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| Cyclone Records : Email Interview with Brad Trew of Cyclone Records : April 15, 2006 |
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1. How did you hook up with Nadine? I knew Nadine Adam from before I started Cyclone Records in April 2005. She is an amazing singer and a classically trained pianist but was developing her style towards a heavier rock/metal genre. It was just natural that her talent be part of the compilations I was working on. We went into Alchemy Recording Studio in Calgary and laid down the track "Just Break Me" which has to be heard to be fully appreciated. In fact, I have just remastered her track for inclusion on the yearbook release "Storm Warning: Vol.1" which is a collection of songs from releases during Cyclone's first year of operation. I could write a book on the struggles during that first year and the things I learned the hard way. One thing I learned very early on is that I can't do everything myself. Nadine is 22 and has a very good grasp of what's what these days. She has been a huge supporter of mine and a great friend and I couldn't have achieved all I have without her being there to lean on during some of those early struggles. We have just added a new member of the Cyclone team, Martin McNeilly. Martin is a manager of the Calgary metal band, Halo, and promoter for The Underground, Calgary's leading metal venue. With having started operations in Alberta (before relocating to Ontario) and developing a large portion of the roster there, I needed someone to represent local interests there and to keep their ear to the ground. Martin kindly offered his assistance and was a natural choice. 2. Tell me how you became interested in photography. I am a very visual person. I'm always looking at how things interact and contrast visually wherever I am. Movies are the ultimate eye candy for me. I caught the photography bug when I was in high school and learned all the boring basics like f-stops, ISO and shutter speeds. With digital photography, I've been able to experiment a lot more from the photography side, plus the post production/graphic manipulation side of things. Nearly all photos I take undergo some type of digital manipulation to alter or correct colour, contrast, saturation, add/remove components, etc. 3. Do you do all the photography for Cyclone? I do. I have done photo shoots for Blind Army, Creature Republic and Nadine Adam. Examples are up on the Cyclone website. I also helped Six Pack Jacket with their cover photography, provided images for The Heart of Alberta compilation and the On the Verge compilation. 4. Tell me a little about how your photography ended up in two published books. I'm always taking pictures of something... good or bad. I've had the privilege of traveling to all parts of Canada including the NWT and Yukon, the US, Mexico so have had lots of interesting subject matter. I submitted some pictures I'd taken to a photography contest through Picture.com. Two of the photos were selected and were published in the books "Endless Journeys" and "Dawn's Frontier" by the International Library of Photography. I am most proud of the photo shoots that I've done for the Cyclone artists though, I think because the subjects are people whereas my personal photography has always been places and things. 5. Who is it that handles the graphic design? How long have they been involved in Cyclone and in graphic design in general? Some bands will submit work from a graphic designer of their choice. Beyond that, I do the graphic design work myself. It was borne out of my creative nature and I've always done some type of graphic design work wherever I've worked, even if it meant doing awareness posters or a company newsletter. It was only natural that I would use my interest in graphic design when working on Cyclone projects since a large part of releasing CDs is the visual aspect or promoting the material. Having these abilities allows me to have a more hands-on approach for all the projects we work on so that I know that the finished project will be as good as it can be. I also designed my website from scratch after many painstaking hours of learning HTML code first. 6. There is no arguing that the internet has changed the way we all do a lot of things. How do you feel that the internet, and how easily accessible it is by most people, has changed the way a modern label operates? The internet breaks down borders on both the selection process, the promotion and the distribution process. I can now work with bands from places other than my own backyard. Twenty years ago, the possibility or logistics of sourcing out bands from other cities, countries or continents was impossible. The internet has become a conduit into other communities so I can now research and find bands, venues, media outlets, anything I need and even get feedback from within those communities before making decisions. The internet allows bands to promote themselves through sites like MySpace.com, NewMusicCanada.com, PureVolume.com, theSoundRadio.com... on and on, and have creative control as to how they are presented. This can be good or bad depending on a bands marketing skills because as more and more bands jump on the band wagon, some will stand out more than others. The savvy bands with a good business sense can make their careers by using the internet as a resource. A great example of this is Inner Surge who work diligently on promoting themselves daily to dozens of websites around the world. 7. The first big difference between Cyclone and other labels is the emphasis on the comp cds. Obviously, this is great for everyone involved. How is the recording process handled for these comps? Bands supply their own recording for a number of reasons. Firstly, my decision to work with a particular band is based on how they come across on record since that is the final product. Secondly, and more importantly, it leaves creative control in the hands of the bands themselves... they are free to make the statement they set out to make through their choice of studio, engineer and producer. Once all the bands are selected, the disc undergoes a final mastering to create a polished, consistent presentation. I do some of the mastering myself or for the latest compilation, "The Greatest Underground Show on Earth", we outsourced to The Lacquer Channel in Toronto. If bands don't have a recorded track or want to record something new for a compilation, I will negotiate a discounted rate with a local studio and pass the discount onto the bands so that cost is not an obstacle to them being heard. 