By the way, Do you know how a record label operates?

When the words “record label” are mentioned, we for must of us think about the majors who represent a large part of the market - in fact more than 75% of the UK market (Sony music, Universal Music, Warner Music..)

To gain more clarity on the subject, it is interesting to look at the difference between a major and an independent label. 

First of all, as the name indicates, an independent label is independent from any major label. You might know that every independent label (such as Ragged Moon) sign artists they feel passionate about. The hope for an Indie label is that their passion is reflective  of  the taste of the music consuming population, which will then turn into a financial benefit.  With majors, it is more about the financial benefit first. The choice of an artist is less about a feel and belief in a favourite artist but rather a decision about the likely profitability they will give back. 

In this article, we will explore the world of independent labels (for the love of good music). Recording to the promotion via distribution, we will take an overview of what happens in a music label. 

The first job involves finding the right artists. Have a look at the artist’s works, going to their gigs are all part of the job, traditionally the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) role. Talent scouting and then overseeing the artistic development of the artist. Then the process of recording can begin. 

A recording budget will be set, and the artist will be commissioned to produce an album within the agreed budget. The reality for many small Indies is that the label will have its own studio (as with ragged Moon). 

A good collaborative working relationship with engineer/producer is key to drawing out the best quality musicianship and ultimately the best recording. 

At the same time, a budget must be allotted for promotion, manufacture and artwork.

A release date is decided in order to start the  marketing and promotion plan. And the  plan? The goal here is to take the music into the right marketplace. Marketing, artwork, press/radio, formats, pricing, videos are all part of this plan. For some of this activities, the label may engage independent people or companies to fulfil the tasks, but the purpose remains the same : Sell the music to the customer. 

Near the album release date, the label is working hard to ensure the best possible coverage. For example, they will be liaising with management to get a full launch tour organised. A record label will make every effort to support artists, and although the business is important, the quality of the music is what the label should be all about! (but it’s only my opinion)

2016.. Here we are !

2016.. Here we are !

Hello and welcome to the first ragged Moon blog of 2016. As you might have been aware blog has been quiet  for a while, but don’t let that lead you into the sense that we have been twiddling our thumbs, anything but.. We have been so full on that writing blog posts have sadly been on the back burner. That is all about to change as we introduce the latest space explorer to join us on the moon. Antoine Durand has landed here having left his French homeland to work with us for the next 5 months, and not a moment too soon. He has only been with us for three days, and already he is deep in gig listings, social media postings and now blogging. 

So please read this blog with a French accent, you’ll get the meaning even better!

For the new year, some of us start by making their New Years resolutions. Here at the  studio we chose to start this new year by introducing you to our projects and new things that are going to happen. And we can’t wait any longer !

2016 should be a very good one. Indeed, the studio is getting ready to share some good times with you. 

While the band Thee Ones are currently recording their new album in the studio, Slow Falling Sun are starting a promotion period on Friday at the Fiddler’s Elbow in London. The album, 'In The Same World' will be released early March, but you can already hear samples on their website or on Soundcloud.

They will be performing in Leeds, Manchester, London, Cheltenham, Bristol, Exeter and we will soon be working on the video for the first single release. 

Have a listen to their next single

Currently recording their next album, Thee Ones will get those feet moving on the dance floor in 2016. They are a popular and busy party band who loosely define their genre as maximum R&B / swamp boogaloo. We recently made a video for a song from their EP, "Mr. Shepherd" which you can see here.

After completing Thee Ones new album, it will be the turn of Lara Conley to finish her album at the studio. Indeed, “Wild Water” will be released in April. Essentially a solo album,  Lara chose to work with a selection of artists for whom she has written the more elaborate arrangements. Taking acoustic folk roots in a beautiful contemporary direction, Lara Conley uses her own instrumentation of guitar, dulcimer and bodhran. The album also features handpan (a contemporary steel drum), didjeridu, electric slide sitar, cello and double bass as a host of percussion and atmospheric sounds. Here is the link to her website

Our story takes us now to a young talented artist who has been working with Ragged Moon for over a year. As one of the most honest songwriters of her age, Sophronie is developing a loyal and loving fanbase who connect with her deep and moving songs. Last year, she had some great festival exposure on key stages. She is now really excited to be near the completion of her second album which will be released in May. Have a listen to her new song called "Photographs"

Finally this announcement, we are super excited about what is happening with this new Ragged Moon collaboration. A few months ago, we were really pleased to announce that we’ll be working with Ganda Boys. Unfortunately, we cannot reveal everything right now, but suffice it to say they are set to go stratospheric. They have endorsements from legends at the top of the global music tree, and are poised to release the only refugee charity song written, arranged and performed by refugees. In the near future, we will bring you news of a huge collaboration. 

