Song Up on CD Baby

So I've been thinking about this idea for a while.
I want to help out a local charity of some sort.
Trying hard to think of many ways to go about this, from playing shows, to part of merchandise sales and a tone of other things. One idea I had is in the works, we'll see if it pans out. I went and drafted up a letter and sent it off to a few bigger named artist inviting them out my way to play a show. I have a place that holds 300 and is a ticket master location, So who knows it might happen.

Another thing I had thought about is putting one of my songs out on iTunes and all the other places and have a part of the sales go to the place I have picked.

So here is the idea.
$0.50 of each down load sale of my song "I Want A Change" will be going to YESS from now till the end of 2013.
I want to run this for at least a year and see how it works out.

Now you can get the song right now on CD baby, iTunes, amazon and the others will be coming on line soon I am hoping. But to get things rolling you can hit up the link here http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kevinfrey2

A bit about the song. I wrote the song in 2006 and did a home recording on an old 4 track tape recorder. From there with the very basic tools and toys I moved it onto my computer and did all that fun stuff that I could. I do plan on one day getting it done in studio and with a full band. But for now the idea is to help out YESS in the first and simplest way I can think of.

So I now ask for your help. Pop in there get the song and spread the word. Let me know here that you got the song and I will do a Random Draw each month for a CD with a bunch of my songs on it, Totally custom for you! I may even throw in a bonus personalized thank you ... maybe a song maybe a video ... lets see if we can make this roll!

Cheers!
And Keep on Rockin!
Kevin

Been Thinking

So I know its been a while since I last posted anything here on the way of promoting a band. Life has had me busy.
I am working on a few different things these days. one of the ideas I have floating around in my head is a quick guide to promoting your band. Kind of like a great big check list of things to do and things to think about.
I am going to try and get something up for the beginning of the new year. I am going to try and cover as many things as I can, keep it reasonably simple and try and give you as many cost effective tips as I can.
Sort of a Promote your band on a shoe string budget kind of deal.

In the mean time I am getting geared up for another battle of the bands and trying to stash away a bit of money so I can get back into a studio to record a few more songs.
If your wondering one song is up and running on CD baby, iTunes, amazon mp3, and a handful of other sites. You can also find it now on soundcloud. My Way To You by Kevin Frey

I've also been working on some side projects, one of them is painting. I set up a quick blog and started posting pictures of my painting on www.thepainthabbit.blogspot.com
The little paintings are reasonably quick to do and I have started taking them to the odd show as a very different kind of merch to sell. All one of a kind and signed. There are also a few pencil drawing in the mix too. Just one more outlet for ideas to flow. who knows I might end up painting an album cover.
Why not add this as a merchandise idea to you sales table?

For now have fun and Kepp on Rockin!
Cheers,
Kevin

Something I'm going to try

So, I have a show coming up in about a week.
Nothing to crazy, I entered into a battle of the bands. Should be fun if anything. Would be cool to win the top spot for the night. The prize is a day of recording and some promotion.

Even if I don't place I will be getting to play for a whole bunch of people I don't normally reach. It is exposure, none the less, to possible new fans.

The one thing that I am going to do different that what my mind has always been on is with merchandise. Every one will have T shirts and CD and odds and ends. I'll have my little stack of CD's sitting there as per usual, but what I will be bringing that is different is a stack of small paintings.

I'll have about 10 or 12 little acrylic painting set up to offer. There are a few examples over on my other blog if anyone wants to take a quick look. www.thepainthabbit.blogspot.com
Material wise these didn't cost me a lot. It took me a little bit of time to figure out what to paint, what I could paint quickly, and was not super time consuming. I'm hoping because it is unusual that it might make people slow down and chat and even better spend a few dollars at my table.

So in the quest for ideas and new revenue streams I thought I would give it a spin and see what happens.
Could work of anyone. Right?

I'll let you know How it goes.

Cheers!

My Music

I nearly forgot to say something about this.

In July I signed up on CD baby and set out for digital distribution of my first single.
I have up for sale the song "My Way To You"

So far the sales have been slow, I can't lie. But I have not been pushing it to hard yet. Just a little bit on my personal facebook page to friends and family.

So here it is This song is up on CD Baby, iTunes, Amazonmp3 and a bunch of others that CD Baby deals with for you.

