In the midst of the annual Capitol Hill Block Party, where some of the best local and national musicians got together to bask in the glory that is a Seattle summer, The Riveter hosted two special panels on the music business. The event was organized by Lo Flux Media and Nadamucho.com, which both fostered a safe environment for musicians to expand their mindset on a few topics that could aid their growth. After a networking session with delicious salads and pizza from Big Mario’s Pizza, the panelists gathered on stage to share their personal and business expertise.

The first panel covered the topics of possible strategies of band management and was moderated by Kelly Fleek, founder of Lo Flux Media and half of local electro-rock duo The Spider Ferns.

Panelists included:
Megan Jasper — Sub Pop Records
Ben Jenkins — Killroom Records
Abbie Gobeli — KEXP DJ and manager for the band Actors
Shannon Hemmett — Actors, Leathers

Q: What makes a band “label ready?”

• Talent
• A willingness to put in the work
• Taking yourself seriously as a band and as a business
• Have music that resonates with your audience
• Believe in what you do and make it meaningful

Biggest takeaway: experience doesn’t play a big role in a label’s decision making process. Jasper brought up the example of the artist Yuno, who is now under the Sub Pop label. According to Jasper, Yuno was inexperienced within the music industry, but because he has a special sound and is very talented and incredibly driven, the record label had no qualms with taking a chance on him.

Q: What are labels looking for today?

• Same as always, great art and great people to work with

Biggest takeaway: many things are changing in the music industry, but that is not one of them. While there are many ways to get your music out to the masses — DIY or with a label — one thing remains the same: great music will always be great music.

Q: Is it important to live in a city of music?

• No

Biggest takeaway: whatever location you live in provides a special foundation of experiences that foster your own unique sound. Living in a music city might be overwhelming for some, because it creates a high-pressure environment from the need to stand out amongst a gaggle of other talented and driven musicians. Touring is much more important if you want to be seen.

Q: Is it necessary to rub elbows with everyone?

• Connect and collaborate
• Build friendships with bands in other cities
• Help and support each other

Biggest takeaway: the panelist agreed that it is not necessary to go around collecting the names of people that you are in bed with, but they also mentioned that having friends in the industry is always helpful. If networking is not your cup of tea, remember that “great art always finds a way.”

Some main ideas the panelists left us with:

• Your band label is a marriage. It is important to set healthy boundaries. Honesty and communication is key.
• Genres are not very important right now. Supposedly, Spotify is talking about creating a new way to get music discovered that would help artists that are in-between genres.
• Focus on writing and playing good music.
• The job of a label is to help push bands to the next level, to strategize and execute new ideas to reach greater audiences, and ultimately, to create profits for both the band and themselves.
• Touring is crucial. Tour as much as possible for your situation.
• If there is a label that speaks to you, don’t hesitate to send them a demo. They will listen to it eventually.
• Get your music out there! People always forgive a bad recording of a great song. Record it to your best ability or budget, and get it out.

The second panel covered the topic of mental health at home and on the road and was moderated by Fleek.

Panelists included:
Evie Cooke — KEXP
Andrew Vait — Sisters, Little Wins
Daniel Lyon — Spirit Award
Whitney Mongé —Whitney Mongé, PNW Chapter Recording Academy/Grammys Board of Directors
Jordan Leonard —PNW Chapter Recording Academy/Grammys

Q: What strategies do you use to push yourself past the hardships?

• Trying to maintain balance
• Physical exertion, running/working out, stretching
• Get enough sleep
• Listen to yourself
• Talk to your friends, connect with people
• Forgive yourself for feeling bad. Accept where you are and allow it to run its course
• Positive self talk
• Doing things that align with your purpose
• Doing nothing is still doing something
• Your body knows what you need when you need it, listen
• Learn to say no

Biggest takeaway: mental health, just like physical health, is an active lifestyle. You must create an environment that supports a healthy mindset, through healthy boundaries and healthy outlets for your body and mind to grow. The best thing to focus on is preventative measures like showing up for yourself and knowing when your batteries are drained and need a recharge. Taking care of yourself is always priority number one.

Q: What do you do on the road?

• Take time for yourself
• Have quiet time/personal time
• Accept the fact that everything won’t go perfect and go with the flow
• Remind yourself that the audience doesn’t know what is or isn’t “right,” so go easy on yourself if you make a mistake. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to express yourself in front of an audience. Just remember “I am enough!”

Biggest takeaway: remember to have alone time and make sure that you are showing up to every gig or interaction with a balanced state of mind. Being stuck in a tight van, or just being away from family or home for long periods of time, might make you feel disconnected. Remember the tools you use to stay grounded when you are not on tour and make sure to implement them as much as you can.

Resources for outreach:

• Therapy
• MusiCares, a charity that has provided over $60 million in resources to people within the music community in times of need.
• Send Me A Friend.org, a national network of  on-call “sober friends” that attend shows to support musicians struggling with substance abuse.