So many things are about to happen! Remember these names.. Slow Falling Sun, Ganda boys, Thee ones, Lara Conley, Sophronie. They all are coming to your ears. Ragged Moon is reaching frenzy pitch as we watch all these projects unfold. Stay tuned. We are keeping surprises for you.

Playing for Charity

Artists are always being asked to play for nothing because it’s a “charity gig”, and we can get rather annoyed about that. As we have moaned in the past, do security get asked to turn up for nothing, or the people who run the bar to donate all their profit? People now expect artists to make their music available for free, through youtube, streaming, soundcloud etc. They are constantly being asked to play for nothing, be it in bars - (where live music increases customers and therefore takings), festivals, venues etc. They are asked to bring along their (often thousands of pounds worth of) kit, give up their time, advertise the event to their fans beforehand, put on an entertaining show using skills that they have paid hard cash to learn and many hours practicing often with their original material which has been crafted over a long time. The audience enjoy fabulous music, the venue improves its reputation, media, broadcasters get great material. The artists get - well umm a few quid for petrol.

Then there are those things that we just get passionate about and feel the need to do something. We wrote about Emily Barkers response to the story of one immigrant child and her struggle to cope with her families hardships in an earlier blog. Emily was moved to respond by recording a song which she wrote in response to the little girls story. She recorded a track to highlight the plight of immigrants and refugees generally.

Another group that is inspired to reach out are the Ganda Boys.  Gloucestershire’s own Craig Pruess along with other band members Daniel Sewagudde and Denis Mugagga, world class musicians all of them, yet their biggest passion is to work to alleviate suffering in the country that has done so much to inspire them musically. So passionate about helping Ugandan people, they set up a foundation seven years ago and since then have worked tirelessly raising money and awareness through the Ganda Foundation. 

These guys are also planning great things to reach out to the world about the refugee crisis using their amazing gifts and talents. The Forgotten People Campaign, which is working through the World Peace One organisation is all about putting money and talents on the line to do what is right by the people caught up in this humanitarian crisis. Craig Pruess succinctly said of the campaign, “This will take you right to heart of what has fired up our hearts to go to Germany for the refugee crisis next week. Thanks to our Wonder Woman, Jeanne Holm (at World Peace One), and thanks to UCLA in USA, we have an amazing & concrete way to bring info, networking, re-training, language courses (and more) directly to the refugees in Europe, wherever they. Many were highly skilled professionals before fleeing a war torn country, since being reduced to becoming a refugee statistic in a strange land. Let's give them a chance! Find out more here, Donate here.”

We all have to put bread on our table, and the trappings of fame are often just about the fortune that can come with it. But there is only so much that one family can consume, and then these people open their hearts to the rest of humanity, to shed a spotlight on the need and suffering in the world, and to raise money where it is needed. Ganda Boys, we salute you.

The Youth of Today tut tut!

A quote from Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins) has been rolling round in my head he said “Artists that break through now have grown up thinking that being famous is the goal,” he said on stage at SXSW.

I interviewed a 17 year old a few years ago for a job in office administration, and I asked that old interview chestnut “where do you want to be in 5 years time” her answer

“I wanna be famous” impressed by her ambition and self confidence, I asked her what she does that could bring her fame (and I assume her belief was that the fortune would follow the fame), I then discovered that she had no particular skill, talent or passion to build on. I asked her how she thought people got ‘famous” and was shocked that she said “luck”.  