By The way this is the store widget that you can get from CD Baby. You can tinker with it some to make it look the way you want it to.

Tickets

So with a show coming up and a handfull of tickets, it got me thinking. As an indie artist what are the best ways to sell tickets?

I'm banging my head on the wall trying to move tickets for a show. I've Tweeted, I've set up an event on facebook, i've talked to friends, I have tried many things. Fliers, random chats, really anything I can think of.

I have not found a sure fire way to do it yet. I have even set up a free pair to give away for the first comment on one of my music pages. Nothing.

Why is this so?
Am I being a pest?
Not talking it up enough?
Talking too much?

Not really sure.

So, what are the best ways you use to move tickets.
How does one set up a sure fire plan to sell tickets like hot cakes?

I know one of the golden rules of Social media is to not over do the tweets and updates, or you will get filed to teh side as a spammer.
Is it time of day? or what you say that counts?

I would love some insite from other artists on what they do, what works for them, and what does not work.

So put on your thinking caps and drop me you thoughts.

Cheers!

Been A While

I know it has been a while since I last was through. Sorry about that. Been working, tinkering with some song writing, playing the odd show and battle of the bands. Played a quick one Down In Sundre Alberta in early October. That was a lot of fun. I think I did well. I didn't make it to the next round though it was a tough one that night a lot of good bands. That battle was for a spot to play at the birthday bash for Rock 106.5 in Olds Alberta. That would have been cool and fun.

I did get into the studio for a short bit of recording back in February. I went and seen James at 2 bodies of water productions in Edmonton Alberta. Got 2 songs recorded and one of them is now up on Cd baby and iTunes for sale. The song is My Way To You if you want to give it a listen.

In about 2 weeks I have another Battle of the bands coming up. I will be one of many on November 17th at The Nest in The(NAIT) Northern Alberta institute of Technology building. Should be a good night. Doors are at 6 pm and it is $15 at the door to get in. All Ages to boot.

I'll See if I can't get back here real soon with some more ideas and information to share.

Until Then Keep On Rockin!
Kevin

T-Shirts

So you've played a bunch of shows, have a CD to sell, and are slowly starting to build a draw of people to each show. Great! Now you're starting to think about T shirts to add to your merchandise table. Awesome, that's the next step right.
But what do you put on a T Shirt?
Lots of colour?
Fancy Designs?
Album art work?

So many options to go with that it can be overwhelming and confusing. If you go with album art work, cool, but how many can you sell and how many do you have to have printed right off the bat? This is where a lot of the risk comes in to play when planning your T shirts. Sure the more you Buy the better the price is you pay, but what if you don't sell hundreds of shirts for a long time? What if you end up with a stack of shirts with album art work from a CD you did 5 years ago?

So here is what I would suggest and what my thinking is. Start out with something simple. Do a classic one colour print with your band name and a a logo on it. No matter if it is your first CD or your 10th, That basic design will always sell. Look at the classic Ramones T shirts you see around at shows, simple, one colour, band name, and logo. Often you see a white T shirt with a black print or a black T shirt with a white print. They still sell that Type of Ramones Shirt on a regular basis. Its a simple and effective design that is basically timeless. The great thing is a simple design like that will transfer to stickers, web site, hats, coffee mugs, sexy underwear, or what ever you can think of.

Why risk having a tone of an album specific T shirt when you are starting out? Make and plan for something you can always sell. Once you get that going then you can easily down the road start adding small batches of more designs and special event type T shirts to your table, and right beside them all have a standard that anyone can add to their loot.

Now the next thing you start thinking about is what colour of T shirt do I go with?

It seems typical that all shows you see the basic black T shirt. It always looks great! This is a fine idea. The only draw back I can see with a black t shirt is that most screen printing shops charge a bit more for them. They usually have to add a layer of white under your design if your using a lot of colour to help the colours stand out and not look faded some. This is an added step in the printing process and usually you end up paying for it. This can cut into the packet some when getting them printed and adds a little more cost when you go to sell them at your shows. Now plain white T shirts are usually the best price, but not every one wants a white T shirt. The nice thing is you can get them quicker and for a better price.

So what one could do is go for a bit of a split on coloured shirts and your basic black, this way you can get an over all base price that's easier to handle and leaves you with a bit of profit at the end of the night.

