The EP Launch was yesterday; everything came together and I have been left feeling that despite a few technical hitches that were out of my control, it was a success. I even managed to get a bit of compensation off the venue for the technical hitches without making enemies there, which took the best of the skills I have learnt through working with new people over the last 8 months.
The night worked out so that Swansea Love Story played a half hour set, followed by our EP preview which was accompanied by Mike Pettyt's stunning videos; then we, Jeanie in the Radiator, played a 40 minute acoustic set accompanied by Devin's photos which she had edited and sent to me so I could create a slide show. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and commented on all of the audio/visual media as well as the live performances which is exactly what I wanted.
Swansea Love Story shifted 35 of their EPs, despite selling just 25 tickets to their fans and 60 people left with our EP USB wristbands. With our EP set to be released on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify on May 2nd, I can only hope that the sales will increase. However, whether they do or not, I have achieved a lot over the last 8 months which have culminated in a successful, public launch of my career as a producer, as well as the careers of two groups of musicians, a photographer and a video producer.
I have worked hard on gaining ground as an artist and producer since September. As with all things, there were times when I succeeded and times when I didn't so much, but the key thing is that I feel that I have thrown everything I have at putting myself out there in that time. I have secured my songs airtime on a regional BBC radio station; my band a radio interview on the same station; organised the production of the Soapworks Session youtube videos which now have, collectively, 5,466 views; I have successfully produced EPs for 2 bands including my own; gotten in touch with a BAFTA winning director and secured a work experience placement on her next shoot, as well as passed on a CV to her network of sound designers; released the Jeanie in the Radiator EP as a physical USB wristband and as a download on iTUNES, Amazon and Spotify; I just finalised plans for a job playing guitar in the show band of a production of 'Honk!' at the Royal Northern College of Music which is a great opportunity to further my performance skills; and just today I bumped in to Marc Riley of BBC6 Music and have organised to go and shadow one of the live session sound engineers on his radio show in the next few weeks.
This personal and professional development project has been an invaluable tool in documenting my achievements in order to access how far I have come in the last 8 months. It has also allowed me to evaluate the way in which I have dealt with situations and has taught me some valuable lessons in the field of networking, gaining contacts and securing work and experience for my art. The incident with Stuart Howatson, for example, was my first real taste of the exploitation that goes on in the music business and was an experience that will stay with me forever and remind me that one must be careful who they agree to do business with. On the other hand, the work experience I organised with Tinge Krishnan the very next day was a prime example of the swings and roundabouts of this business.
The case really is that the more I put in to something, the more chance I have of getting something out of it. I will continue to document my personal and professional development throughout the work I have coming up. Once I leave University in the next few weeks I hope to make the most of the work experience with Marc and Tinge and continue to build up a portfolio of work in music and audio, in the hope that I can apply what I have learnt throughout this project, to make even bigger waves in future.
Wednesday 6 April 2011
Monday 4 April 2011
Final preparations...
The big EP Launch, which will not only see the release of two projects I have produced but will finalise my Major Project, is tomorrow night. I have been extremely busy over the last few weeks finishing off the tracks for the Jeanie in the Radiator EP and organising other things to fill out the evening. I went to my friend Paul Allen's studio on Friday to work with him to master the tracks. The finished songs are sounding great and so, as I type, I am uploading them to some web space so that my drummer, Ben, may download them to put on to the USB pens which I have put him in charge of.
Mike Pettyt, who directed the Soapworks Session videos has put together some promising (I haven't seen the finished product yet) videos to make up the video installation/EP preview idea I had in mind. He sent over a link to two of the videos for two of the tracks earlier and they're looking great. I've sent him some feedback and he'll be making a few changes, but other than that, the videos look pretty much done.
Devin has been working on the EP art all day today. The initial idea we had decided upon as a band really wasn't working as cover art. Devin voiced her concerns to me, that the photo we had chosen looked too busy and wouldn't work. I went through a few ideas with her and eventually came up with this:
It was a simple idea but a good starting point and I had full confidence that Devin would be able to work wonders with it. She did and therefore, after a few minor alterations to the original mock-up she sent over to the band, we now have our finished EP design:
We're all really pleased with it. Devin did such a good job and it was great in the end that the whole band was able to spend a good 15 minutes during band practice this evening suggesting changes and alterations to the original design. Everyone had their say and then Devin did very well to make the best of all the ideas. The logo is courtesy of Sophie, our drummer Ben's sister with some tweaking by Ben. A group effort that has come out really well in my opinion.
