about “getting signed” and all the other stuff that they stop writing good songs, and there band turns to crap. If your better at organizing a full Australian tour and getting a CD out than you are at playing Bass, then you need to seriously assess your status.
13) What is the most effective online presence that your band invests time or money in? (Myspace / your own web page / Virb / Pure Volume / MP3.com.au).
MANNY: Probably myspace/purevolume and our own site. Mostly cause they are the ones that our fans go to the most.
14) What recordings have you done and where were they done?
MANNY: We generally are always recording either at home or at Beau’s house. For our pre-production and demo stuff we utilized Beau’s setup. For the Albumette, we went into Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne and had a blast for 11 days. We flew out the American producer, Kris Crummett, which he then took the songs back to the States to mix and Master after he finished recording our sessions here.
15) If we were to start this band again, the things I would do differently are …
BEAU: That’s an interesting question. I really liked how it panned out in the beginning. We had a real good buzz happening.
16) Describe your best gig to date and why?
BEAU: I would say playing with Saosin on that tour, because I really looked up to that band and loved their songs. Meeting my heroes and eating souvlaki with Cove Reeber was something to remember.
17) Do you employ regular sound / lighting engineers?
MANNY: We have our own sound guys that we use for every show, they know us and know the stuff and they are great guys. As for lighting, we’re on the lookout for someone. Should we have try outs?? :D
18) Typically, how much promo do you put into your shows and what methods do you think work the best?
MANNY: We put all our new shows on myspace, post a bulletin or two, and tell our friends. Taking the time to talk to fans or friends that show interest is important.
19) How do you go about setting up a tour and how much attention do you take to when other ‘similar’ bands are touring?
BEAU: If similar bands, or bands we like are touring, we’ll ask to play on the bill.
20) Do you have much merchandise available? And if so, what has been the product that has sold the best for you?
BEAU: We have T shirts at the moment, and we’ll have a new cd out very soon. I thinkthe CD will be our best seller. We are extremely proud of it, and it fully reflects how we wanted it to sound, but in a stereo image for your listening pleasures. We have t shirts for sale online, we sell them fairly regularly. Speaking of which, I need to order some more large sizes ...
BEHIND THE CURTAIN - Tom Harris / White Sky Music
1) What is your title and what exactly is it that you do?
I own and run White Sky Music. White Sky is a bookkeeping and business management company. Basically we handle the money side of things for bands and small record labels. We pay the bills, calculate royalties, work out tour budgets, calculate where they’re making/losing money, that sort of thing. We work with all different sizes of bands and what we do for each of them varies depending on what they need and what they can afford.
2) What do you generally charge for your services?
We charge an hourly rate of $50+gst per hour. Our bills vary from band to band depending on how organized they are and how big they are. As long as the bands follow all the procedures we set them up with in the initial meeting bookkeeping bills are usually very small.
3) Is there a good way of divvying up income from live performance, merchandise sales and royalties, to ensure that the band has finance available come tax time?
This is a tricky one. The ideal scenario is that the band sets up two bank accounts – one for day-to-day trading, and one for tax. Depending on how much money the band is making, they just transfer a % of their income into the “tax account” every now-and-then so they don’t accidentally spend it. The % is dependant on how much money the band is profiting. If all the money the band makes goes back into the running costs of the band, then there won’t be any profit and therefore no Income Tax to pay. This is not the case necessarily with GST though. GST tax is a completely separate thing to Income Tax. For a band that is GST registered, they should always put aside around 10% of all the income they receive into a tax account. That way at the end of each quarter they will have money to pay their BAS form (a.k.a GST form).
4) At what stage should a band consider employing a third party to keep the books in check?
I think as soon as a band decides to think of themselves as a business and not just as a hobby they should get advice in regard to setting up and keeping on top of things. If they came to White Sky we would sit down with them and weigh up whether the band were prepared to handle the majority (or sometimes all) of the record keeping, or if they are happy to pay someone else to do it. It really depends on each band individually.
