BRAIN / BOC INdy CD's and Royalties/The Costs

[John A Swartz]

Eric says:

>In the case of Al and Deb whre it is pretty much their project and band
and they get to call the shots it's a much easier thing to undertake.
And living in the same household probably helps a lot too.


An advantage for sure.  However, whatever the case may be, a band trying
to produce it's own music owes it to themselves (and to a lesser extent,
their fans) to do what's necessary to produce a quality product.  If that
means taking a break from touring, getting together at a remote place,
spending weekends away from home, or whatever, then so be it.  You do
what you have to do to get the job done and done right -- especially
when your livelihood may be dependent upon it.

Also, as far as "calling the shots" go, I completely agree -- I think
albums like *Trepanation* and other indie releases are living proof that
you've got to let the ARTIST define the way the album should be - not
some record company executive or some recording engineer who couldn't
make it as a musician.  It's the artist that has the best feel for his/
her music, and independent releases are showing that these artists are
alot smarter than big record company execs might give them credit for.
I'm not saying that outside help is not useful (and may be necessary
for some bands who need help synthesizing some of their ideas), but
the artist should call the shots.

John