This is really great stuff. David Byrne sits down with Thom Yorke, for Wired Magazine, to discuss everything we've been waiting to hear about from Thom himself: how they place value on music, what their record contracts really looked like, where Radiohead made its money, his thoughts on touring and its eco-impact, and of course...of course...his thoughts on their recent and oh-so-publicized "pay what you want for it" release.
I've got to give it up (and I should of done this way earlier) to Joshua Wentz, who happens to be one of the first INDISTR artists to use the site. Joshua has always been very active in the INDISTR.com community, which we greatly appreciate. From Chicago , IL. I introduce to you Joshua Wentz. (Don't hesitate, read the interview, Josh has some very good insight)
1.Let’s start from the beginning, when and where did it all start? And with who? At age 5 I was forced by my parents to take piano lessons, so it must have started there! I didn't truly enjoy playing until around 14, when I found practical and social applications for having any sort of musical talent—I played in pit orchestras and for choir and jazz until college. In 1996, with the help of a technologically savvy classmate, I started recording in my dorm room at the University of Cincinnati. I actually crammed a full-size KORG elctric piano with weighted keys into a four-person room! My first original piece was a musical adaptation of one of my favorite sci-fi trilogies, C.S. Friedman's Coldfire novels. I've been a solo recording artist since then, collaborating now and then with one or two (or twelve) artists on larger projects, and continuing on my own to pick up and learn as many instruments as my wallet will allow.
2.If you had to describe your sound in one sentence, what would you say? Hmm... that's a tough one, because I try to fight genre pigeon-holes as much as possible—too many preconceptions there. So, how about, "I create mostly-instrumental music that skirts the bounds of standard classification, finding a place nestled snugly within clean melodies, richly layered instrumentation, and modern rhythms." Is that silly?
3.Name 3 artists that have inspired you as a musician. Mike Oldfield, definitely... he's truly my number one inspiration. For those who don't know, Oldfield wrote and recorded Tubular Bells practically on his own at age nineteen. I've definitely been inspired by artists like London Elektricity, who takes a rigid genre like drum and bass and completely shakes it up, or The Postal Service, a "group" that embodies a type of collaboration that I find incredibly worthwhile.
4.What do you see in the future for music, with all of the outlets available for exposure, along with the current Internet craze? This is one I really don't think can be answered, but I'm starting to think that the future of music will just follow the same path it always has. Since music has existed, there have been people who want tradition, people who want innovation, and people who are apathetic to either. Some classical composers were reviled for their break from convention. Radio became a voice for new and often outrageous new music, but current Top 40 radio has commercialized the mundane. In all eras, you can find both "popular" and "underground" music, and you as a listener are fortunately allowed to choose what you like. Now more than ever the spectrum of choices has widened for casual listeners, but you will still find plenty of people who want regurgitated music and people who want something different. As long as musicians are out there creating something and getting it to the public, there will be someone who wants to listen.
5.What can we expect to see from Joshua Wentz in 2008? Any big plans? A lot of HUGE plans, actually, not all of which I can discuss just yet. I will be spending a good deal of time focused on a few new albums, both solo and collaborative. I want to become more involved with The Very Us Artists project (www.veryusartists.com) because I feel like it's hitting on a great concept with a lot of potential. I'd like to do some performance (something I haven't done since moving to Chicago), and some more soundtrack work, which is easily my favorite thing in the world to do.
6.What has Joshua Wentz been listening to lately? I find myself listening to a ton of music in fall/winter: Underworld, Kenna, Jose Gonzalez, Bent, Little Dragon, Loney Dear, Olive, Shinichi Osawa, Tracey Thorn, Silver Apples, etc. Also, I've had a few INDISTR artists in heavy iPod rotation lately: Jeremy Simmons, Dolophane, Verde Velma, and CYE, just to name a few.
7.Your thoughts on independent music and if it’s possible to be successful through these means of distribution? I think it's definitely possible to be a successful musician and be independent, however, I don't think people should feel that being independent means doing it alone. Musicians rightfully need to concentrate on their music, and sometimes this means that they let the business, marketing, and design work slide. A guitar player shouldn't have to know how to build a website, screen print posters, or setup QuickBooks. Nor does he/she have the time to do all of these things. While maintaining the rights to your art, in my opinion, should be a primary goal for everyone, it is important to find people to work with that have the same goal in mind.
8.If we can’t find you playing a gig or practicing music, where might we expect to find you? The Web is my true home: Sidedown.com! I record a weekly podcast called "Winchester Sessions" in my home studio on the north side of Chicago. Each weekend I try to do a completely improvised set that lasts as long as it takes for me to come out with a 20-30 minute piece of music. Sometimes that ends up being three hours with all of the layering. It's a lot of fun, and keeps me mentally and physically active in music. (the URL for the Winchester Session podcast is: http://sidedown.org/serials.php?serial_id=17 and it is also available on iTunes) I always have some random free music up on www.sidedown.com/sessions as well.
9.How many shows do you play a year? What’s the atmosphere typically like? As I said, I haven't performed live in years, but I want to change that in 2008. If you see me on a bill, expect the atmosphere to be filled with nervous excitement coming from the stage, confusion ( and hopefully not indifference) coming from the (hopefully existent) crowd!
10.Lastly, your thoughts on INDISTR.COM? I love INDISTR! Seriously. Long ago I posted my music on MP3.com, which used to be a site for independent artists to host their music for free. I thought that was pretty great, but it was cumbersome and it still didn't get me paid. INDISTR provides a great solution to the idea of hosting your music on a collective site, because it is easy to control, looks nice, and was built specifically because INDISTR has passion for music. I'm glad I got in on the ground floor and look forward to seeing it continue to grow. And I sure do love seeing that instant-payment email hit my inbox, ha!