The last thing you have to guess at is what sizes do you go with. That is a hard one to figure out. If you are working with a good company that does shirt printing, chances are they can help you out some if you ask them what the most popular or common sizes are. They can also help you with colours, and give design advice.

I am sure there are many more things that one can go over when it comes to T shirt designs and printing. But this is a basic look into it to help get you thinking about what you want to do. I could probably go on a long time on just designs and logos alone. Best bet there if your having a hard time thinking up something pop by a art school and you could find someone eager to do up a design for a reasonable price. Starving students and all.

Rock On!
Cheers

How to get started and noticed

Part 2

What are some more ways to gather a fan base and keep building a Buzz around your band?

Like I had mentioned before in part 1 of this adventure, there are are hundreds of ways to do this. Some will work like gold, some will get you one or two fans here and there, and some will not work at all. It is a trial and error system till you find just the right mix for you and your band.

I am going to quickly cover two ideas that will help you and your band. One idea is about one part of live gig's/shows and the other fits along with it some.

We will start with a bit about gig's/shows. Sometimes booking a show or getting into a hot club is the toughest thing to do. You want to start with you research on the venues, find out who to talk to ad what they need from you to help make their decision. One of those things might be a press kit sent in or dropped off, if you are close by. No matter what always offer to get a press or media kit to the Booker. This will show some professionalism and that you are serious about your music. It will help them in the long run to get to know your band and your sound so that they have an easier time matching you up with other acts to fill a night.

One thing too look at is other places to play. You might not be able to get in to that club right of way and you want to keep playing and sharing your music. look for basically anything to start with like open mic nights, hall parties, frat parties, BB Q's, and other things like contests and battle of the bands. You don't want to be too picky at first until you can prove you have a reasonable draw to your shows.

Now the other idea I have been working myself for getting in to different bars and clubs is teaming up with other bands. Get together with one or two other bands that you like that are close to you sound wise. It will work better as a package deal to a Booker when you talk to them. If you can talk to a band Booker and say I am with a group of three bands looking to put on a show one evening, you will have better chances of getting that show. This will take a bunch of work off the Booker by giving him a whole night with out having to try and match up bands. It also makes it easier to head right into making your posters and fliers. You can basically have a template and just change the dates, place, time and if there is a cover charge.

The next next thing that ties into all of your shows has to do with building your fan base. You want to build that base by building a email list of of fans. Here again you can do probably 50 different things to build that list.
A few ideas I can offer are:

• Sign up sheets at your merchandise table
• Offer free down load of one of your songs
• use a down load card to offer a song at your shows for email sign ups
• Or say a down load with a T shirt sale and email sign up

Sometimes it is all about being creative with the approach of getting those email addresses. I once herd of  a band that had a email sign up list on their table that was framed by a toilet seat. It made people stop and think, it also worked for them. Some times it is the things one would not expect to see that grabs attention and makes people think about signing up.

Sometimes Random give aways during the show helps make people remember your band and want to stay up to date and add their email to your list. There is a story of Coldplay in the early days, they would give out mini chocolate bars at the end of their shows. It was a thank you that they did for people that stuck around to listen to their music. It seemed to work well for them because word slowly spread that they did this at their shows and it made them more human and approachable. By doing this it gave them a chance to connect closer to the fans. And connecting with fans is where it all starts.

A question poll

Question of the day #2

The ever burning question of building an email list and fan base is one that is hard to define.
There are hundreds of ways to gather names and emails. The question is what works best?

So tell me and the every one what has worked best for you?

• Simple sign up sheet at gigs/shows with your merch
• On line sign ups on your web site
• Offers like one free down load when you join
• begging?

Give us your ideas and what has worked best for you.
Maybe someone has a sure fire way that no one else has tried before.

Drop us a line here in the comments and we'll see who has the best ideas.

Cheers!

Recording Day

Well today should be a fun day. I am heading to the studio to do a little recording. See what we can get done in a short window of time.
I have way too many songs that I would like to try and get recorded, But today if I can get 2 or maybe 3 songs I will be really happy.

I'm heading in to Two Bodies of Water recording Studio in the West end of Edmonton, Alberta. I will get a good first time run at being in a real studio versus my home set up.
I met with the Big guy there a few weeks ago but have not had the time and funds in place to go full out for a few days. So I am going to try out a solo acoustic treatment of a hand full of my songs. See what it comes out like.

