“Basically, every band that makes it has some dude with some sense of business. I don't know if our band would've been so successful were it not for Daniel's [Kessler] insight into how things really work. Daniel was the one who was diligently saying, "We should make a demo, send it out, play shows but not too many shows, get on shows with touring bands that are coming to New York."” IfsKnowsShouldPlayShowsSuccessfulNew YorkBandInsightTouringDemos Author:Paul Banks
“"If you are loyal you are successful," ruminated the company paper at one time. "All useful work is raised to the plane of art when love for the task-loyalty-is fused with the effort. Loyalty is the great lubricant of life. It saves the wear and tear of making daily decisions as to what is best to do. The man who is loyal to his work is not wrung nor perplexed by doubts, he sticks to the ship, and if the ship founders he goes down like a hero with colors flying at the masthead and the band playing."” IfsMenArtDecisionEffortCompanySuccessfulDoubtTearsColorHe ManHeroBandPaperTasksSticksRaisedLoyaltyFlyingShipsPlanesOne TimeLoyalFoundersPerplexed Author:Thomas Watson
“I think 'Elbow' were considered successful even before [2008's] Seldom Seen Kid because we were living off the band. We have a great manager who keeps our coffers topped off, and we give ourselves a sensible wage with a view to having three fallow years between records. We always make sure we have enough money to make a record and not be pressured time-wise.” ThinkingGivingYearsEnoughKidsThreeViewsSuccessfulRecordsWiseBandManagersGreat MenSensibleElbowsPressuredGreat Managers Author:Guy Garvey
“Ridley Pearson also plays bass guitar and sings with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band made up of such successful authors as Amy Tan, Stephen King, and Dave Barry-a band that, according to Barry, "plays music as well as Metallica writes novels".” WritingWellsMadePlayNovelSuccessfulRocksKingsBandGuitarBottomBassAmyDaveMetallicaBass Guitar Author:Otto Penzler
“I think that every band is different, and in fact that's one of the biggest problems with the old-school music industry is that... one band would be successful according to a certain approach, and then every other band in the label gets sent down the same tube.” ThinkingDifferentFactsProblemWould BeSchoolCertainSuccessfulIndustryBandApproachLabelsBeing SuccessfulMusic IndustryTubesOld School Author:Emily Haines
“We [No Doubt] were making music that was the opposite of grunge and what was popular on the radio, and we were fine with that. And for a garage band, we were massive! We were already successful in our own minds.” MindSuccessfulDoubtFineBandOppositesRadioNo DoubtMassiveGarageGrunge Author:Gwen Stefani
“You can always pound out demos and send them to record companies, but most of the successful bands I've seen are the ones that can sustain themselves.” CompanySuccessfulRecordsBandPoundsRecord CompaniesDemos Author:Joe Perry
“A few Disney TV composers had me pinch-hit writing some scoring cues to picture. Disney tapped me to be the composer for the underscore and song producer for this new show called "Phineas and Ferb."There is nothing like a successful animated show to get your chops up. You have to do every style - action, adventure, romantic, suspense, spy, poignant, rock, funk, big band - delivered on a deadline.” WritingShowsBigsActionSongSuccessfulRocksStyleAdventureTvsBandProducersSuspenseComposerSpyAnimatedDeadlinePoignantFunk Author:Danny Jacob