In the short lifespan of Ragged Moon (and our previous incarnation!) we have come across a few people of all ages that believe luck and a scatter gun approach will bring them the sought after fame and fortune. That ‘getting signed’  means you have ‘arrived’. The reality could not be further from the truth. There is no substitute for the hard graft, business sense and talent that it takes to make it as an artist. By making it I mean making a reasonable living, or supplementary living as a musician.

I love being around artists that have drive and ambition, and that can bring that enthusiasm to all aspects of their musical career. The work ethic that sits behind the practice - connecting with the fans and building a fan base, getting up on stages night after night and delivering the same set and having an audience believing the performance is heartfelt and genuine, understanding the complex business of the music industry and the multitude of revenue streams that are necessary to quarry in order to make ends meet - doing all of this and maintaining a style that weathers the storms and trends of a fickle public is a truly impressive thing to behold. Not many manage it, but I can honestly say when you meet people with that hunger, passion and energy to succeed in this industry- not for the sake of fame, but for the love of their craft it is truly inspiring. 

Living as a professional musician doesn’t have a destination, it’s more like a journey. There are  spectacular moments the hard work never stops there. For some of the ‘one hit wonders’, you wonder what has become of these people. Rarely if ever does the hit generate enough income to retire on but for those whose work is their passion, it can be better to aim for a career that has more longevity. That is to say, they may not be the most famous person in Britain, but for those fans who know and love their music, they will have a loyal following for the length of their career. (Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits etc.)

Many stories of artists who were ‘discovered’ are highly embellished (made up), for publicity. People looking for success can be mislead by these tales into thinking that some angelic label rep will one day emerge from the shadows at the back of a venue and offer them riches beyond their dreams. They omit the years of work that lead up to a strategic and contrived meeting with ‘the right person at the right time’, and the years of sales and graft that can come to pay back the generous advance and pop star lifestyle.

Over this summer we have had the privilege to work with some exceptionally talented, hard working and focussed people, both those signed to our label, those about to be signed, those performing at the awesome Stroud Fringe Festival, The Sacred Music Festival, Hellens Garden Festival and the many artists that have been through our doors to record this summer.   Musicians, I salute you. 

The Art of Heckling

In honour of the upcoming festival season we feel its important to inform you festival-goers on how to be a good audience. Don't worry we're not giving you instructions here. But what we advise might surprise you. Sure the normal thoughts are to be respectful to artists when they perform and perhaps trying not to yawn during the gig.

However lets be honest crowd engagement is what musicians truly thrive on. Forget standing around like a mannequin all set! Bands want you to give a response to their material and their performance. This is where our one slightly controversial piece of advice comes in. Get heckling.

Now bearing in my mind any heckle in good jest is totally acceptable but let's not get too involved in the other side of the spectrum. To give you all a good insight into the lost art of heckling we've compiled a list of do's and don'ts to ensure your one liners hit the mark.

DO - Be witty not cutting.
Finding a way to make a joke about the band without being offensive can be tricky. Add a crowd who are most likely huge fans and it gets even more difficult. Always remember to steer away from anything personal, it will most likely end in trouble that way and it will ultimately reflect badly on you. Anything light-hearted or witty will always get attention and will make for some fun interaction between you and the band.

DON'T - Shout random expletives at the band. 
As the old adage goes if you haven't got anything nice to say don't say it at all. Only heckle if it's in good humour and isn't just an insult. The novelty of swearing wears off fast and provides nothing engaging for you or the artist. So make sure you formulate what you're going to say before you go off on a loud sweary rant as it doesn't benefit anyone!

DO - Time your heckles well.
Timing is key to landing that perfect one liner. Make sure you wait for the right moment to heckle otherwise it will end up sounding like a half garbled shout whilst the lead singer is mid-speech. If you want to be heard find where a gap will be in the conversation or set. Wait for the right opportunity then go for it.

DON'T - Keep accosting the band throughout the set.
You have to remember the band have come to perform a show. There's nothing wrong with a little interaction during the set. But if you end up heckling throughout the whole concert chances are you'll be thrown out. Don't ruin the experience for everyone else just because you want to squeeze in a few more laughs. Be respectful to the artist and let them do what they came here to do. Just remember one or two is fine anything more is overboard.

And remember, if you can't think of anything witty to say, show your appreciation by dancing your socks off!