Hopefully over the next while I can do this a few times and get enough songs done up for an EP.

I will let you all know how it goes.

Have a great Day!
Cheers!

A quick Poll.

Question of the day #1

What does your band do to get people out to shows?

Do you do something different like:

• Offer a free drink with your show poster
• Offer a free drink with the hand bill
• Offer tickets to your on line fans for a pre show discount
• Do a random draw from your email list for a pair of tickets to the next show
• Offer free down load of a song

I would love to hear your ideas and share some of the success everyone has had with getting more people to the shows.

How To get started and noticed

Part One

So getting a band going and started. Where do we go from here. This can be a real big and broad topic that can cover hundreds of aspects of getting a band going and building BUZZ.
There is no magic Bullet, no secret pacts, or simple fixes these days, and most likely no one to hold your hand. There maybe a hundred sites and books that scream we will get you to the top quickly. The simple reality is that there is only one way to get to your goal of having a successful band, it boils down to a few key things and that's hard work and determination.
You thought this was going to be easy didn't you?
What i have started here is a simple basic out line to help you build your plan and try to remove some of the guess work out of building your band up.

The first this is simple:

• Practice your instrument
• Practice with your band (if you have one put together already)
• Start writing songs
• play your songs and practice a hand full of covers

Once you have your band together and every one sounds good together. You should sit down as a group and lay out your plan. Do you want to be an all covers band, write originals, do a bit of a mix at first, shoot for a CD, or how far do you want to go. Is it just a fun weekend warrior thing? You will have to decide for yourself what fits you best.
But a few of the things you should plan and out line are:

1. Set list
2. Who will do bookings
3. Who will make fliers and hand bills
4. where will you advertise your band
5. Web site - go for the free options or pay for a site to start with
6. Who will look after your on line campaign
7. Merchandise - designs and who will make arrangements to get it made

Now you don't always have to have all this set up right and in place out of the gate. It can't hurt but not a live or die kind of thing. I would suggest though going for any free band page sites first. Places like myspace, facebook band page, reverbnation, purevolume, bandcamp and so on. I think there are probably about 30 or so more out there you could find with a little digging. Shop around though each one has its own befits and beneficial options that will help you out in the long run.

These free sites are a great place to start for any band. I would suggest, once you have picked a few places, a few basic things to keep in mind. There are things your should try and keep consistent across all web sites, blogs, and pages that you set up so that you have a more professional look.

1. Band Photos
2. Band story, history, and bio
3. Band logo
4. Post a few songs for streaming and possible down loads
5. If you have one post a video

Its best to try and keep each page and web site the same with the information you put out there. This will give fans and causal lookers a uniform and consistent view of who you are and who your band is. It looks professional when you keep it simple and the same. This will also give a better source for the BUZZ around your band that you want.

So that's the first few things to go with. I will be adding to this as I go. There are too many things to cover in one short moment like this, but this should help you start getting a plan in place and thinking about what you want to do.

I would love to hear from anyone who has more ideas and what has worked so far for them.
Let me know and maybe we can look at expanding that idea into the one that pushes your band to the top.
Cheers for now!

Booking Gigs / Shows

So you want to start playing? You want to build a fan base? You want a few gigs / shows? You want to play live!
Guess what its one of those hard things to do. I should refine that, its the hardest thing to do the first time. Making that cold call to the cool club or pub up the street to see if you can get a gig can be a tough thing for some to do, the first time out.
There are so many bands around that have been at it maybe a bit longer then you or have connections.
So what!
You will to!
But, it takes a little bit of time and research.

Here are the basics you will need to do.

• Research the venue
• Find out band booker and when the best time to get a hold of him is.
• Call him (simple thing to do) and ask a few questions about the place and how to go about setting up to either meet or to play a show.
• Drop off a demo, photo of band and contact information
• Plan how you are going to promote a show
• Promote the show if you have it
• Call back the Booker in about a week on his time
• Go knock them dead with your music!

I know some of these sound easier then you would think and others maybe a bit daunting. Once you start doing this more often you will have a better idea what to ask and how to did up the information you need. Places like google, yelp, reverbnation, myspace, and a whole host of others can help find you phone numbers and some times names for each place.

