This MySpace page is dedicated to my scouting work that i carry out on behalf of Roadrunner Records UK. If you think your band's worthy of being listened to / signed to a major label then send any demos my way and i'll have a listen. If i think it's any good i'll send it through to RRUK (i do not work at RRUK, i am merely an A&R scout, but i will listen and recommend anything that's any good!) If you're looking for verification of my role then head over to Sami Westwood's MySpace (in my Top 12) - i'm linked off her profile directly. I pride myself on being a strict critic of music, but that means i only submit the best there is, getting me a good reputation with bands and RRUK.
GUIDELINES
1) I listen to each and every band that adds me on here. I get on average 40-50 adds per week, so bear with me. I don't judge bands on a whim - i like to digest your sound before deciding if i like it. If i do - i WILL be in touch.
2) As mentioned earlier - i have a broad taste in music, and the label with which i am working has a VERY broad roster, ranging from the art-indie stylings of the Dresden Dolls to stadium rock (Nickelback), to the dark confines of the metal world (Slipknot, Daath, Killswitch Engage etc.) Therefore your music is eligible for the label providing it is essentially guitar driven (although this is a loose fitting term open to interpretation).
3) If you've been together for a month and have slapped a demo up on MySpace to please your friends, then please move along. I will not be getting back to you if your recording sounds dire / sloppy / unrehearsed etc.
4) Music should be your passion, and your art. You have to LIVE, LOVE and BREATHE music. If signed you'll be expected to tour relentlessly and strive to achieve your dream. Remember that being signed isn't the end, it's merely the beginning of a long, arduous path, though it will obviously be rewarding.
5) If i give you feedback, and you don't like it, then please don't waste both our time by getting all pent up about it. Accept it and move on. I appreciate that your music is your art and i admire that you've created music, but the fact YOU created it will give you a rose-tinted view of your creation, and i'm providing an objective viewpoint. I don't know you, or how much effort you've put in - i just know music, and that's all i'm judging.
6) I don't mind where on Earth you're from - i'm not just concentrating on the UK. I've scouted bands from Japan, Australia, USA, Scandanavia, Israel etc etc as well as from places closer to home. I love hearing music from all over.
7) Finally, what will i be looking for?? This question isn't entirely answerable, but in:
i) Recording, i'm looking for musicianship, song structuring, tightness and memorability. I will also be assessing "image" - though this sounds very shallow, it is an integral part of music. How often have you seen bands in corpsepaint playing love ballads on acoustics?? Exactly. An average joe should be able to hazard a guess as to what music you're playing by how you look - that's all i mean by image.
ii) A live environment, i'm looking for a band that owns that stage, and interacts with their crowd and looks like they should be there! Remember, you'll be competing with the BEST in the business: road-hardened bands who know EXACTLY what they're doing... can you do that??
Anterior - Metal Blade Records
Sylosis - Nuclear Blast Records
To-Mera - Candlelight Records
Sika Redem - Undergroove Records
So I do know good talent when i hear it. I've also been named A&R Scout of the Year three times (2004, 2006 and 2007 - i had an off year in 2005!), which exemplifies the fact that others have belief in what i'm doing.
Every so often I'll stick a new unsigned band on my player. Just to give you a flavour of some of the music i'm listening to. I will have selected a band for one of many reasons, but I will have put them there because i think they're doing SOMETHING well, not always everything, but something.
This time it's LORENE DRIVE, from Victorville, California. An amazing mix of styles that needs to be listened to.
You are now marked on my profile visitor map!
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