Indie Ambassador

At what point should a band go from playing BBQs and basement shows for beer to playing local clubs and hitting the road for cash? When does a band stop handing out free singles and start selling them? In Music Wonderland deserving artists would be discovered by a record label big wig in that dingy basement and “people” would make these important decisions for them. In the real world, independent bands have to be their own manager, rep, marketer, booking agent and record label.

Enter band meetings, where you have the opportunity to step back from the creative process of writing and performing in order to make important, suit-and-tie type decisions that can take your band to the next level. Or just figure out which t-shirt design you want pressed for tour so your bass player doesn't get pissed when he opens the merch tub and sees that his design wasn't used... In this edition of our Biz resource series we sit down with Dave Martineau of the band Bearstronaut to discuss their reliance on band meetings.

Biz: The Importance of Band Meetings w/ Brittni

Brittni L (BL): First off, tell me a little about Bearstronaut. Dave M (DM): Bearstronaut is a dance rock band from Lowell, MA formed in 2007. We self-released our first album Broken Handclaps in the fall of 2009. We've shared the stage with Passion Pit, Japandroids, Health, Starfucker, The Chinese Stars, and a Sunny Day in Glasgow. We were 2nd runners up in the 2010 Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll for "Best New Act." In the summer of 2010, we released our new single, "Shannon," which is to be featured on our upcoming EP. Listen: Shannon by Bearstronaut

[audio:http://indieambassador.com/Files/media/Bearstronaut_Shannon.mp3]

BL: What prompted you guys to have band meetings?

DM: We started having band meetings to delegate responsibilities and organize communication, general goals, scheduling, etc. After playing and working together for some time, we realized that we need meetings in order to get the band to evolve and move forward in any way.

With the overall goal between the four of us being to play music and use the band as a vehicle to travel, we knew that we had to acknowledge Bearstronaut as more than four guys playing songs, but as a product. Without organization and deadlines we would never have been able to get one show booked, let alone self-release our first record. Our meetings have really helped us figure out everyone's strengths are far as booking, mixing/engineering, and promo.

Meetings have also helped us analyze shows more thoroughly, along with debating certain artistic differences we may have within songs, sets, cover art, or finances. Bands can become stagnant without the ability to push each other to get the band to the next level. If one person is doing all the legwork and the others just wait for the word to show up and play, nothing gets done, and we have certainly had to deal with that.

BL: Where do you typically meet and does location matters?

DM: We have meetings usually in our apartment, mostly because we live with each other. But I don't think location is really that vital to the efficiency of the meeting, as long as you have Internet access.

BL: How often do you hold meetings?

DM: We try to have legitimate band meetings at least 2-3 times a month.

BL: Is there a specific format to the meetings? Is there a leader?

DM: Meetings aren't really set up in any specific format. We all discuss upcoming shows, recording deadlines, promotions, and songwriting. There is no real leader or mediator, necessarily, but when someone starts talking too much, we know when to tell each other to shut up or slow down.

BL: What makes your band meetings different from a regular band practice?

DM: The main difference between a meeting and a practice, is that feeling to be productive but in two different forms. During practice everyone is striving towards tightening up the set or writing a new song. But in a meeting, things need to be put into perspective with where the band is at in that very moment and where it will be in the next month. Without meetings, the band would be limited to either casual banter or discussions of song structures. For us, we need to be able to lay things out in a time line in order to be as realistic with ourselves as possible, so that we may avoid half-assing our way through it, rather than simply accepting a mediocre attempt at something that could have really helped us.

BL: Do you ever bring in outside help or collaborators?

DM: Not usually for meetings, but when we are recording or working on new material, we sometimes bring our close friends in to give an honest opinion.

BL: What advice do you have for bands that want to start conducting their own meetings?

DM: Have routine band meetings, start a band bank account, use and respect deadlines, and make sure everyone has a way to communicate with each other (Facebook thread, text, etc.) Those things will absolutely help you push your band as far as you are willing to take it.

If you want to check out the results of Bearstronaut’s band meetings head to their site and take a listen. Be sure to look at their upcoming shows to support these guys live! Have some other questions for Dave? Have any more advice about holding band meetings? Leave your comments below!