General Music Chat

Speaking from a fan perspective, a 'backstory' only seems to matter long after a band/musician has become famous, a household name. That accounts for the overwhelming popularity of the old VH-1 "Behind The Music" series. They never picked new, potentially up-and-coming acts, and instead focused on big names that had a history--that's what the fans want to see. Fans tend to love a story that focuses on 'how you got there' but they don't seem to care at all about stories that focus on 'how you are trying to get there.' That's why those shows that focus on folks trying to make it never do very well.

When a new band expends great effort to manufacture a backstory and package it in a PR campaign, knowledgeable fans are turned off. All we want to know is if they can play, if they have something worthwhile to say w/ their music. Seems to work well w/ pre-teen girls, tho; just think of the ultimate pre-fab four, the Monkees. If that's your goal...

the Monkees were the essence of "fabrication"..they used L.A. studio musicians to cut the albums..made for television play

back story, schmack story....


The Beatles, Zep, CCR, Yardbirds no one knew or cared about their "back stories" when buying/listening to their records.

it wasn't til after the fact (after the artists ALREADY achieved "success") that anyone cared enough to learn about their backstories.

back story, schmack story....


The Beatles, Zep, CCR, Yardbirds no one knew or cared about their "back stories" when buying/listening to their records.

it wasn't til after the fact (after the artists ALREADY achieved "success") that anyone cared enough to learn about their backstories.

To be a local yokel all you need is butts in the seats, yes. Your music could suck and your sound be horrible, but if you have an audience who buys a lot of alcohol and tips the bartenders/waitresses, you don't need a backstory to be hired.

But that doesn't necessarily apply to songwriters and recording artists. Achieving of success IS the back story to fans of someone's music, but prior to that there was someone in the business who wanted to know the backstory before investing any time/effort/cash in them. If you don't think it mattered to Epstein that the Beatles had paid their dues in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg, then you really don't know their backstory enough to comment about it.

A few years ago I met with one of the top entertainment attorneys in America when considering a contract with another label. His recommendation was to write a book telling the story of my last project, Cultural Xchange, so he could get a few other labels interested. That wouldn't have changed the quality of the music, production, musicians, packaging at all...but it might be the thing that gets someone interested enough to listen, when there are so many other artists trying to rise above the noise.

Ultimately I decided against signing with another label and never did the book, but the story has gone out and Thursday I'm being flown into Nashville by my former label for a couple of days. They have nothing I want, but I'll listen to their offer anyway. But you know what their first question was when I signed with them in 2001? It was, "Are you the guy we heard about who almost got blown up in dance clubs of Israel several times?"

I digress.

It does matter what your story is. If you don't have one then you are still far from ready for prime time, but again, this thread is only for those who have some detectable ambition for a career as a professional artist/songwriter/performing musician.







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'Professional' and 'amateur' only mean something in how you define them.

To me, 'professional' means you make your living at music. 'Amateur' means you don't. Either one can be good, sloppy, meaningless or current.

i can't argue w that definition but i don't think you necessarily have to "make your living at it" to be a pro musician. i certainly would describe J.D. and Haley as "pro's" since they are regularly out there gigging for decent bucks, even though it's not their main gig.

As Jimmy said, there was nothing in the article that said it was aimed at only the 'professional'. Ted's comments would indicate he is trying to draw the line (here) - when he is well aware that he is the only one on this forum drawing his income only/primarily from music.

When asked "what do you do?" i reply "i'm a musician". and sometimes they follow up with...."is that what you do for a LIVING?".....and i reply...."well, it depends on how you DEFINE 'making a living' ".

Since 2000 i've been "drawing my income only/primarily from music".

i do it on a local level because I CAN. And because travelling on the road didn't appeal to me. Been there. Done that. No thanks.

So, for anyone who condescendingly chooses to put themselves above "local yokels"....I say "to each his own".

