September 6, 2005

Death Cab for Cutie's Nick Harmer on Selling Out

"There have been some kids who have said it sucked that we're on Atlantic, that they hate bands on major labels, and part of me just feels really bad for that mentality. If you have a hard line about bands on major labels, that pretty much says to me that you have the lamest record collection of anyone in the world. I guess you don't buy any Clash records or Talking Heads records or Bowie. I guess you don't have any Stones or Beatles or Radiohead or the Pixies or Nirvanna. There are a million great bands who have done major-label things and had their souls intact. And if you would tell me that you're not going to buy their records, from the sheer fact that a major label is affiliated with it, I guess that's your prerogative, but I don't want to hang out with you. If you've never danced your ass off to 'Walking on Sunshine' or The Romantics' 'What I Like About You' you're a hollow person. Anyway, whatever, I could go on and on, but I don't want to make it sound like a rant."

-Death Cab for Cutie bassist Nick Harmer talking about their first major-label release, Plans, and whether or not it's selling out to sign with a major label. (Paste, Aug./Sept. 2005)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:33 PM

July 27, 2005

Why Jessica Simpson Didn't Go Into Christian Music

"It didn't really surprise me because I grew up with a lot of that backlash. That's why I didn't end up going into the Christian music industry. I think that if they're really good Christians the judgment wouldn't be there."

-Jessica Simpson responding to criticism from a radical conservative group about her stripper-like actions in the video for the song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" that appears on the Dukes of Hazzard soundtrack. (MSNBC, July 27, 2005)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:10 PM

May 2, 2005

Cake's Josh McCrea: We're Not Dancing Bears

"We're not a fancy jukebox or the dancing bears at Chucky Cheese, so sometimes we forget to play something people want to hear. But we're definitely very comfortable with the concept that we’re in a service occupation where we have to balance wanting to do the right thing musically with being there to entertain people and give them what they want."

-Josh McCrea of the band Cake, who recently released Pressure Chief. (Hear Say, April 2005)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:32 AM

Cake's Josh McCrea: Music Biz as NASCAR

"I think more and more with the way the music industry is, bands are gonna start taking cues from NASCAR racers and wear ads on their outfits. That's given the fact that people want music for free, yet they might not realize in order for it to be made that artists have to pay for studio time, food and rent. It's basically a case of spoiled children wanting free candy, and though it's easy to want things for free, it's hard for musicians to convince landlords that rent should be free."

-Josh McCrea of the band Cake, who recently released Pressure Chief. (Hear Say, April 2005)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:36 AM

March 17, 2005

Jacob Marshall of Mae on Faith & Marketing

"For me, Christianity is the act of mirroring the details of what Jesus lived. If you look at the details of his life, he exemplified love in the sense that he sacrificed his life for humanity. Whether or not you believe in specific doctrines, when you boil it all down--the denominations, etc.--the essence is faith in this guy Jesus. He is a person who invites people to pursue God, but when people try to own it or box it in, it results in factions and division, and this also applies to Christian business. I questions it. I question the motives of selling faith. Jesus wouldn't spend the time marketing himself. It seems that Christian fans expect the artists to not have problems, like your ministry will not be effective if you have weakness. But this is not Christianity--it's a successful business."

-Jacob Marshall, drummer for the band Mae, talking about faith and marketing. Mae's debut release, Destination Beautiful sold 60,000 copies and their next release, The Everglow comes out in a few weeks. (Source: Relevant Magazine, March/April 2005)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:46 PM

August 12, 2004

Charles Thompson of the Pixies on Record Companies

"Record companies, schmecord companies. Who needs 'em?"

-Charles Thompson (aka Frank Black or Black Francis), lead singer of the recently reunited Pixies. (Source: CNN.com, August 12, 2004)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:32 AM

March 26, 2004

Switchfoot's Jon Foreman on the Music Biz

"Another constant battle for me is loneliness or depression. The road can be a very lonely place, no matter what venues you're playing. The same faces, the same songs, the same distance separating you from the ones you love. After a month or two of a sort of 'rock & roll Groundhog's Day,' you become like a diver who has gone too deep, and you can't figure out which way is up. So staying centered becomes quite a challenge. All things considered, however, I still think I have the best job in the world."

-Jon Foreman, lead singer and guitarist for Switchfoot, whose latest album, The Beautiful Letdown has been climbing the mainstream charts. Other Switchfoot albums include Learning to Breathe, New Way To Be Human, The Legend of Chin and The Early Years: 1997-2000, which collects their first three albums. The Live in San Diego DVD is also available. (Source: CCM, March 2004)

Other Switchfoot Quotables:
Tim Foreman on Christian Music
Jon Foreman: I'm Not a Religious Salesman
Jon Foreman on "Dare You To Move"
Jon Foreman Owes U2

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:33 PM | Comments (22)

September 25, 2003

Dave Matthews on the Demise of the Recording Industry

"I make my living from playing live, so if the whole record industry went pffft and landed on its face, I'd still be able to go out there and sing like the Lollipop Guild and hope someone throws a dollar in my hat."

-Dave Matthews, who recently released his solo album, Some Devil, responding to the threat of illegal digital downloads facing the music industry. (Source: Entertainment Weekly, September 26, 2003)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:50 PM

September 23, 2003

Leigh Nash on the Music Business

"Down the road, you realize that it's impossible to [ignore the business side of music] if you have a brain, any desires in life, or you want to make a living. It is unfortunate that the business and the creative sides should ever cross paths. But they're forced to. The business side of things dumbs down the creative process. It puts strain on it and makes it into something unnatural and forced. That has become something that's been unavoidable and very disappointing."

-Leigh Nash, lead singer of Sixpence None the Richer, describing the clash of the creative and business sides of the music industry. (Source: Christianity Today, August 28, 2003)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:56 PM

September 16, 2003

Moby on the RIAA

"Record companies sueing 12-year-old girls for file-sharing is kind of like horse and buggy operators sueing Henry Ford."

-Moby (Source: Moby.com, September 10, 2003)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:10 AM

September 4, 2003

Jessica Simpson the Robot

"Well, [the label] told me to tell everybody, 'This is the new me -- I've never been so happy.' But really, I was completely miserable. I was apart from the love of my life, and I was a robot, trying to do everything that everybody was telling me to do, trying to please everybody."

-Jessica Simpson describing the image change she went through with the release of her Irresistible album, which flopped. With her new album, In This Skin, Simpson is back to her old self. (Source: CosmoGirl!, September 2003)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:22 AM

September 3, 2003

J.K. Rowling's Editor on Poverty

"Remember, you'll never make any money out of children's books, Jo. Keep your real job."

-Barry Cunningham, the editor who purchased Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, talking to J.K. Rowling. (Source: Biography, September 2003)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:58 AM