A SellaBand London Event!

 

Your chance to perform @ The Orchard Live!


For quite some time now, The Orchard, the world’s leading digital music distributor, has been hosting monthly clubnights. The Orchard Live takes place on the last Thursday of every month at Ginglik, a notorious watering hole in London’s Shepherd Bush. We’re pleased to announce that The Orchard Live on Thursday February 28 will be An Evening With SellaBand, as 4 of ‘our’ artists get the opportunity to perform…


When we announced the partnership with The Orchard, a couple of weeks ago, we already knew that it would contain much more than ‘just’  the digital distribution of our music catalogue. To confirm the partnership, and to welcome the SellaBand label to their roster, The Orchard have invited us to present some of our music during one of their monthly live events.


We have invited our two UK based Recording Artists to perform at The Orchard Live. Both Second Person and Francis Rodino will play a full live set at Ginglik on February 28. Tickets will be priced 5 pounds (exactly the equivalent of 1 Part) and details of how to obtain these tickets will be announced shortly.


In total there are 4 performance spots available on the night. We are inviting UK- and UK-based artists to submit their participation for a competition to perform at The Orchard Live. Backline, PA, food and drinks will all be provided on the night, all you have to do is show up and play. Who will eventually show up? Well, both The Orchard and the Believers will choose one act to perform a 30 minute set each. The fine folks at The Orchard UK will handpick one of the submitted UK acts on SellaBand and the Believers will get the chance to vote on Club SellaBand for the remaining slot on the bill.


Here’s the timeline:

December 4: UK Bands can submit their participation

December 11: Participants announced in the Tribune

December 18: The Orchard pick their winner, voting starts on Club SellaBand

January 8: Voting ends. Winner announced in the Tribune

February 28: Plug in and play.

 

Artist Adventures

 

Lily’s Lovin’ It…

From time to time we invite one of our Recording Artists to give you an update of their whereabouts. This time it’s Lovely Lily who has been hard at work in the studio to record the album of her dreams which, if everything goes according to plan, should be ready for release early next year…

The past couple of months have been very rewarding, exciting, and amazingly wonderful! I’m so ecstatic and proud of this production and I can’t wait to finish and share it with the world!  When I chose my producers I knew Charlie and Pablo would be the perfect match to help me bring the sound I was looking for to life.  Charlie is the hard rock, metal type of guy who is not afraid to break the rules while Pablo is the Ballad/Pop and more conservative one who keeps us from going too far.  Together they have managed to give my songs the EXACT sound I was looking for.  Also, the quality is just amazing! I am using musicians who have worked with Alejandro Sanz, Obie Bermudez, Ricardo Arjona and Jerry Rivera, between others, as well as Latin legend Alfredo de la Fe!

As my believers know, it was a slow start since we had to carefully choose the songs and I’m so glad I didn’t rush this part.  We strategically and carefully chose the songs and I can assure you there is something for everyone in this CD.  

Although it’s been pretty hectic I wouldn’t change this experience for anything.  At this time I’m recording vocals and I’m hoping to finish that in two weeks.   Once we complete the rough mix of the songs I will have to choose the best song…which will be tough!  We’re doing so by having a listening session where approximately 20 people of different ages who don’t know me will rate all the songs.  The results from the session as well as the top picks from my team and the SAB team will give me more or less an idea of  which song I will use to promote the CD and record the Video to.


As we get closer to completing the recording, one of my priorities is to start working on the promotion this CD deserves.  I know that once my songs are heard, the music will sell itself.  But the tough part will be to get it out there for everyone to listen to, and here’s where I need everyone’s help.  I’m currently accepting any ideas/suggestions anyone might have. You’re already helping me by voting in Famecast.com (stage 9), so thank you all so much for that!   


I want to thank my believers, for giving me the opportunity to record this CD and for the patience and the trust they’ve put in me.  What I’ve learned from this experience is priceless!  I have all the confidence to believe I’m producing a hit CD!, and it would have never been possible without the help of Sellaband and my wonderful believers! I promise I will not let you down! This CD will kick #*$ (can I say Booty?) :-/

 

Adam’s Apples

 

Kester 

 

An Englishman in Tokyo who writes and performs everything himself on a Mac in his living room, achieving some interesting results in a "head" (Portis, Radio) influenced style. He teaches Korean kids and indulges in a little binge drinking - that's all we know about him. But the music's great.
Playlist: Bushwhacker.

Pathfinder

 

This classical rock/metal band from Poland are all incredibly accomplished musicians and perform their well crafted arrangements with stunning accuracy at terrifying speed. There's a strong cinematic element throughout this project that's more about "compositions" than songwriting. It's certainly impressive stuff but a little lacking in soul - a few rough edges would have made some difference. Will be interesting to see if it works live. Meanwhile I'm looking forward to the movie.
Playlist: An Oracle's Voice.

Avispa

 

Sebastian Avispa and his band play a gorgeous fusion of acoustic folk and latin that's instantly both accessible and memorable. With influences of reggae grooves and Brazilian drums this is a world music sampler that deserves to find a lot of support here.
Playlist: Mar Y Luz.