If you have a web site make sure you give them the information they would need to find it if they ask. Also include this in your Press kit, you know the basic package you probably will need to drop of for the Booker so he knows what you sound and look like. It makes it easier for them to fit you into a spot with like sounding bands on any night at that venue. You don't want to be a country music act opening up for a metal band.

Don't forget to make plans to promote the show to get people in there. The more you can get in the door the more likely the band Booker is to get you back in for a busier night, or in a better slot the next time you call looking for a show. Get out and put your fliers up where ever you can think of. I cover this in a different article in a lot more detail with ideas of where, what kind of poster to make, what tools you will need to do it, and so on.

It also doesn't hurt to make a plan for online promotion. Hit up Facebook and make an event, just don't be a super pest bugging all your friends every day. Once or twice mention it well in advance ... say about 2 to 3 weeks ahead of it then say 2 to 3 days before. Do the same with your twitter, web site, blog, myspace page or where ever you have your band info posted. Most promoters in small clubs don't have a budget to do a lot of promoting. It sucks to think that a place that is in business is to cheep to try and promote themselves to get more people in. The reality is they rely on the bands to push it for them.

Once you have a gig / show lined up the next one will be easier and soon the next one will fall into place. It starts to snow ball a bit. Plus once you have a few shows done you can add that information to your press kit. You know The when and where of the show as well as how many people showed up to see you. These little bits help the Booker see you are starting to build a draw and that it might be a safe bet to line you up for a show. Plus if you can show that you have up coming shows they are more likely to book you as well. It proves to them in a small way that you are trying and serious about being a band.

One last thought on this I have. Ok you are trying for that saturday night but the booker is not too hot on the idea. Find 1 or 2 other bands that you know and try it again as a group. This makes it a lot easier for the booker to go "ok come in and play!". Why? Because the simple fact is you just saved him or her a bunch of time. You can put together a full show with a couple of acts and he just hast to sit back and let that night roll and be ahead of the game for the next weekend.

I took the chance and started making those calls and doing research just recently. It is paying off. I got 2 other bands that I know in on it and we have 2 shows lined up. I have never in my life just gone out and gave it a go as a solo artist. I will see soon how it will turn out and iff I can keep it up.

Don't Give up!
Keep trying!
Try different things!
Smile and say thank-you!
And most of all HAVE FUN!

I'll let you know soon how it works out for me. Plus I'll be back to add some more ideas to this in the near future.
Cheers!

Local Bands

Should Be A Great Time!

Local Bands

Videos - Part 2

I've come back to this idea again with another take or angle on it.
My thought being that lots of people love seeing behind the senses. Why else would they put out takes, bloopers, and gag reels on movie DVDs and an extra? Everyone loves to see what happens when they are making that movie.

So this thought falls into that idea loosely. Why not video record a rehearsal and share some of it? why not share a little of your usual day to day with every fan of yours? Its easy enough to do now a days with all the gadgets and how connected everyone is with the Internet. You can easily set up a computer or a lap top or a digital camera or two for some interesting views. Just get ready in your rehearsal space and hit record.

Once you have a bunch of stuff caught on cam put it together as a few short videos and share. You would be very surprised at how many people will stop and watch. using a couple of cameras you can splice together back and forth to ad some interest as well. If your jam session runs real long your can easily make a few videos out of it.
This is one more way to connect with fans and friends. It give a great behind the sense look at what you do. Often it helps make your fans a little more passionate about your music. It also helps drive them to your live shows, because they have seen you putting in the time and they often can't wait to be standing stage side to see you first hand.

You could even kick this idea up a notch or two. There are many online streaming services now. Set up a time and a date and stream live for an hour or so. You can set it up as a free viewing for your fans. You could also offer the free viewing of a live stream to anyone who joins your mailing list or fan club. Or you could go even deeper into it and set up one of your live shows for streaming so the far away fans can get an idea of your live show as well. it could again be a free thing to your fans, or you could also set it up as a payed streaming event with one of the many web sites that are starting to offer this service.
Yo could end up making a few extra bucks from a live performance.

