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Re: The future of OtR

That's an interesting question. I think it's probably different for every
artist. I have some friends who are in a band who recently, in the last
year, signed on as a national touring act with Pamplin Records.  It sorta
goes like this: They started out real grassroots like, releasing 3 EP's over
a few year period, writing music and playing shows constantly. They fought
off label offers for quite a while because that's when there is some major
decision making. It stops becoming a grasroots effort and starts to be more
serious and business like.

There are several stages in the life of a band when you question the motives
behind the music and the direciton you want to take it. It can go from just
making your own music to taking it to the public. Then there's how much and
how far away you want to do those shows and performances and balancing that
with the time and money factors of playing long distance shows. Then there
are recordings and the costs of doing that and the risk of not being able to
recoup the expenses for that project. That's a pretty big commitment right
there, especially if you don't have the capital to spare. At some point the
band i'm referring to decided that this is what they wanted to do for a
living, and went from balancing crappy jobs and a fun band, to taking the
risk of going full time with the band and doing that for a living. And that
means living pretty poorly, touring alot and trying to sell your music. And
knowing that those songs that you wrote and love dearly, now have to feed
and clothe you, puts the whole situation in a different perspective. And
honestly, i don't think fame was ever a factor for them. They were at a
point where both the band and the label were confident enough in the music,
the image, the performance, the whole package that they could take it to the
next step. They're giving them wide distribution, advertising, booking
services, promotion, anf fronted them money for a full length. They're doing
great. But there is always pressure to write something that the masses will
cling to, a song that will break onto radio. Luckily, 3 of the 5 of them
write songs. I really feel bad for someone like Sarah McLachlan, who had a 5
record contract and had to commit to writing alot of music. She had a *hard*
time writing music, and she admitted that the first 2 albums we're mostly
pretty words set to music and not really what she wanted out of them because
she really hadn't experienced the world hardly. It wasn't until "Fumbling.."
that she became really introspective about her writing and really genuine
songs came out. Even after that, she really didn't many more songs than the
ones that she has recorded, and she struggled really hard to that. Then
there's Billy Corgan, like him or not, writes an average of 35 songs a
month. go figure.

So again, it's different for every band, and i hope that OtR made a decision
that they are comfortabe with, they certainly have no problems writing great
music. I think being in a band is kind of like prolonging mortality, in a
way.


--Chris



----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Brown" <brown730 at hotmail_com>
To: <Over-the-Rhine at actwin_com>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2000 2:56 PM
Subject: The future of OtR


> Alright,
> I've been pondering this for some months and it has finally nagged me
enough
> to drive me out of my lurk-hole and onto your screen.
> I was wondering what the general consensus is on what the list (or the
band
> for that matter) would like to see happen to Over the Rhine in terms of,
and
> I hesitate in using this term, popularity?
> I can develop a case for either side.
> While it does get annoying talking about OtR to people who have never
heard
> of them, that may be what makes them so appealing. It's like we have this
> beautiful little secret. I enjoy sharing this secret with others but I
> wonder what would happen if this secret was suddenly in the limelight.
> They deserve to be recognized for the beauty that they produce in this
> world.
> But what do THEY want? They signed with Virgin, does that  not imply that
> they wouldn't mind fame so much? Keep in mind I am in no way accusing them
> of selling out. They signed on their terms, or so goes the rumor.
> Anyway, waddya think?
> Love Ya,
> Rob
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