Holy Grail or Rail

Every band seems to be on a quest; a quest for that Holy Grail called the “Record Label”. Now, I have learned throughout the years that when a band says “I hate labels and I’d tell them where to stick it”…isn’t EXACTLY True. In my findings, the second an A&R Rep says “I want your band”, they quickly pipe up and say “Really? Where do I sign?” Obviously what the band MEANT to say is they would tell the label where to stick it on the table so they can press hard for three copies! It’s not the fact they were lying when they would speak their opposition; it’s the fact that the Industry has brainwashed musicians into believing that “without them, you can’t make it”.

Let me tell you a story.

Picture it – Atlanta, 1989. A band formed. A band that would later be considered one of the key creations in a genre called “rap-metal”; a band called – Stuck Mojo. Before Rage Against the Machine, before Linkin Park, before anyone – they played with a unique sound derived by having members from very diversified musical backgrounds. They worked diligently recording demos while they lived in their 20×20 recording space that consisted of no running water and cold concrete flooring. They would take showers using a hose that the landlord supplied while calling a public restroom at a convenience store their own. Without much money, they hit the road. For four years, they played every dive and hole that would have them across America. Slowly, they built a fan base that became an underground following that couldn’t be denied. They gained the attention of Century Media and signed with them in 1995. Sadly, Stuck Mojo inked a SEVEN Album deal that also signed away all rights, publishing and merchandise with it! The band didn’t know better but what did they have to lose? They were living “in a van down by the river” theoretically! At the time, Century Media was a green-independent that later would become a Major in Europe as a result but the band on the other hand, wouldn’t be as lucky.

Without further ado, Mojo set out and toured like a MACHINE and when I say toured, let me give you an idea of what “touring” meant to them. At their record highest, Stuck Mojo played 318 days in 1998. From 1995 thru 1999 they averaged 250+ gigs a year, literally living on the road and only coming off to record. Sounds incredible, huh? Think Again.

Stuck Mojo toured the world 20+ times having their basic expenses paid without having to get a “real” job. However, they sold hundreds of thousands of records only to end up owning nothing after a decade of hard work. 100% of all seven albums sales as well as publishing would (and will) forever go to Century Media and never a penny to them. Reality is brutal, they lived a dream that left them with nothing in the end. As a result, In 2001, they fulfilled the lingering contractual obligations and prevented Century Media from being able to exercise any ownership rights over future recorded materials and then the band fractured.

Does this happen often? Sadly, Yes. Let me give you a more precise picture – When you sign a record deal, you see very little money (if any), all of which you have to pay back out of your 12% to 18% royalty depending on how good a negotiator you are. If you get a $40,000 recording advance and a “good” royalty deal, you will be making on paper close to $2 a record; meaning you have to sell 20,000 records just to repay the recording advance. Meanwhile, the label has not only recouped the money they advanced you but also netted close to $5 a record to boot; therefore making their $40,000 back from you AND $100,000 while you receive nothing more financially. (And we haven’t even gotten to the promotional monies they put out to promote you which all has to be recouped.) Times this by years of interest, bills, no rights to your songs, no merchandise rights or publishing and you have the recipe for disaster that Stuck Mojo endured longer than most. (Most would have never have fulfilled the obscene contract and found real jobs in a different field.) But, this story actually has a happy ending!

In early 2005, Stuck Mojo decided they weren’t done and regrouped! Without a label, they decided to do things much differently. They returned to the one thing that made them famous…Touring! With a new album in hand and a strong team in place, they released the album free for download on the internet. Each recorded track had Rich Ward (the guitarist), doing an intro that said “This is Rich Ward from Stuck Mojo and you are listening to (insert song name here). This was done for a reason. Anyone who downloaded the track and passed it to friends not only had the song ingrained in their heads, but also the band name – over and over and over again for each downloaded track. The result? Larger show attendance and a new fan base to add to the old! They turned a significant profit on live performances and sold their CD/DVD combo for those who wanted a hard copy verses the burned. It was a success! Stuck Mojo made more money off of the Southern Born Killers album than the seven combined previously on Century Media! With newly energized ambition, the band picked up where they left off, but this time on THEIR terms. With having successfully toured the US, Europe and Russia since and gearing up to record their 9th album, the outlook is refreshing! And, believe it or not, Mojo signed to a label recently again, but the difference? Stuck Mojo is the ONLY band on the label that owns 100% of their music, publishing and merchandise and it’s only for two albums. Needless to say, the other bands who signed everything are in for a rude awakening!

So, whenever you hear someone in a band who thinks music is just about talent, think again. The Music Business is very much that…A Business. It has always been my opinion; if you know less than anyone on the business team that represents you, then you are doing yourself a disservice. Learn all you can and not just enough to be dangerous; that’s how you get ripped off! Bottom line? As a musician, never sign off on your music! It’s your livelihood, your life, your meaning! When you think you have nothing to lose and that grail is gleaming, ask yourself one thing- “If I have no value, why are they here to sign me?” Think about it, be smart and know – Sometimes when you think you have nothing to lose, is when you lose EVERYTHING!

STUCK MOJO – March 2008