Some of our favourite memorable heckles in the office are:
-"Play one the drummer knows!"
-(From a blind man) "Get off the stage!" shortly after he asked "Has he gone yet?"
-Bono's infamous "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies" "Well stop f***ing clapping then!"

To find out more about the history of heckling click here for more information.

8 Things to Know When Performing at a Festival

1. Always plan ahead
Festivals are notorious for being incredibly hectic. To save yourself from getting caught up in the madness make you sure you plan accordingly before you arrive. This includes sorting directions ahead of the trip in order to give you plenty of time to get there. Arriving early is key as you'll have to navigate separate entrances for artists, signing in and picking up passes all before you even step foot into the festival! You may even be asked to transport your equipment to the stage so leaving enough time to sort all of this out prior to your gig is incredibly important.

2. Contact the festival with your technical rider
This may sound demanding but a rider is simply a list of equipment that you will need for your performance. However make sure it doesn't come off as pompous, you may be playing there but they can take you off the bill if you're demands are too outlandish. Bearing in mind most smaller festivals will ask you to supply your own, it is worthwhile to see what the festival can already supply you with. This will save you from lugging expensive equipment all the way over to the site only to find out they already have most of what you need.

3. Always consider what you can do to help
When engineers are working around the clock, change overs between bands are short and sound checks are limited festivals can be quite stressful behind-the-scenes. In order to help consider what you can do to make things easier. A simple way to achieve this is by making sure your set is portable and quick to plug in. This will ensure that your soundcheck is effective and efficient. Not only that but it will make your band look polished, professional and hopefully it will make a good impression on the people involved.

4. Meet other bands at the festival
Networking is key for musicians so don't miss out on arguably one of the biggest opportunities out there. Where else will you find bands so diverse in genres and styles then at a festival? Now is the time to engage with as many people as possible. Who knows, that guy who's about to open up that tiny stage in the corner just happens to know the organiser of the event. Don't waste this chance to make connections and share contacts. Even better you may even end up invited onstage for someone else's set. You'll never know unless you try!

5. Look like you want to be there
As much as you feel like your rock band doesn't belong in this predominately country line-up doesn't mean you have to be glum onstage about it. You just have to remember that you were chosen to perform at this festival for a reason. Don't squander it! Sure the crowd may need a little more convincing but if you really put out a positive energetic vibe whilst performing your music will sound so much more inviting to the skeptics.

6. Perfect your stage talk
When you're on such a big platform it can be difficult to hold a diverse crowds attention. But if you have the right stage talk it will make the set flow so much easier. Make a joke, point out something about the festival or just simply introduce the members of your band to the audience. Just steer clear of the age old comments like "How are you doing tonight?" or simply screaming where you are to the crowd. It's pretty predictable and the most you'll get is a half hearted scream or two. Try to make your set entertaining in all aspects not just the actual performance. If you're engaging chances are people will stay around that much longer to hear you out.

7. Play a cover song
Now when it comes to festivals it's a common occurrence that you feel like the underdog of the lineup. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you use this to your advantage. The best way to achieve this is to include one recognisable classic into your set and make it your own. There has been some brilliant results from doing this. Just take Jay Z covering Wonderwall for example at Glastonbury he turned that song into something completely different and it got people talking long after the set had ended. So create a moment for this audience to remember you by. Once you've performed your cover you'll have so much more of the their attention and you might have gained a few fans in the process.

8. Give out free merchandise

You know what always goes down well? Free stuff. It's very rare to hear anyone complain about free things so why not capitalise on that? At the end of your set or when you're out and about at the festival be sure to hand out something that has your band on it. The most popular item seems to be bracelets as it's a handy way of spreading your social media contact details but in a fun and creative form. It's great for brand extension and it will get the people talking about you and your music so grab a few bracelets and spread the word!

By Melissa Tucker

10 Tips to Record Efficiently at a Studio

1. Visit the studio beforehand
Not many musicians take the time to come visit prior to their recording. We couldn't recommend this enough. It will help you get your bearings knowing exactly where everything is especially if it's your first time recording. It will also do wonders for pre-recording jitters as you'll feel more relaxed after understanding the surroundings of a professional recording studio.