As far as streaming live, I have yet to try it out. I know there are a bunch of sites offering this now and they should be easy to find. I would look at the different options to find one that is going to work best. As well finding out what you might need to do this and what any costs might be.
I will be looking into this a little deeper to see what is offered on line for this and what costs there might be.
Let me know if you have tried this out. Did it work well? How was your experiance with setting it up? What would you recommend for doing a live stream? Tips and pointers?
Or have you watched your favorite band live on line either putting on a show or in rehearsal?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Keep on Rockin'!
Cheers

6 Steps to Songwriting Sucess

6 Steps to Songwriting Success : By Jason Blume

After reading this book I started to think about my songs and my writing in a different way. I found it helped me find my voice and my style a little better. Al thought I am still working on that I have found it easier to get my ideas out and on the go. I hope in the long run it will continue to help me develop and push myself to the next level and then on to the next after that.

The writer, Jason Blume, covers the basics you need to know about song writing. He covers things like song form, point of view, melody, and a whole host of other skills and tools you will need to become a better song writer. He makes the book very easy to read and follow, as well as giving you tips for the things you will need and the things to think about with your writing.

The great thing about this book is it covers not only the songwriting and artistic aspect of things, but also goes into the business side of it as well. He goes over things like pitching your songs for sale, contracts, staff writing jobs, royalties and everything else in between that you should have some idea about.

There is also a fantastic list of resources in the book as well. They cover things like workshops, copy write contacts, writers groups, different organizations they come up along the way, and many many more.

The great thing about this is Jason Blume has many years experience and many song that have done very well over time. He has been a staff writer, an up and comer, and everything in between. He has songs placed and recorded with artists like, Brittany Spears, The Backstreet Boys, The oak Ridge Boys and many many others. The List of his work reads a bit like a who's who in music.

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who would love to have a hit song on the charts.

Local Bands

The Elzy Lay Band
March 17 2012 (Saturday - St. Paddy's Day)
Live at:

Eddie Shorts Bar And Grill
10713 124 St NW, Edmonton, AB

10:00 pm only $5.00 at the door!

Should be a face melting good time!

House Concerts

So, looking for a quick Show in between Big shows? Why not look into house concerts?

There is a growing community of grass root shows starting to make a comeback. The house concert. These use to be very popular in one point in time and are starting to make a come back. There are a few communities for this around the country now and a little digging could get you a few shows along the way.

What is a house concert?
House concerts are usually a bit smaller and a lot more informal. They take place in someones home or back yard. Some are out on acreages and tend to be a bit of a party.You can see on average about 20 to 30 people at each gathering. Quite often there is a pot luck of snacks, or a meal is put together something like a  BBQ. A few drinks maybe had depending on the host, and the musicians usually play an acoustic set or two for those gathered.

These can be great for filling in an afternoon or an evening and a lot of fun. You get to meet people that are truly interested and enjoy your music and entertainment. You get to pocket a few bucks, and have a great chance of selling a few Cd's and other items like T-shirts or what ever your bring. It's a great way to promote yourself, connect directly with a bunch of fans and pay for the gas to your next show.

Typically it is a simple acoustic show and does not have to be a big production or overly complicated. You, your acoustic guitar, and maybe a few hand instruments like a shakers, a tambourine or what ever you can think of. The hand instruments can be handed out and some of the people there can join in for some fun. Lots of smiles and laughs along the way can happen and makes it enjoyable for all.

You can check out one of the Canadian communities at www.acousticroof.ca where you can find places to play and what is expected for you and from your host at a typical house concert.

This is just one more idea to help a band connect directly with fans and help you grow.
If you have ever played one I would love to hear abut it and share your experiences.

Videos

Ok so, you have your band web site, maybe photos and a professionally done video. What happens when your in between shows and you have some good traffic to your site?

You want people to keep coming back to your site right?
Why not make a few home made acoustic versions of a few of your songs and put them up on your site over a week or two.
Cost? Ok, I know what your thinking that's a lot of money and time. Well it doesn't have to be.
All you really need is a camera on your computer or laptop and an acoustic guitar. Maybe a few other hand instruments if more then one of you are going to be in the quick video.

This is next to free to do. I don't like breaking the bank for simple things that I can share quickly with people. It also give people a bit more on your site to see and keep them on your pages a little bit longer.

He is a sample of a quick one I did at home one evening.

Quick and simple and if the sound is ok and looks ok put it up. It will give your fans a little extra to come back and look forward to when your not out playing live.

This will also help them feel a little more like you are right there playing that song just for them.