8. You've got quite a few comps under your belt already, when you're putting one together, what is the process like for you in choosing bands, songs, and song placement? In the beginning I placed a few ads in papers but the response really wasn't that great. I instead went to the internet and sites like MySpace.com and NewMusicCanada.com where I could listen and read up on bands that fit the genre I was researching and were geographically suitable. My selections were based on my personal taste first, then recording quality, originality and talent. Song placement is done to ensure the disc has a strong opener, good songs mixed throughout and it has a good flow. Now that I have a few compilations and full-length releases under my belt, I receive submissions on a regular basis from bands from all over the world... places like Italy, Nigeria, the UK and the US (which again is a testament to the power of the internet). I also receive a large response from the Alberta market based on word of mouth on the previous compilations which is a huge compliment. I am also ramping up a Toronto/Ontario compilation and have some spots filled already. If bands are interested, get in touch soon as spots will be awarded on a first-come, first-served selection basis. 9. What made you decide to offer CD replication services to bands outside of those on your roster? One conscious decision going into Cyclone was that I would secure the best pricing for any of the services I offer. One of these services was replication which I have done through Sony in Toronto. I offer significantly better pricing than other major players out there. It was strictly a business decision to generate additional income through doing non-roster replication. It also creates a dialogue between myself and other artists and maybe we'll find a common goal that will lead to being signed by Cyclone. 10. When was the leap made to include the 12 online tunes shops as part of the digital distro branch of Cyclone? I have always strived to stay on the leading edge of technology. With the inevitable explosion of download purchases over the next couple of years (i.e. iTunes next billionth download), I wanted to position the label to be able to take advantage of the opportunities this will give bands and be firmly established before the big rush. I signed the distro deal in August 2005. It was a very conscious effort to choose digital distro over the long standing "bricks and mortar" type distro. The reasons for this were simple: cost and scope. Like I've mentioned before, the internet has broken the borders and created the global village. With physical distribution, you first have the additional costs to press a huge number of CDs to stock shelves in chain stores across whatever geography you want to support, then you need to promote in each of those markets to bring people in to buy the CDs, plus you have the time and costs of monitoring sales, replenishing inventories and physically moving the CDs to those locations. None of these efforts guarantee that the disc will sell. With digital distro, the scope is worldwide with no additional costs. If you develop a fan base in Germany, such as Inner Surge has done, you can support the needs of those fans as easily as you can in your own hometown. And bands earn revenue with each and every download. 11. Why do you feel bands should have their songs available for download for purchase at sites like these when they already have a website with free downloads or they're already a part of a community like PureVolume? A band having their music on a site like iTunes legitimizes it. It says, "look at me, I'm here beside the best of the best there is, have a listen." It also addresses the trend of fans moving away from full album releases and cherry picking only the songs they like. Some labels have been resistant to this trend and I disagree with them. They feel that not having the songs available for download encourages hard copy sales. If someone wants a particular song, they'll get it. Canada suffers from the highest occurrence of illegal downloads on the planet. Making downloadable music available legally gives fans a better option. One artist on my roster had a song available for free download and, in a year, saw 20,000 downloads. That's a lot of lost revenue. I'm not completely adverse to free downloads as it gives people an opportunity to check out your music but places like iTunes or Napster are my preference because you can hear a sample of the song and, if you like it, you can buy it. Sites like MySpace.com or PureVolume.com, while being great for exposure, I think actually decrease sales because the music is readily available for an unlimited number of listens without ever taking the fan to the next level and committing their support of the music through a download or CD purchase. Downloading songs through places like iTunes is a perfect compliment for the podcast phenomenon as well. For those that haven't explored the podcast realm, I suggest you do. This year has been called the year of the podcast. What it is essentially is a radio broadcast that can be downloaded and played either by your computer or iPod/Mp3 player. Its the next generation of radio with the exception that all the music played is independent, you are notified via email whenever your track is played and you never have to miss a show. In less than 8 weeks, songs from the Cyclone catalogue have been played over 100 times on podcasts around the world. A great example of this in action is Creature Republic. They were immediately picked up by a podcast called The Little Show with radio veteran Scott St. John. Scott liked their music so much that he bought their entire CD through iTunes and has had them in regular rotation every since. They have also been honoured with providing the show opener (along with Cyclone artist Pitch Union) through an edited version of a currently unreleased song and voice-overs by lead singer Alicia Hoogveld. We have also seen a spike in purchases through iTunes US store and Napster since first being broadcast through podcasts. 12. The DVD authoring you're up to. Are you offering to this to bands outside of your roster? Yes, all my services are open to bands outside of my roster. There is an additional cost benefit to the bands on the roster though. 