Ideally, if we had had more time to do the photos I'd have preferred to have given Devin more time to do this design, as she was under a lot of stress to have it completed today. It is difficult to manage time when band members have educational or work commitments. These last two weekends have been the only two that all members have had time to spare for a while. I think we managed to work wonders in the time that we did have however, and in a way it has taught me the both the value of early planning, and the fact that the best laid plans of mice and men really do 'go oft awry'.
Hopefully that won't be the case tomorrow evening. Practice went really well tonight and I just have a few last minute bits of preparation before tomorrow including information leaflets and mailing lists. I also sent Ben a short PlainText document to put on to each USB wristband crediting the people who helped us make it, and the people who buy it. A nice touch to show our appreciation for the people who support us.
Mike Pettyt, who directed the Soapworks Session videos has put together some promising (I haven't seen the finished product yet) videos to make up the video installation/EP preview idea I had in mind. He sent over a link to two of the videos for two of the tracks earlier and they're looking great. I've sent him some feedback and he'll be making a few changes, but other than that, the videos look pretty much done.
Devin has been working on the EP art all day today. The initial idea we had decided upon as a band really wasn't working as cover art. Devin voiced her concerns to me, that the photo we had chosen looked too busy and wouldn't work. I went through a few ideas with her and eventually came up with this:
It was a simple idea but a good starting point and I had full confidence that Devin would be able to work wonders with it. She did and therefore, after a few minor alterations to the original mock-up she sent over to the band, we now have our finished EP design:
©Jeanie in the Radiator
We're all really pleased with it. Devin did such a good job and it was great in the end that the whole band was able to spend a good 15 minutes during band practice this evening suggesting changes and alterations to the original design. Everyone had their say and then Devin did very well to make the best of all the ideas. The logo is courtesy of Sophie, our drummer Ben's sister with some tweaking by Ben. A group effort that has come out really well in my opinion.
Ideally, if we had had more time to do the photos I'd have preferred to have given Devin more time to do this design, as she was under a lot of stress to have it completed today. It is difficult to manage time when band members have educational or work commitments. These last two weekends have been the only two that all members have had time to spare for a while. I think we managed to work wonders in the time that we did have however, and in a way it has taught me the both the value of early planning, and the fact that the best laid plans of mice and men really do 'go oft awry'.
Hopefully that won't be the case tomorrow evening. Practice went really well tonight and I just have a few last minute bits of preparation before tomorrow including information leaflets and mailing lists. I also sent Ben a short PlainText document to put on to each USB wristband crediting the people who helped us make it, and the people who buy it. A nice touch to show our appreciation for the people who support us.
Sunday 3 April 2011
Photoshoot...
The photoshoot went so well today and has left me feeling a lot better about this EP Launch on Tuesday. Although we arrived at Delamere 2 hours late due to one of our band members suffering from a rather vicious hangover, we worked really well to get the balloons blown up and take some full band photos, single portrait shots and some to work for our EP cover.
It was good practice today for photoshoots as I'm not very experienced as far as modeling for photographs goes, so having the photographer as someone we knew really helped us feel more relaxed about it. Devin had some really good ideas for the shots, as we only had the theme in mind and little more, and she also directed us well. All in all it was a successful morning.
We went straight straight from Delamere to practice and went through the set for Tuesday's Launch a couple of times. We're working on a cover of Radiohead's 'Lotus Flower' too which ought to go down a treat on the night. Devin has some editing to do as far as the photos go, but has offered to sort out the EP cover too so that's a weight off my mind. We won't have time now, however, to set up the photo display as we originally planned with Stephen but I am thinking that a slideshow of some of the best photos on the projector screen while we play will be just as good, if not better.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Devin comes up with for the EP cover, but for now she has finished editing some of the photographs.
It was good practice today for photoshoots as I'm not very experienced as far as modeling for photographs goes, so having the photographer as someone we knew really helped us feel more relaxed about it. Devin had some really good ideas for the shots, as we only had the theme in mind and little more, and she also directed us well. All in all it was a successful morning.
We went straight straight from Delamere to practice and went through the set for Tuesday's Launch a couple of times. We're working on a cover of Radiohead's 'Lotus Flower' too which ought to go down a treat on the night. Devin has some editing to do as far as the photos go, but has offered to sort out the EP cover too so that's a weight off my mind. We won't have time now, however, to set up the photo display as we originally planned with Stephen but I am thinking that a slideshow of some of the best photos on the projector screen while we play will be just as good, if not better.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Devin comes up with for the EP cover, but for now she has finished editing some of the photographs.
©Devin Grier 2011
©Devin Grier 2011
©Devin Grier 2011
©Devin Grier 2011
©Devin Grier 2011
©Devin Grier 2011
©Devin Grier 2011
©Devin Grier 2011
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