The idea of "selling out" (1 Viewer)

[Stereobaby]

After reading all those posts on bands that we never heard of again after being initially signed got me thinking.

Now I know all you thumped homos and homettes are fiercely independent buckos but if the prospect of signing to a decent label, potentially making loads of money, touring the world, having the freedom to spend months writing and recording your music and generally not working a nine to fiver for the sake of compromising how you make your music would you take it.

Say a big label came to you and said right off you go we want you to write an album full of catchy guitar pop songs. You're intially put on a retainer while you write the album and have a couple of months recording in Grouse, you're gonna tour Ireland and the UK with an appearance in Oxegen and a few festivals in UK and Europe as well as a tour of the States and you're gonna do a load of TV and all that award bollox and get support slots with all these big bands that come to play in Dublin would you tell them to fuck off and continue playing the hub once every 2 months.

Now i'm not into say the likes of the Blizzards at all but the average joe UCD student thinks they're only truly fab and there are more of them than me.

How do you folks apporach writing music? Would you take pop sensiblity into account at all or is it a case of writing something which challenges convention and is beyond immediate accessibility.

Judging by the mega number of responses to the other thread the notion of success is one of interest to people or is it just the case of people here doing music for the craic and simply observing the fact that the music industry fucks you over and pisses on your nanas grave.

 

[aoboa]

You have to be pretty f**king talented to be able to sell out at all - which rules out most of us on here.

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

How do you folks apporach writing music?

learn megadeth riff -> rewrite megadeth riff

 

[benni]

there are plenty of band who have had the above senario handed to them on a plate and its done them no good.... you either make it/gain sucess (however you view that) after hard work and by not compromising your work ethic (whatever the musical genre/way you work)... otherwise there is no foundation of real talent and belief in what your doin. If you compromise wht you really love doing just to please the generic commercial public - there is nothing genuine there at all at all and then you're fucked.... altho im sure there are exceptions.

you could also just be shite... no matter how much stuff you get offered.

 

[therealjohnny]

I'd love to wrtie a song that would last longer than me-that would be heard all over the world, that people would be able to sing along to as they drive their cars

not likely to happen though

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

the 50s are over, Woodstock

 

[ratmonkey]

I'd love to wrtie a song that would last longer than me-that would be heard all over the world, that people would be able to sing along to as they drive their cars

like Harvey Norman's jingle?

 

[therealjohnny]

like Harvey Norman's jingle?

Well thatd be a good little earner!bread and butter money while I compose my opus

but I was thinking more along the lines of Elvis or the Beatles

 

[Stereobaby]

. If you compromise wht you really love doing just to please the generic commercial public - there is nothing genuine there at all at all and then you're fucked.... altho im sure there are exceptions.

you could also just be shite... no matter how much stuff you get offered.

But is that not like an idealistic opinion on the music business and if you were to take a step back and view it from a business point of view to achieve all these things nowadays (especially in the case of current music) you would have to view it from a "whats commercially successful" point of view.

The music industry is anything but genuine.

I am of the same opinion as you tho

 

[Pantone247]

How do you folks apporach writing music? Would you take pop sensiblity into account at all or is it a case of writing something which challenges convention and is beyond immediate accessibility.

ha ha ha ha

you've not heard many peoples bands here...

 

[therealjohnny]

Integrity aside...

When Don McClean was asked "what does American Pie actually mean?"

he replied

"It means I never need to work again"


I'd like to write an American Pie- sell it to someone who'll have a huge hit with it- live like a king and die

 

[Stereobaby]

ha ha ha ha

you've not heard many peoples bands here...

UBS
Ten Past Seven

 

[classic seanc]

Integrity aside...

When Don McClean was asked "what does American Pie actually mean?"

he replied

"It means I never need to work again"


I'd like to write an American Pie- sell it to someone who'll have a huge hit with it- live like a king and die

Did he know that was going to happen when he wrote it or did the song take a life of its own?

 

[therealjohnny]

Did he know that was going to happen when he wrote it or did the song take a life of its own?

geez, he's Don McClean not... Jesus or ..or..Medium or something

 

[Stereobaby]

geez, he's Don McClean not... Jesus or ..or..Medium or something

 

[benni]

But is that not like an idealistic opinion on the music business and if you were to take a step back and view it from a business point of view to achieve all these things nowadays (especially in the case of current music) you would have to view it from a "whats commercially successful" point of view.

The music industry is anything but genuine.

I am of the same opinion as you tho

yeah of course it is idealistic but thats cause im looking at that situation as a musician and not a business person.

Of course if all you want to do is make money and as much money as possible thats fine.... and lots of bands have decided to compromise their initally ideas/real interest for their music and have opted for the 'niche...gap in the market' type business angle and yeah they do well and have a few successful singles and hype and deadly videos and tours but when it comes to album sales and longevity it usually falls apart.

 

[RSJ]

I can't find the "pete brady" option?

 

[classic seanc]

have opted for the 'niche...gap in the market' type business angle and yeah they do well and have a few successful singles and hype and deadly videos and tours but when it comes to album sales and longevity it usually falls apart.

I would have thought they've opted for the exact opposite.

 

[Pantone247]

UBS
Ten Past Seven

Bullets, some Decal and Toymonger, yeah these fall under what you're talking about

but you also have, Groom, Large Mound, The Corpo, Ian Ommos thingy, Mumblin Deaf Ro', House of Mexico, Crumb, Brian Cullens Love Yoke, The Delorentos, Glenwash, and loads more I'm sure I can't think of that have members posting here... I'm not saying there all contract hungry pop sluts, but it all under some certain way falls under 'pop' music* like


* as in popular music, like music for people, like... not Kylie pop like

 

[dudley]

i'd sell out in a second