Song of the Day

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley

Word of the Day

Philotechnical - Devoted to the arts

I want you to be my label.

I have an unconventional career in certain ways. I'm about to record my 15th album and I've still never been on a major label and have no desire to be. We have worked hard and been fortunate enough to have the music make its way into the mainstream without that corporate presence. The last album, Something Simple, was used in feature film, two separate (this one and this one) national television series, got lots of national radio play, and received extensive media coverage. And it's because we built a really amazing team of people who are passionate about making music that matters and bringing it to life. Ironically while the music 'industry' has been collapsing, our team has experienced a steady upturn in our music reaching larger audiences.

There is one reason I believe we've continued to thrive while that industry collapses: YOU.

I made one simple, career-saving move again and again, and that has been to partner with the fans 'n friends instead of companies. You are my 'label', and that's made the difference. We continue to see mainstream success while maintaining a completely independent control of the creative and business sides of it. It's how it was meant to be, if you ask me and my team.

My team consists of me, my producer Alex Gibson, and anyone who wants to partner with us. And we are very blessed that there are people from all over the World who do want to partner with us, who are stepping up to be the label. I am currently funding my next album using this unorthodox but elegant system. I am thrilled to say I am partnered with people from all over the World; Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, England, The Netherlands, The US- we have built a truly international group of partners and that is my Label.

It works like this:

1, The budget for the album is $100,000. This is the budget to write, record, produce, and release my next album.

2, 100% of the album revenue rights are made available to fans. They fund the album through micro-loans. Micro-loans are portioned in percentages, each 1% of revenue rights is $1,000. You put in 1K, you get 1%. You put in 20K, you get 20%, and so on. Individuals are able to choose whatever amount they prefer. Some take 1%, some take 30%, etc, but it's always at 1K per 1%.

3, When the album is released, 100% of the profits go to the partners who funded the album until they double their money. After the partners double their money, profits are split with me 50 / 50 (I get half, and the other half is distributed among the partners according to their percentage rights).

4, I retain all copyrights and ownership of the music, and all creative control. The partners funding the album are acquiring the rights to the profits, not the copyrights to the music.

5, The album will be released nationally to all radio, press, television, and other major forms of publicity and distribution. It will be sold on iTunes, at shows, etc, we will also work to get the songs placed in major film and television (which can often generate more revenue than sales of albums).

This arrangement is not:

* It's not stock. I am not selling stock in anything. Partners are funding a loan. It's a non-conventional loan with all the attendant risks of showbiz.

* It's not a donation. While I make no promises or predictions about how much money an album will make, this is not a charity. People who partner with me are funding a loan, and I desire and intend for everyone to make a profit. I do not make any profit until after you do, which keeps the equation simple. This album will go out to all major media sources, from Late Night TV to commercial radio to major print, and that is because the intention is to reach as many people and sell as many albums as possible while remaining true to the artistic vision.

* It's not a corporation. It's a partnership. The artist and the fans choose to get together, circumvent the old label system, and instead create a team with common values. Two important values are the integrity of the art, and its potential to generate revenue. These values are not opposed, but complementary in this new type of partnership.

* It's not a get-rich-quick plan. This partnership is for patient people who believe in the music, who want to take a personal role in bringing it to life. These partners will be the first in line to profit from it.

I've long been a boutique artist. Watching the major labels fail has been like watching a party I always wanted to get into suddenly get hit by an earthquake that killed everyone inside. Being smaller, in some regards, has kept me safe in the disaster. So far, my albums have sold in the range between 2,000 and 15,000 copies per title, generally trending upward over the last decade (but not always). That Boutique category of the music business does not appear to be going anywhere. We're talking about CDs as collector's items, artifacts.

My approach doesn't depend upon a 'hit'. In the last few years I've been able to grow into other mediums, but even then it's been a natural progression. I will write and direct a feature film in the near future, but will also continue to do music. My work, and this partnership, targets that natural progress. I've been at it 15 years, and plan to be at it at least another 30. Of course we pursue a 'hit' at every turn, and will continue to. Jack pots are good. But the long-game is the primary orientation. Fame is not a business plan.

Interested parties please email me directly at twistedmystic@gmail.com & sample contracts will be provided. We are about half sold on the next album, so I am still looking for more partners.

In the last fifteen years I have had the great privilege of working with people who care deeply about art and awakening (in my experience they are fused). Over and over I'm blown away by the community that spontaneously emerges and shows the way. I'm thrilled to be partnering with people from all over the World. That as much as anything speaks to the changes in connectivity. I don't think the music World is falling apart. I see it coming together through these relationships.

As an artist, but also as a fan, I feel a big disparity between what people are ready for and what the entertainment World is offering. Tens of millions of people are hungry for art that embraces the evolutionary dynamic (including spirituality). Storytelling hasn't kept pace with the story. I see that changing. And that's all I'm out to do: partner with other change-agents who want to make a difference and a profit.

Kosmic hugs,
stuart