This is just one more simple idea and way your friends and fans can keep engaged with you and your music.

Keep on Rockin!

Cheers!

QR Codes

So let's take a few thing to the next level and step it up a bit.

Everyone now a days seems to have a smart phone or an iPhone. The beauty of that is that most of them can read those QR codes (quick read). You know the those bar code like box that sort of looks like static on an old TV. They are starting to pop up every where.

If you go hunting a little bit online you can find a few different places that will give them to you for free. What you can do with them is great. Link one to your web site, a blog page, a blog or what ever you want. Its a great way to get extra people seeing your band page and hearing your music.

Why? Well on all your posters, hand bills, stickers or what ever you want you have an instant link to your music. Think about how much more information someone can get about your band from a show poster.

This one Is the one I am using right now. I went to a free site and linked it to a  bunch of my pages. I'm using www.itsmyurls.com and it helps direct people to my many websites.

I like it because it is set up for Mobile devices and is very quick and simple to set up, plus I can add sites and links at any time I want.

The best places I can think of to start using your QR code to help promote your music are:

• Poster
• Handbills/fliers
• Stickers
• Print ads
• And full size on a T-shirt

It is a free andit helps direct people off line to your on line promotions.

The only question to you is where else and how else could you use one?

Share you ideas and successfull placements on how you are using a QR code to promote your band.

Keep on Rockin!

Cheers!

Live CD's

I had an idea for one way of promoting your music and upcoming shows. It is a bit of out there idea but, I think it is one that might work well.
So you've had the chance to play a bunch of shows and your are starting to build a bit of a bigger draw of people to your shows. You poster, and out fliers and give stickers away like mad. You have been working almost every angle you can think of.

Why not record a few live shows? Get a handful of your best songs live and make an EP. Put 3 or 4 of your songs on to disk and make a stack of them. You don't have to get super fancy with them. Go with a simple one colour print and a paper sleeve. Set a side a bunch of later. Now on the back of the paper sleeve you can add a print out label that you can do from home. Put your band name, web site and upcoming shows on there.

Think of this simple and low cost CD as a business card. You can easily get 50 or 100 printed up for about the same cost as having business cards made. And the beauty of this idea is make a few different ones over time each with different songs on each CD. Sort of like trading cards of bootlegs.

once you have 2 or 3 different live CD's you can put them together as a live pack and sell them at your shows. Put it in with your merch for about $5 or $6, the cost is going to be around a Buck a disk. So if you have say 3 together in a pack and sell for $6 you are doubling your investment and covering your cost on the copies you hand out.

People love getting stuff for free and what a better way to promote your music then a free sampler.

Giggs - Tool Kit For Guitar Players

There is nothing more embarrassing then being half way though a show and something goes wrong. This is one of those things all guitar players go through. A string breaks, an effects petal dies, a bad guitar cord, or a whole host of other things could and can pop up. It what you do next and what you have handy to get through it that counts.
There are a few basic things guitar players that hit the stage should have on hand. It is always a good idea to have a emergency kit with you for every show you play.

Here is a basic rundown of what you should have on hand:

• Extra Strings - 2 to 4 packs
• Guitar picks - you can never have enough
• Tuner
• String winder - for doing a quick change
• Wire cutters - for trimming fresh strings
• Multi head screwdriver
• Allen Key or hex wrench set
• 9 volt batteries - effects petals & tuners (keep 1 or 2 handy)
• Extra guitar cables
• 3 or 4 patch cables (the little ones for between your stomp boxes)
• DuctTape

A emergency kit with this basic stuff loaded up should get anyone through a show.

Other things to think about can be gear towards your amp. If you have an older amp that runs on Tubes you should have a few extras on hand. As well as fuses for new amps. Before you start playing shows you should also know were and how to change these if it happens. This will make things go a lot faster if yo have to do repairs on the fly.

In my tool kit I also carry a few other items with me:

• Contact cleaner - for switches and knobs
• a cleaning kit - polish and a cloth
• Extra guitar strap
• Extra strap locks

These basic items shoudl help cut down on the oops factor that can happen, and probably will happen.
Nothing wipes out momentum of a rocking show like not being able to do a quick fix. Your tool kit will help you get things turned around quickly and keep the show a rolling.