5) What are some fundamental things to keep in mind with your band’s finance?
Keep the band money as separate as possible from all personal monies. When band members start paying for “band” stuff with their own money, that’s when things get messy. If the band has no money and the members need to put in their own cash - loan money to the band.
You need to think of the band as a separate entity from each band member. Keep track of all the money each person has lent to the band, try to keep it even, and when the money starts coming in then you can start paying everyone back.
6) When do bands need to register for GST?
Legally any business that grosses $75,000 or more is required to register for GST. This means any business that has $75,000 or more coming in as income (regardless or costs, expenses or profit) for any financial year (July to June). But realistically any band who has their accounts well organized should register for GST straight away. It’s a little bit of extra admin work, but if you don’t mind doing that stuff it’s financially beneficial to register. Basically it means you get around 10% of all your major costs refunded (including flights, accom, car hire, equipment purchases, etc). It’s a little more complicated than that so don’t just rush out and register and think you’ll be getting refunds – but if you’re confident with your admin skills, speak to your accountant or give White Sky a call and get on to it!
7) What is a good low-maintenance way of staying on top of the books?
Firstly get a separate bank account for the band. Secondly get organized. Bookkeeping isn’t rocket-science, but you’ve got to keep on top of it regularly. The best thing to do is to get a bank account for the band, then make sure ALL money that the band receives goes into the account, and all money spent comes out of that same account. Then if you keep track of what each transaction is, your monthly bank statement is basically your accounts already done for you.
8) Classic mistakes bands / artists make when it comes to finance:
Not getting receipts for band related spending has to be the biggest one. It’s an easy habit to get into, just ask for a receipt as often as you can. The other issue a lot of bands have is that they deal in “cash” a lot. This may seem like a good idea since there’s less paperwork and hassle involved. But believe me, as soon as you start taking your business seriously, others will take your band more seriously.
9) What are some expenses that are tax deductible, that most artist don’t claim on?
Reference material is a big one. This includes all CDs you buy, music magazines, music DVDs, basically anything that you can argue you need to buy to continue working as a musician. Home rent, if you use your garage, or your spare room to rehearse in, you can claim a % of your home rent as a business expense. The % is calculated on the number of rooms in the house.
10) Worst bit / best bit about your job:
The best bit has to be working with bands from when they’re starting out and then seeing them grow and have success. Being part of that process is very exciting. There are no bad bits. I love this job!
IN SHOT - Kane Hibberd / The Art of Capture
1) Tell Push Player about ‘The Art of Capture.’
The Art Of Capture is photography by Kane Hibberd. My business is mostly portraiture and entertainment photography. In a perfect world I would love to just shoot music but unfortunately in Australia due to our small music industry there is some downtime so I shoot some corporate and entrainment work to supplement my income.
2) Supply your top 5 best shots and describe what appeals to you about them (studio or live).
The Getaway Plan: I like image shot because of the atmosphere it generates and the cool tonal range. This is the first in a series of photographs I am doing with bands on that couch.
Trial Kennedy: I like the humour in this image. Too many band portraitures take themselves too seriously. These guys are a bunch of laid back funny guys and this is reflected in the photograph
Trial Kennedy2: This image is trying to get away from the typical band portraits. In taking this image I wanted to try and introduce a bit of a narrative. The image clearly shows the band but it is also keeps the viewers interest with the surroundings and the interaction between the band members.
Hawthorne Heights: This shot was taken at the roundhouse in Sydney. It’s no secret that I love a good photograph from behind a drummer. Drummers always get a unique view while playing and I think we all need to be able to enjoy it.
Wolfmother: This shot was taken back in 2005. It was one of those shots that everything fell into place. The lighting, is perfect, the capture was taken just as the bass player hit the height of his jump and the other band members are doing interesting movements. Right place, right time.
3) What makes for a good band shot for street press promotion?