2. There is no substitute for being well-rehearsed
In the run up to your recording session it is vital to use your time wisely. Make sure you and your band are clear as to what tracks you will be recording prior to your arrival. But more importantly rehearse like your life depends on it. Ensure your performance is clean and that you are in synch with one another. It will do wonders for your performance in the studio and it will make a great professional impression on the people who are recording with you. Besides you'll be able to make the most of your time in the booth which is both cost and time effective for you and incredibly helpful to the engineers too.

3. Record your most recent performance
Recording is not a forgiving process, just because your 45 minute set sounded good in the pub doesn't mean it will fully translate onto an album. A great idea to help improve your sound before entering the studios is to record one of your performances. This could be a rehearsal in your garage or a full on festival appearance. Just make sure you get the whole set not just a few select songs. Once you have your live recording bring it in to your session. It's a fantastic way to discover what areas you need to improve on instead of wasting time discovering that for yourself in front of the engineers. Sometimes you don't even realise yourself what you may be doing wrong. Whether you subconsciously increase the tempo or perhaps start to sing some flat notes, this can all be brought to your attention prior to anything being set in stone.

4. Rest well before a recording session
Now this sounds like a no-brainer I'm sure but you can't imagine the amount of over-stressed and highly sleep deprived artists that walk through the doors. The mere thought of recording sends some people into bouts of anxiety. The simplest advice is not to panic but to try to look forward to your session. That positivity will lead to a great night's sleep which is much needed for your vocal chords. If you're not singing the advice still applies. It will massively help with concentration levels and overall contribute to you playing to the best of your abilities when recording in the studio.

5. Warm up your vocals prior to recording
Remember to get up early enough to wake up your vocal chords as well as your brain, most people need a good hour or two in the morning before they start to sing. Just remember to do a few scales before you go to record. Waking up the vocal chords is essential for a professional take. The warm up will increase your expressive capabilities as well as opening up your range and will further improve your consistency. It will also help save valuable time so that you can get the best out of the session so don't forget!

6. Get to know the engineers
These guys are the masterminds behind your songs. They will be there every step of the recording process, therefore it would be wise to get to know them prior to getting into the recording booth. Sit down with them and discuss what kind of direction you would like your song to go in. Ask questions about the recording process. The more you discuss ideas and directions the more of chance they will be on the same page as you musically and creatively. This will in turn help produce an even better sounding song/album.

7. Plan what you want out of a session
Now that you've discussed your ideas with the engineer it's now time to put that into a plan. Write out exactly want you want to get out of that session and how you're going to go about achieving it. Knowing how you're going to spend your time is crucial. Everyone will benefit from understanding exactly what you want to achieve, especially a producer or engineer as they will be able to push your sound and music in the direction you have envisioned. The reality is a perfect end product is hard to come by so the clearer you are from the get-go the closer to a fully realised project you will get by the end of the recording process.

8. Be realistic to what you can achieve
We often have people coming in thinking they can achieve a polished to perfection album in only a half day session. Let's be honest here that's not going to happen. Don't come in expecting everything to magically come to fruition. Recording is a hard and arduous process that requires effort from both parties. Therefore if you're serious about creating an album always book an appropriate amount of time for it. Many musicians neglect to factor in mixing and mastering into the process let alone just being able to record everything. So allow plenty of time in order to produce the best overall product you can.

9. Seek advice and use the expertise of the engineers
It can be quite intimidating to record in front of engineers, but they're only there to help! If you think a track is missing something just ask. Because of their vast experience they can provide the best insight into what works and what doesn't. Never be scared to ask questions even if you think it's silly. Chances are they've heard them all before regardless. They are there to guide you so make the most of their knowledge while you can.

10. Perform as if you were in front of an 
audience
This sounds slightly strange but just picture it. A packed out audience before you all looking towards you with expectant eyes. If you picture this instead of the microphone in front of you you are guaranteed to put more into your take. This will ultimately translate into an emotive and expressive performance. Don't be afraid to mess up, the more you put into the recording the more you will get out of it. Just focus on trying to reach and connect with the listener as it will really bring an authentic feel to your recording.

By Melissa Tucker