I might have missed a few items here, so If YOU have things you add to your kit let the rest of us know. It would be interesting to see what has saved you from a big blunder during a show.
I hope this gives you something to think about.
Keep on Rockin!
Cheers!

The Indie Band Bible

This next review is of a book I have read though a few time. The Indie Band Bible By Mark Makoway.

This is a great read. Mark Makoway is the lead guitarist for the Canadian band Moist. Though out the book he talks about how they toured from the start of the band to the great success they had. he covers all kinds of topics like playing live, to handing out stickers, making posters, to the troubles one can have in the middle of no place when the van breaks down on tour.

He covers lots of ground all based on personal experiences over the years in a working band. There are tones of helpful insights great little quotes from other artists and very solid ideas to try. Things like posters and postering to contracts with venues all have a real life story to them.

The personal stories of some of the things that didn't work so well for them really helps make the book. The things that happened to them along the way really make you think, and should make you plan and be prepared for anything that could happen.

I think this is just one of those books that not only Cnadaian musicians should have but all artist who want to get out there should read.

Open Mic

So if you are like me and find you have a bit of a gap between gigs why not hit an open mic night at the local pub.
open mic night can be a lot of fun to go to if you head out with the right attitude. Its not a big gig or a paying one, but sometimes it can lead to other things. there is always a lot of different music played at open mic nights and it can be very interesting to see what people respond to. I find its a great way to test drive a new song that I have written or practice a good cover song.
A lot of time you don't see massive crowds at the smaller places where an open mic night is. They usually fall on off nights when the venue is a bit slow. This is fine its a good place to get practice and help you feel a bit more comfortable on stage. you usually meet other musicians and can get some good feedback from them. Often times you can network and find different opportunities like and opening spot for this band or if the venue has an opening spot available. You never know.

When you do go play at an open mic night it helps expose different people to some of your own original material.
A few basic rules usually apply: wait your turn as there maybe other ahead of you. Be courteous to the other musicians. Be positive any way you can, some of the others participating maybe nervous or just starting out like you once did. Don't over stay your turn, there may be many waiting to get up and play there turn. Always thank everyone after you play before you get off stage. Smile and look like your having fun because you will get it back in turn.

I always look at an open mic as a chance to network with other artists, a testing ground for a new song, away to expose possible new fans to your music, and it is always good experience to play live no matter what.

So, take the chance and hit an open mic or two, smile and have fun.

The Complete Singer-Songwriter

My second Book review. This is another good read for anyone starting out in music.  The Complete Singer-Songwriter By Jeffery Pepper Rodgers.

This is a great book for new artists and artists with some miles on them. It is a fairly comprehensive guide that covers a lot of topics. it covers things like getting started, writing, to getting on stage, promoting yourself, what to expect when going into the recording studio. It also has a great list of resources one can tap into through out you life as an artist.

There are also lots of quotes from other artists and singers though out. Tell of there experiences and they give helpful advice. The list of artists that give advice is varied and very impressive, and I found inspiring.

This is one of those books I think every aspiring artist and musician should have on the book shelf. It is a great read and a very good referance as you travel along making music.

Made To Stick

Well The fist book I would like to share a bit about is Made to stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

This is a great book to go through, lost to make you think about how you get your ideas across to people. Very good examples that help make points about what you are saying and how you say things. Great guide lines on how to become better at communicating you ideas. A must read if you are trying to sell yourself as a professional in any way.

This book is a great help if you are looking to make you Band bio stand out. It helps you think about what you are trying to say, it does not tell you what to say. It gives you a guide line with 6 basic principals to follow on making your message stronger and more effective at sticking.

You can find it online through amazon.com

A very good read to get the mind going.

Its been a while

Well its been a while since I had time or any thoughts about this blog. Time to start working on it.

Not sure how many people are interested in what I am doing, but I'll just keep plugging a long.

So I am going to be doing a few more things on pushing a indie band a long. I have been doing a bunch of reading and testing of a few things over the last while. I'm going to start doing a few reviews of books that can help a new artist, share some ideas on promoting a band, and sharing in some of the things that have worked for me and some that have not.

I also have a second blog going about my ups and down with my own music that I have started. It is at www.kevinfreyband.blogspot.com

I hope that some of the things I cover help and give you some ideas as well. I would like to share with anyone who needs some ideas.

I hope you will join me as I plug along.