Any promotion whether it is street press, internet or print media needs to be a strong portrait image, no live images (Unless it is an absolute corker). With the amount competition out there your image needs to attract attention so that readers will take a second glance and hopefully decide to check out some of your music. This could be done through the use of colour, repetition (all wearing the same clothes or colour), quirkiness, framing of the subjects within the photograph, location anything to capture the attention of the viewer. Also make sure that the photograph is technically correct to, ie in FOCUS!! And not over or under exposed. This won’t lead to a very good print.
4) Typically, when shooting a band for press (studio or location shooting) how much of the vision for the shoot is yours and how much is directed by the band?
It is critical to the success of your shot whether you are doing it yourself or you have a photographer, that everyone agrees on what the final outcome should be. Write a brief describing what you want or if you are collaborating with a photographer, make sure you understand the concept they are presenting to you. Photography is a very subjective thing. What the photographer thinks will suit the band, may not be something you like. If in doubt ask as many questions as you can think of before the day of the shoot. Pre production is everything! The success of a good shot is all in the planning process. Pressing the shutter on the day is actually the easiest part. Organising clothes, people, locations etc is the hard part. If you are on location it’s sometimes too late if a member of the band has forgotten their clothing etc.
5) How important is it for a band to aim for a ‘united’ image in promo shots? Including clothes, demeanor, lighting, setting etc
Your portrait image of your band should try and reflect some of the personality of the band. Are you a serious band, funny band etc. Style in the shoot is very important. If you look at successful bands you will see they have an image and the image flows all through the band. That’s not to say you all have to look the same but if someone has an entirely different look to 3 quarters of the band, the continuity of the images is broken. On of the design factors that contributes to a good photograph is repetition, wearing or doing something similar can help add to the interest of the shot.
Lighting is another factor that is often overlooked when taking photographs. Lighting essentially creates the mood and invokes a certain feel in the image. Try and stay away from on camera flash lighting as this will make give your image a sense of being a happy snap as this is the sorting lighting everyone with a point and shoot camera is forced to use. Experiment with different times of the day, natural light and shadow.
THE PUSH PLAYER ARTIST SUMMIT
Musicians and songwriters: Want to hone your skills on and off the stage?
The Push launches THE PUSH PLAYER
The Push Player is a new initiative geared at equipping developing artists with the necessary skills to engage their original music with the wider Australian music industry. The Push Player provides a monthly update on www.thepush.com.au (click on 'Artists') where you will find interviews with music industry professionals and artists, how-to instructional articles and industry tips. The Push Player is also launching regular Artist Summits: seminar/networking events where developing artists can learn first hand from high profile music industry guest speakers and discuss issues with other artists.
The first Push Player Artist Summit is happening on Thursday the 1st of November from 6:30pm-8:30pm at EV’s Youth Centre, 212 Mount Dandenong Rd, Croydon. The topic for the night is “The Developing Artist: On And Off Stage”, exploring such issues as learning your strengths and honing your craft, professional music industry conduct, self-promotion and management. Presented by Andrew Kitchen (The Push, Antiskeptic), the event also features an acoustic performance by Dave Powys (San Salvador, ex-Sounds Like Chicken), free pizza, plenty of time for question and networking, and information on how EV's can help you.
Places are limited, so if you are interested please RSVP to push@thepush.com.au. Presented by The Push in partnership with Maroondah Youth Services.
Venue : EV's Youth Centre, 212 Mount Dandenong Rd, Croydon
Date : Thursday the 01.11.07
Time : 6:30pm-8:30pm
Cost : FREE
Topic : The Developing Artist - on and off stage
More details to come!!
FREEBIES
Congratulations to these winners:
AUGUST
Spencer Page : Burn the City - Burn the city (album)
Nathanael Walker : Armageddon Sky - City Lights Glow (ep)
Joshua Binns : Blueline Medic - 42:19 (album)
