A little market research for an upcoming release

[McAllister]

Hi everyone.

Please pardon me if I put this in the wrong place.
I'm in the middle of producing an album and am doing market research for it. One of the guitarists, Mike Keneally, pointed me here, so here goes.

Rather than just pushing out an album, this is something of a different animal and I’d like to be very thoughtful on how and what to release.

I’d love your input.

The Project
It’s a collaboration with a painter. Each song goes with a painting. The painter is Brooks Burgan. He’s based in Geneva and you can view some of his work here:
https://brooksburgan.com

I’ve enlisted the help of some great musicians, including:
Mike Keneally
Dave Gregory
Rafael Gayol
...plus a bunch of others.

We’re about halfway complete, with a goal of about 12 songs & works. The plan at the moment is to have a gallery show & opening performance, probably in Lausanne, Switzerland.

My questions include:
1. Would you be interested in hearing / viewing such a project?
2. With what format(s) would you want to experience this? (digital, with music and images; music only; a physical release of vinyl/CD and prints of the artwork; something different?). Also, what would you expect to pay for different modes of release?
3. What would make you tell other people about it?
4. How do you normally find out about new releases? And how would you recommend we try and get the word out about this one?
5. What are your impressions of starting with a crowdfunding campaign?

So yes, lots of questions. I’d love to see your responses - either in this thread or in a DM. Also, I’m happy to set up a call/Zoom and do this like a proper researcher, if you're interested.

Finally, I’m happy to share whatever I learn with anyone who wants to know. We’re in a weird world for music. If what I’m doing can help anyone else I am all for it.

Thank you!

Steve

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

The basic method's never really changed, except for the fact that these days you don't shop around demos, so much as you shop around an almost finished album. Labels don't want to hear crappy-sounding stuff when everyone has a pro studio in their back pocket. So make the album, shop it around, tell Prog Magazine about it - with a line-up like that they're guaranteed to be interested. With or without a label, put your stuff up on bandcamp when finished, and let listeners find you there, through Prog mag, or here. That's basically the gist of it. if it's good it'll get around, and with those guys behind you it's likely to be, innit?

[McAllister]

Thanks, Jacob, for the reply.

Yes, I would hope that the music + art are hip enough to garner tons of interest. But as most people wouldn't be able to make an opening in Geneva, I'm trying to sort out the best way to get the project into the minds of the people who'd dig it. Something of a challenge in the world of streaming.

I've spoken with a couple of labels, but until something is signed I'll proceed with the idea of self-funded release.

In any event I'll keep y'all posted. And yes, Dave & Mike (together on a handful of tracks; separate on others) are amazing.

[mozo-pg]

Would you be interested hearing/viewing such a project? Yes!

[EBES]

1. Sure, I'd be interested! Your description of the project reminds me a bit of Steve Kilbey's Art Man Technology project, but frankly that wasn't very impressive, even though I'm an enormous Steve Kilbey fan, so it would be nice to see it done right.
2. If I loved the music/images then I'd be interested in maybe purchasing a record & book set but I'd probably listen to it on Bandcamp first to see for sure.
3. Hate to say it but I don't tend to tell other people about releases, at least not prog-ish stuff. None of my family or friends likes that sort of thing or pays any attention to my recommendations.
4. As far as prog, once a week or so I'll go on Bandcamp and see what's new that's tagged #prog and some similar stuff.
5. I suppose there's no harm in starting with a crowdfunding campaign as long as you're comfortable with the possibility that it wouldn't land? Honestly I usually only contribute to those if it's for an artist I already know & love.

Also -- I just went to the Brooks Burgan website and if there's a song about the painting where a squid is straddling a mountain range then I'll definitely buy that.

[Top Cat]

Also -- I just went to the Brooks Burgan website and if there's a song about the painting where a squid is straddling a mountain range then I'll definitely buy that.

Unfortunately, squid straddling has been outlawed in most of the civilized countries in the world.
I would assume even images will soon be relegated to the dark web.

[McAllister]

Also -- I just went to the Brooks Burgan website and if there's a song about the painting where a squid is straddling a mountain range then I'll definitely buy that.


That's a giant squid on Mont Blanc. Brooks has done a number of my album covers (4, I think). That's one of them.

[interbellum]

That's a giant squid on Mont Blanc. Brooks has done a number of my album covers (4, I think). That's one of them.

I guess some others can be viewed over here: https://stevemcallister.wixsite.com/home/albums