Ju'l


 

If solo piano is your thing this should do it for you. J'ul plays well enough in a french pop and classical vein but it's the tunes that linger on long after the music stops. She sings on one of the tracks which breaks the spell a little but also hints at much more to come.
Playlist: BrOuster 2886.

Feedback: adam@sellaband.com

 

Office Powerplay

We’re music fans too, you know. And this week we’ve been listening to…

Alix: Lone Pine - Down on You

Anna: Chris and the other Girls - Let go

Chris: The Phettz - Needing

Dagmar Mystikman - Confessions

Dolly: Moorlandt - Nearland Revolution

Johan: Kirt – R’Evolution

Rey Gamba: Lop-Sided -In my Headache

 




A Solid Plan

Our 50K Plan: SolidTube

 

We first approached hem when they threatened to break the 25K mark, but at that point SolidTube told them they needed more time and information to complete their 50K plan. Now we know why. For the plan that they have created is by far the most detailed and comprehensive we have seen to date. So, sit back and relax. Listen, learn and read on…

 

By Solidtube 

"After having spent a wonderful time together with Lorraine Jones and ConFused5 and fans from SAB at the remarkable "Roll over Austria" concert in Salzburg, we are ready to share our 50k Business Plan with you. 


The heart of everything: The CD and the recording

We aim for 10 songs on the CD. These will be the 'best' songs possible. For that reason we plan to re-release a number of songs from our debut album "For God's sake", which you already may have heard, but with a new recording for a fresh and optimum effect.
As our producer we have chosen Pete Strobl, the Austrian-in-Exile, who you'll probably better know as Peatnik. We believe that Pete has the right vision, the experience and the network to bring our music to the next level, and of course we'll need him for all his great stories and jokes during the production time.
As we know that the budget will be tight and we can spend every Dollar only once, some compromises have to be made. As much as we would have loved to record in the US and despite the low Dollar, SAB's currency, the travel cost will prevent it.
We plan on an extensive pre-production with Pete in Vienna at our home studio before we hit a professional studio fully equipped and prepared to host us for 10-14 days worth of concentrated recording.
As a rule of thumb we intent to split the available budget (after the cost for the LeCD production and their distribution to the believers) roughly in 1/3 for production, 1/3 for recording and mixing and 1/3 for the most effective initial marketing.
We have already arranged for the final mixing and mastering with a top notch team in Los Angeles.
We are still working out the detailed and precise cost of every item that we will need, although most we have already as ballpark figures. It is a bit ironic, but because we could so far only convince a limited number of believers compared to other artists, many of them have seen us performing live - we may be able to squeeze a little bit more out of the budget, that has now been reserved for the distribution cost of the LeCD.  Of course every new believer is more than welcome :). Rest assured that we are ready to produce an album to remember. 100% SolidTube, and more. As you can see, we have already started the preparation of pre-production, budgeting and negotiations and we will be ready to start with the heart of everything very soon after having reached the $50K

 

 

 

Q + A N’Kenge


Another Tribune, another Q+A. But definitely not ‘just another’ artist. The very spontaneous and ever active N’Kenge had no trouble making her presence known on this platform. And as she is only a few bob short of her first 5K, this felt like the right time to let this New York diva introduce herself…


Who is N'Kenge?

Besides from what you read on my profile describing me as a singer, songwriter, dancer and actress....I was this high energy child who was immediately placed in piano and dance classes at age of 3 by my mom in order to focus my energy towards something constructive! Most of my life I was raised by a single mom until my late teens when she remarried and my mom was for sure my inspiration and mentor and still is. She was a business owner (had me working in the office from age 10 to keep me out of trouble...we lived in the Bronx then) and always told me that whatever I dream I can make reality and that with hard work there was nothing I couldn't achieve.

 

What inspires you, musically?

Everything that I experience has some way of inspiring me. I've been really lucky to be able to travel all over the world with my performing and it really is inspiring and different when I sing in Italian in Italy versus when I am doing it for a performance in the States. I actually sing the song differently in Italy because they really get all the different nuances and the meaning of each word. So in addition to what I experience in my life, there is the music of all genres that I listen to, the kids that I perform for through community concerts that I give at schools and hospitals, my family, and of course my husband (just got married on Easter Sunday ;-O)

What made you join SellaBand?

Mister Pim Betist of course. Pim and I were friends long before SAB was ever in existance. I remember he always LOVED music and all kinds of it which was really cool. Well, he finished his internship at Heineken and went back to Holland.  We kept in touch off and on and I remember how he was so excited about this music project he was working on that he said would change the music industry but he couldn't tell me any details. Well for a while we lost touch unfortunately but then he finally reached me this summer and talked about SAB's concept and I immediately joined August 20, 2007 to be exact.

 


 

 

Any regrets, so far?

No regrets ever. I never have regrets on anything I do with my music,...just experiences.  Being a part of SAB has allowed me to connect to a network that I might never would have access to otherwise and the community is so strong about what they like and what they believe in. It's great to be around Artists who truly are determined to make a difference and Believers who are determined to have their voices heard as listeners and support the Artists they believe in. Its a beautiful thing.