13. Are there any in the works now with anyone on your roster? I do have a project currently in negotiations that will be very significant to the label in terms of exposure. I can't say much yet except that it is international in scope and would be a CD/DVD combination involving bands from around the world. 14. The promo gear you're making, is that open to bands outside of Cyclone as well? Yes. 15. I'm only asking about it because it's so far from the usual, what was behind the decision to help bands with their security? Cyclone Records actually began in 1986 as a side project (but that's a whole other story). Between then and now, my career has been in the field of surveillance, interrogations and investigation. One aspect of that field that has always interested me is personal protection. Bands begin their development by focusing on their music, their name and logo but don't think about future risks. Things that people do today help us find them in the future. Bands should consider doing things now such as unlisting their phone numbers, setting up a PO box for mailings, limiting what personal information they share through interviews, etc, because if they hit it big unexpectedly then all that information is there to find. A great example of this is Alanis Morissette whose success of Jagged Little Pill tour saw her starting out by playing small clubs and ending up 10 months later selling out stadium shows. I have found people that don't want to be found with one just phone call with the right question asked of the right person...usually a family member. Bands need consultation so they understand how things can go wrong. With bands traveling to strange cities they are at risk of theft, fraud and violence. I offer services such as mail redirection, risk analysis of fan mail, phone call screening, Cyclone specific email accounts, personal security and executive protection. 16. What's next for Cyclone in your master plan? In the short term, we are mega-busy. We are currently working on a bunch of new releases: 2 by Allen Christie (a re-pressing of his first CD and the release of his next CD), 1 by a US artist that I can't mention just yet but is going to be huge, the beginnings of 3 more compilations and we are just hammering out the details on a deal to release a Cyclone artist's next album. In the longer term, we are moving into band management and are already working in that direction with Nadine Adam and Pitch Union. We are looking at booking several tours with various artists this year including some high profile festivals in Ontario and Alberta. As I mentioned earlier, I am a huge supporter of the podcast phenomenon. Our goal during 2006 is to fully develop the potential of podcasts through building alliances with podcasters in each genre to encourage more and more plays. Already some key podcasts such as The Little Show, CanCon Radio, Views from the Cave, Headbangers Lab have had shows dedicated to the music of Cyclone Records (including band interviews) and others are in the works. And lastly, if they ever figure out how to implant a chip into our heads and be able to download songs via satellite just by thinking about it, I'm sure I'll be among the first to be signing up. ;-) 17. Can you sum up what you feel being a part of Cyclone does for bands? There have been tons of benefits for the bands in the roster, some planned and others a complete surprise to me. Firstly, the success of Cyclone relies on a band's success so everything I do centres on that singular goal. We promote the music we represent in ever way shape or form possible through radio play, internet sites, podcasts, media outlets. Having a label name behind a band gives them greater clout. It elevates a band from the rank and file when its a label representing their interests instead of bands sending out emails or booking shows on their own behalf saying "look at me, I'm great." A label affiliation shows that there is someone that believes as strongly in the music as the band does- We also distribute a monthly eNewsletter to a fan mailing list (if anyone is interested, send me an email to mailinglist@cyclonerecords.ca) and a monthly internal newsletter to the artists on the label called Cyclone Insider News about successes, plans and other things affecting bands on the roster. The most surprising yet satisfying benefit is the music community built amongst the bands on the roster. When bands are planning a show, they will contact other bands on the roster first to see if they are interested in participating. They also share equipment and musicians at times as well. I've built up alliances with certain vendors such as Alchemy Recording Studio and SilverEdge Sound in Calgary and they benefit through referrals and repeat business. The bands benefit from this too as vendors that I have alliances with have been prescreened and provide quality services at Cyclone-specific cost structures that are significantly less than their published rates. Another huge benefit is greater exposure. The compilations are great for radio airplay and promoting bands to clubs because they're like a greatest hits CD of indie artists. For instance, Creature Republic is called upon regularly for shows through the promotion they've received. Nadine too is recognized quite frequently when traveling and it still catches me off guard. She is also contacted regularly to sing on other bands' projects. On the flipside of all that, the benefit to Cyclone is that it gives us the opportunity to work closely with bands to learn what they are all about before committing to larger projects. The four things I look for when selecting new bands are Accessibility, Business Sense, Creativity, Dedication. For us to establish a long-term relationship with a band/artist, they need to be aggressive in their own development and not rely on others. They need a great product with original, quality music. They also need to have great communication.... this is a biggie for me. The music business is a fast paced one and if bands are slow in responding to emails, phone calls or opportunities, they'll be left behind. * If there is anything you'd like included that I didn't ask about, please let me know here and I'll include it. My ideas are somewhat controversial/leading edge so I know not everyone will agree with me or will maybe just need a little more clarification. Maybe just include a little blurb about how readers can respond to what they've read, good or bad, to btrew@cyclonerecords.ca. What I'm Listening To Playlist: 1. Lacuna Coil-Swamped 2. Dinah Washington/Brook Benton - A Rockin' Good Way 3. Lady Saw - No Matta Me 4. Rush - Spirit of Radio 5. Disturbed-Stricken |