Happy Hour is one of the more inspiring bands that hails from Grand Rapids, MI. They tour nationally, 100% independent, all on their own hard earned dollar. That's a rare instance in the Grand Rapids independent music scene. I am friends with Happy Hour and they are some of the funniest guys I know. These guys will continue to grow and grow, as they continue to tour, play shows across Michigan, as well as shows on a national level. Look out for them coming to a town near you. You heard it from INDISTR first!!
1.Let’s start from the beginning, when and where did it all start? And with who? Early 2002 Brent Shirey and Scott Rider formed the band Happy Hour. In the winter of 2002 Scott Schultz jointed. Our first practices were in Shirey’s parent’s basement in Sparta.
2.If you had to describe your sound in one sentence, what would you say? Happy Hour sounds like Indie folk rock with a twist of 60’s influence.
3.Name 3 artists that have inspired you as a musician. Pavement/Smashing Pumpkins/The Kninks
4.What do you see in the future for music, with all of the outlets available for exposure, along with the current Internet craze? Music is very unstable right now. With the whole American Idol thing still in full power and top 40 still very bland it will be interesting to see what happens. I remember when the radio used to find new music and promote bands. Now you either listen to “classic rock” or top 40 pop. The internet has made an outlet where bands can get their music to a large audience.
5.What can we expect to see from Happy Hour in 2008? Any big plans? Happy Hour will be working on their 3rd album in the next year and planning yet another tour. We will also be searching out labels that can help us with booking and promotion.
6.What have you been listening to lately? I have been listening to a lot of the new Feist album. I have also been listening to The Doors, The Sliver Jews, The New Pornographers, and The Kninks. (Scott Rider)
7.Your thoughts on independent music and if it’s possible to be successful through these means of distribution? I think that the industry is changing and it is very possible to do things independently these days. You can record a good album, package it, and sell it online all independently. To be successful you have to have the right sound, the right attitude. In our case we are growing slow. We have seen huge changes in the past few years with online importance. People are starting to search for new material again.
8.If we can’t find you playing a gig or practicing music, where might we expect to find you? Currently you would find me catching up on some sleep. We just got home from tour and I have been so beat. If I'm not sleeping I might be down walking around Grand Rapids just enjoying the fall. I have also been spending time getting a few last holes of golf in.
9.How many shows do you play a year? What’s the atmosphere typically like? I am sure I could go back and track home many exactly but it might take more time than it is really worth. We play out about every weekend and tour a few times a year. We just hit show 110 out of state on this past tour so that was a number that I was really proud of. As three twenty something year olds I think we have been working very hard to get our sound out to the country and we have really been working for that “break”. We don’t know where it will come from or if it will ever come. We are just out playing any being ourselves. If you make it to a Happy Hour show you will see it is very easy going. We are a band that will give you an honest performance every show. You can either come up front and shake your butt or stand in back and take in the whole experience. Either way we have a little of everything for everyone.
10.Lastly, your thoughts on INDISTR.COM? I am very excited to see INDISTR.COM grow. When I sat and talked with Kevin he got me very excited. It is always great to see a new idea come and grow and become something new. I hope that it will become a dominant outlet for artists and consumers of music. We are very excited to be working with INDISTR.
So, it's been a "bright" morning in sunny, yet snowy Grand Rapids, MI. Ben and I have had some very interesting conversation about INDISTR and how we are impacting not only the environment, but as well as the industry. With environmental impact being more and more important as time has evolved, and people are becoming more educated to global warming, pollution, extinction, etc., I figured now would be a great time to bring this topic up involving INDISTR. We are essentially a "Green Company".
After doing little research, 100,000 pounds of CDs a month become outdated, useless, or unwanted. This is a HUGE number. That means that there is 1.2 million pounds of CDs a YEAR being put into landfills and incinerators. Beyond the number of physical CDs being destroyed, the materials they are made of, including polycarbonate plastic, petroleum-based laquer and paints, aluminum, and other metals, all release chemicals that contribute to the environmental and health problems as well as global warming, both when the CDs are produced and when they are destroyed.
It's amazing to think that music has nearly gone "Green". I can't wait to see what the future holds for the industry, something tells me INDISTR has been headed in the right direction.
Pretty much any music fan above the age of 18-20 can name an independent record/music shop they used to frequent while growing up. Whatever their taste of music may have been, hip-hop, ska, punk, rock, indie, reggae, etc...we all had that local 'cool guy' spot to get anything from the latest to the rarest. More than a place to buy music, it often became a hub for all music related culture, happenings, a hangout, and for some even a venue for new acts. For me, the place that embodied all of this was a place called Record Swap / Off-The-Alley in Homewood, IL. It goes almost without saying that these places are not as plentiful as they used to be.
While they may be on the decline, these places still matter, and as the article I've linked below highlights, they can still exist in a world where music is consumed almost entirely in a digital format. The article talks quite a bit about the continued, if not renewed, interest in vinyl. I think that's great...I really do. But more than the music that is bought at a record store, its the culture and meeting place that is created by having a physical space for like and unlike-minded types to congregate and 'talk shop' for hours about...music.
While INDISTR may be an entirely web-based music business (we do have a pretty cool office actually) we 100% support record shops and whatever else may end up filling the gap that is continuing to grow as digital replaces the physical. So go buy some vinyl, or any format, at your local spot and spend some time enjoying the culture of music away from your computer!