 

How much time do you dedicate to SellaBand and raising 50K?

Well without embarrassing myself and admitting I am addict....every chance I get. I am always checking things and trying to respond and reach out to new people daily and usually update my profile with info, songs or pictures multiple times a week. It gets hard to do at times when I am performing. I'll have a month of being at home but then there is December when I am singing with the Baltimore Symphony for all of December, and being in rehearsals from 9 to 10PM everyday will make it difficult to be as active as usual, but performing is my life so I am not complaining here.  Just wish I could multiply myself a few times...thats all.

Do you have any special tactics to reach $50,000?

I wish I did have special tactics or some sort of magic wand that says..."poof, believe in me NOW'. I guess as an Artist, I attempt to attract Believers with my talent. Focusing keeping my profile updated, keeping my Believers updated on what I am doing at all times and bringing new Believers to SAB.  I am excited about December because I will be promoting SAB like crazy with any media interviews I do for the Symphony show and I always pass out flyers for SAB after each show when I sign CDs.  Its about staying true to your Art and never giving up on what you want to achieve.  My goal here is to develop life long friends and make 50K while I'm at it

What are your ambitions?

Wow....where do i start. There is so much I want to do. I want to be an internationally acclaimed Artist and be the first to break through barriers that no one has ever done before. I've been asked many times who I compare myself to in the music industry and quite honestly there isn't anyone that does what I do.  It confuses people sometimes because we are conditioned to categorize Artist in specific genres. I can compare myself with Celine Dion. Then there are also things I can do that Maria Callas and Billy Holiday was known for doing. Different Artists from different spectrums of music but all related to me. I have been been handed this gift to seamlessly go through so many musical styles and I've been able to make a mark for myself in the States for this. I'll get hired to do a concert that ranges from Bach to Beyonce and people really dig the concept because its something they never heard before. Each style sounds authentic and they love it and it makes me so happy that they really get it.

My ambition is to be allowed to excel in all the fields that I have mastered and be the first to accomplish that. I am also writing a musical that will be an Off Broadway production next year and it will be the platform for me to encompass all of my talents in one package.

You must have noticed that female artists are doing quite well on this platform. What's your take on that?

It's great to see Female Artists doing so well.  I think the talent these days is just getting greater and greater and its wonderful to see Females making their mark, being ambitious and getting to the Top.

 

Why should people Believe in N'Kenge?

I would hope People would believe in me not for the short term benefits but for the long term benefits.  With an Artist like me that does so much performing and have such a wide versatility, with the right marketing one can really take advantage of all avenues with what I do.  Music, Theater, TV, Film, Tours....you name it. To me its about the longevity of an Artist and for sure I don't consider myself an Artist that will be a novelty for a day and forgotten the next.  I am an entrepeuner that recreates myself and makes myself accessible to so many spectrums of the industry and plan on utilizing that to my benefit.  There is so many carbon copies of Artists happening these days and for sure I will never fall into that category.  If a Believer wants to believe in something that is really going to change how we view Music and Artists, then believe in me and I guarantee you.... you will be in for a lifelong ride of adventure and new beginnings.

 

 

A Solid Plan

The brain of believing: The LeCD

We fully understand the obligation to all our believers who are financing our production with their money to give them additional real value with the Specials on the LeCD. We are very grateful for all the support we have experienced so far. On the other hand we ask for your understanding that this can be a real strain on the budget if these extras are not essential to the commercial success of the SolidTube CD. Hence, this is our current plan:
- We do not want to just fill the LeCD with more songs that didn't make the cut, as these would incur a lot of additional cost. Instead we want to release, especially on the LeCD, one or two songs as versions in another language than English. The song best suited for this seems to be "Farewell". The other language versions are planned as Italian and/or Spanish.
- The LeCD should include the video that we are planning to produce
- As well as the regular CD the LeCD should contain a booklet. We are working on a new logo for SolidTube and graphic art already.
- And hopefully Peatnik will be able to put some of his masterful writing somewhere around the recording process into the Extras
The arms to reach out: Single CD and Video
Some people have mentioned to us that we may have the ability to produce a 'hit', so we have started to believe in that. We believe in our commercial potential as well as in our music. And we are fully prepared to go for it and to make it work for everyone.
For Europe we believe it is absolutely essential to have a Single CD in physical format, otherwise radio stations will not accept to play our songs. We plan for a limited number of these Single CDs just for that purpose, which can be kept simple and could contain up to 3 songs/mixes.


One of the songs, the 'best' one will be made as a music video; we are exploring the best way to do this with the limited funds available.

One of the songs, the 'best' one will be made as a music video; we are exploring the best way to do this with the limited funds available.

 

The legs to run on: Marketing, Concerts and

Marketing againWe understand Sellaband as a brilliant chance for us to reach the next level of our career, of our music and of our ability to reach a wider audience. We also understand that we still have to do a lot of work - if not most of it - on our own to deliver on our promise. We believe we have the ability and the music to do it, but a lot comes down to marketing and concerts to prove it live.