I have a great relationship w my wife, family, and friends. Go on the road 200 days to be "successful"???? No thanks, I prefer sleeping in MY bed with my wife.

are amateurs as good as pros? when it comes to any "discipline" in life's endeavors?...a few weeks ago an amateur golf player at the Masters? or was it? some other PGA Tour event?)was up around 2nd or 3rd place beating out a 100 or so "professionals" .. so when I hear somebody saying if you are not professional you are basically nothing, I tend to disagree..I've seen youtube videos of buskers on the street that would blow some top shelf Pro musicians out of the water, and if those buskers made no money that day, would they not be amateurs? .thanks you guys for bringing up controversial subject matter..thanks, I mean that too..

only Police album I ever owned.. their most reggae like imo

But that doesn't necessarily apply to songwriters and recording artists. Achieving of success IS the back story to fans of someone's music, but prior to that there was someone in the business who wanted to know the backstory before investing any time/effort/cash in them. If you don't think it mattered to Epstein that the Beatles had paid their dues in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg, then you really don't know their backstory enough to comment about it.
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It does matter what your story is. If you don't have one then you are still far from ready for prime time, but again, this thread is only for those who have some detectable ambition for a career as a professional artist/songwriter/performing musician.

Ted - what you aid in your first post was: "Of these, I think reason #3 may be the most important. If you don't have a backstory, then you have paid no dues and can depend on at least 10 years of work/practice before you deserve to be heard above the noise. "

As others (too) have pointed out, backstory is crap to the fans. It means crap to the agents/producers looking for new talent - they'll fabricate whatever backstory they think will help - ONCE the artist is selling big and has fans to eat up the stories.

Once again, you put your nose up in the air to everyone else here (except perhaps Mark, but then you call him a local yokel). If you really only wanted (your definition of) 'professionals' to read and comment on this thread, why did you even post it here? Simple answer - to make yourself look high and mighty.

To be a local yokel all you need is butts in the seats, yes. Your music could suck and your sound be horrible, but if you have an audience who buys a lot of alcohol and tips the bartenders/waitresses, you don't need a backstory to be hired.

and if you're a really GOOD band that DOES play very well...you don't need a backstory either.

so, why are you even talking about shitty bands shilling booze to drunks????

what's this...yet one more attempt at pushing buttons? sigh.

But that doesn't necessarily apply to songwriters and recording artists. Achieving of success IS the back story to fans of someone's music, but prior to that there was someone in the business who wanted to know the backstory before investing any time/effort/cash in them. If you don't think it mattered to Epstein that the Beatles had paid their dues in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg, then you really don't know their backstory enough to comment about it.
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It does matter what your story is. If you don't have one then you are still far from ready for prime time, but again, this thread is only for those who have some detectable ambition for a career as a professional artist/songwriter/performing musician.

Ted - what you aid in your first post was: "Of these, I think reason #3 may be the most important. If you don't have a backstory, then you have paid no dues and can depend on at least 10 years of work/practice before you deserve to be heard above the noise. "

As others (too) have pointed out, backstory is crap to the fans.

Anyone who says that is willfully ignorant of the truth. It's stupid on the face of it, not worth a comment.

It means crap to the agents/producers looking for new talent - they'll fabricate whatever backstory they think will help - ONCE the artist is selling big and has fans to eat up the stories.

And how would you know?

Wrong again.

Once again, you put your nose up in the air to everyone else here (except perhaps Mark, but then you call him a local yokel). If you really only wanted (your definition of) 'professionals' to read and comment on this thread, why did you even post it here? Simple answer - to make yourself look high and mighty.

I see it differently. I'm trying to help someone, and you're an old fart with excuses for mediocrity.

Like I said, this is for people who have a little ambition to succeed. If you don't think it applies to you, then there is no reason to comment, is there?

I ran an analytical report on my stuff and found out the Italians like my stuff twice as much as Americans. Maybe I need to move??

that's because it's different than what they usually hear

Ted, don't take this the wrong way, and I respect you probably more than ayybody in a business sense because you do seem to have made a mark in the music industry, but your previous comments about your relatives, cousins and such already being in the music business, makes me think you had better odds of getting your foot in the door than the average joe musician because of who you know and not what you know..the Web Pierce comment by you indicates you already had help getting in.. that's a good back story too..you could say you were "born into it"