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Bands who are trying to make it without the big record labels (ever heard of Poets of the Fall?)
So I was just listening to this band called 'Poets of the Fall'. Not a new band for me anymore but I just realised they should be pretty well known but prolly aren't.
Well they are a finnish band and at this point they are very huge over here. Thing is they have refused to sign for a big record label and want to do everything themselves. My guess is many of you guys don't know about them and never even heard a song from them?
Actually even if you dont know it chances are you have heard them at least once. And that has occured if you have played Max Payne and listened to the end credits. Ring a bell now? That was my first time I ever heard them and for many others aswell. Clearly the band used that as a stepping stone.
Well it worked to some degree. After that they got a foothold in the finnish media they could work with and have just grown from that point. Thus far they have done two albums and a third is in the works. Atm I guess they have a steadily growing fanbase worldwide but without the help from a big record label it's clear they aren't going to do it the 'easy way'.
They have come a long way since the days of Max Payne and they are good, I mean VERY good and below are some of their best songs.
I have an album by them, its reasonably good. For some reason, I thought they were Australian though.
At the moment, I'm quite enjoying the music of Mary Magdalan. Her debut album should be released on December 1st, the band are currently putting the final touches to the album. They're not only refusing to work with a label, but distributors too; you can only buy the album directly from the band. Very odd and I'm not really sure why they're doing things that way, but they've got over 1000 pre-orders for it so far.
I could also mention Emilie Autumn again, who's on the soundtrack to Saw 3 and Saw 4, but I'm starting to get aware of mentioning her way too much. I'm going to see her live in Holland and Germany in less than 2 weeks though. So excited!!
11-25-2007, 12:52 AM
Bands who are trying to make it without the big record labels (ever heard of Poets of the Fall?) Post #3
i guess ted leo is the classic example of this. he's been approached by labels and for commercials but has always turned them down.
he's ridiculously talented but massively principled. also the conclusive proof, if it were needed, that bands allegedly successful through myspace etc are just being pushed through by the same old people in the guise of democratic new media.
although i don't know if he's even trying to "make it".
anyway, the guy is the best thing in music. puts on incredible shows, is an amazing lyricist and generally amazes everyone with his amazingness.
through word of mouth and the interwebs he's gone from playing to 20 people to playing to a few hundred.
I remember seeing Ted Leo, yeaars ago in front of about 10/15 peoeple when he played with my friends "Tempertwig" played with him in Brighton. He seems to be have been going years, but like others like him there is a scene, to which he mainly cares about. If he gets bigger then to him so be it.
The same friends had a similar prinicple, I remember once they were being courted by V2 amongst some others, which they turned down. They did their own thing and just released their own material, and got a lot of their matrial mixed and produced by a certain Paul Tipler. They got gigs with Art Brut (which they turned down the oppurtunity to do a split EP with), Dive Dive, Help She Can't Swim, Ted Leo, The Rakes, and a DJ set for Bloc Party.
In the end they split, after I personally think they were ready to step up a gear. But it wasn't to be.
Two friends from that band formed another band called "Nosferatu D2", who just gigged and again were making in their own progress with their own album without any outside interference. They got a gig with "Los Campesinos!", which incredicbly was their last, as the drummer just didn't have his heart in it.
So the singer/guitarist has stared a new solo project and I think he has gigged something like 25-30 times since Nosfertu D2 split earlier this year. Again he is just going to produce his own album, which I may well be financing part of it.
11-25-2007, 12:05 PM
Bands who are trying to make it without the big record labels (ever heard of Poets of the Fall?) Post #7
I've heard of a few examples of bands who have ignored record labels to begin with, instead concentrating on producing their own stuff to a high standard, and - the key part - setting up their own publishing company and selling publication of their music, along with others.
11-25-2007, 04:05 PM
Bands who are trying to make it without the big record labels (ever heard of Poets of the Fall?) Post #9
CD Baby has CDs from loads of bands who are doing it on their own. According to their stats there's currently 207,080 artists selling their music through them.
11-25-2007, 07:05 PM
Bands who are trying to make it without the big record labels (ever heard of Poets of the Fall?) Post #10
Bands who are trying to make it without the big record labels (ever heard of Poets of the Fall?) 
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