WHAT DO LABELS LOOK FOR IN AN ARTIST BIOGRAPHY? The Music Commission polled a selection of industry figures to get some tips on what should be included in an artist bio. As you will see from the feedback received there is no right or wrong way to create a bio as each label you send it to will be looking for different things. Read on for some very helpful tips and pointers on what should and shouldn’t be included in your bio. JARED ABBOT – BREAKIN WRECKWORDZ Artists: Alphabethead, Cyphanetik, Tourettes, Louie Knuxx, Jay Roacher. “Show your personality in your bio. If your lyrics have a tongue and cheek style about them, then try and show that same charm in your bio. If your lyrics are political, show you have a passion for politics. A bio is an opportunity to give further insight into your identity. Also if you have already successfully started building your fan base, include this information in the bio. Don't go into great detail of everything you've done but point me in the right direction so if I read your bio I can jump online and see that you may have obtained popularity in certain crowds or played events that will open you to specific markets.“ ANGELO MUNRO – DEADBOY RECORDS Artists: In Dread Response, Saving Grace, Bad Bride, The Dauntless. “I think the best thing a band can do as a guideline for an artist bio, is state what they have done on the live circuit. Labels like to know that the artists are out there on the road, getting amongst it and playing to people on a regular basis. It also helps to always attach a demo of some kind, as we may have not even heard your music, and if it is awesome, then that’s the best step moving forward. I think the worst thing a band can do in an artist bio is compare themselves to a million other bands! No one is going to want to sign a band that self promotes that they are New Zealand’s closest answer to ‘such and such’. INGRID ROUND – DIRTY RECORDS Artists: P-Money, Open Souls, David Dallas, PNC, Bulletproof, Tokyo Street Gang, Tiki Taane, Cern, State Of Mind, Concord Dawn. “Keep it short and concise, with relevant information about your achievements in music to date. Avoid long flowery sentiments! Make sure its well formatted with everything spelt correctly. A photo is also a good idea so the label can see how you present yourself.” DEAN CAMERON – ELEVENFIFTYSEVEN RECORDS Artists: Kitsch, Bleeders, Cobra Khan, Missing Teeth, DSM, Los Muertos, Balance, Antagonist AD. “Remember it's not a novel. Keep it short, descriptive, factual, and overall ensure you hold the reader's interest (humour helps). Personally there is no need to go into excessive detail about each band you have supported, what radio & television station you have featured on, After all if you are that good I’m sure everybody will know about it. A few key quotes from respected reviewers and media wouldn’t go amiss.” SAMUEL WALSH – MOLE MUSIC Artists: Sharpie Crows, This Night Creeps, The Body Lyre, Mild America, Rifles. “I think bios should be as short as the readers attention span, so don't waffle. Just be honest and to the point. If you believe in what you are doing you shouldn't need to justify it at great lengths, as your music should speak for itself. But, definitely focus on the presentation of the bio/press kit, as it's a reflection of your band and an indication of your professionalism/work ethic. If you send out a generic, poorly worded, poorly printed, personality lacking press kit then the reader may assume that you're lazy and they won't want to listen to your CD. One pagers retaining an air of mystery and a brief indication of what you are looking for, (in regards to label support) seem like good starting points but do what's natural.” NIGEL BRADDOCK – MONKEY RECORDS Artists: An Emerald City, Karen Hunter, Renee Louise- Carafice, The Hot Grits, Tim Guy. “For me the main thing is of course the music, so it's real important is to include a link to your Myspace or Bandcamp, Reverbnation, etc. It doesn't have to be up to release standard so a demo recording will do. If you haven't got round to recording anything yet, then we're probably not really interested. If you've got any live footage up on Youtube that can help give us an idea. I am currently based in Berlin most of the year but if you have any live shows coming up in Auckland, let me know and I can send somebody along to check them out. If you haven't played live yet, then maybe you are contacting a label a little prematurely and should get out there and build an audience first. A short bio is also helpful to get an idea of who you are and where you're at as an artist so it's good to also hear about your influences, where you've played/toured and what you're currently working on. Be concise, I don't really need to know your life story and hear about talent quests you won at primary school. Some knowledge of Monkey Records is good as well. If you're a heavy metal band or rapper, then you don't really fit in with our roster and probably haven't done your research. If you can reference a couple of our other releases by saying ‘I think I fit in somewhere between .... and .... ‘then that always helps. Make sure you personalise your email. If it's a generic email and you've obviously sent out to a whole bunch of labels then don't expect a reply. 3 final tips: Keep it real - don't tell me you're the new Lady Gaga or bigger than Elvis. Follow up and feel free to contact us again after the first email. I usually try and answer every request we get but sometimes I just don't have time. Persevere - if you don't have any luck this time, keep writing songs and performing as much as you can. If you're any good sooner or later someone will take notice. AARON CHRISTIE – MOVE THE CROWD Artists: Young Sid, Tyree, Juce, Ethical, Smashproof, Kidz In Space. “A bio should detail who you are, where you’re from, and what you’re about, so that it can be considered alongside listening to your music. It should help paint a picture of who you are as an artist. Online demo/pitches suit us best – then you can get the music, pictures and bio information all in one. Myspace is probably still the best place for this.” BENJI JACKSON – MUZAII RECORDS Artists: Bandicoot, Cat Venom, God Bows to Math, Kittyhawk, Roy Irwin, Fatangryman, Kitsunegari. “I think it's important just to be honest about your band; what you sound like, how long you've been going for and what you've accomplished so far. It doesn't even have to be that you've played a major festival or have had music on television adverts either - if you played a really raucous show at your local dive, that's awesome! It means people are coming to see you play and are enjoying your music. Be clear with the information also - an artist bio to a record label is almost like a resume of sorts. Sometimes a label won't want to read fifteen pages chronicling the life story of your band like an episode of "Behind The Music." When the time comes that you meet with a label, you'll have plenty of time to divulge a bit more.” JAN HELLRIEGEL – NATIVE TONGUE PUBLISHING Artists: Ariana Tikao, Barnaby Weir, Bachelorette, Bang Bang Eche, Cut Off Your Hands, Dave Dobbyn, Dukes, Fur Patrol, Karl Steven, Kirsten Morrell, Minuit, Pitch Black, Sola Rosa, The Veils. “Your calling card to a publisher is your songs. We will be able to find out all about you online or on social media networks if need be - so what I would recommend is that you get your online information and bio up to date, concentrate on the craft of producing great music, and perform as much as you can. SCOTT MACHLACHLAN – UNIVERSAL MUSIC NZ Artists: Gin Wigmore, Naked & Famous, Crowded House, SJD. “Make it interesting. Tell me about your ambitions, your vision, your influences, where your music fits, and who your peers are. It’s always good to create context. Be poetic, and use spell-check, if you’re not confident with your spelling. Tell me your immediate plans, gigs, and writing trips. Try and outline your mission in one sentence and put that sentence at the top of the bio. Be confident in yourself, it’ll come across in the bio. Accompany the bio with a demo of 2 songs at the most. Don’t tell me where you were born, what school you went to and who your first girl/boyfriend was. Don’t write this like an exam, as I don’t want to be reading something that’s boring. Don’t put candy or glitter in the envelope, and definitely don’t kiss it with your new latest favourite lipstick and smother it with perfume. Don’t beg, be cocky, or lie!” .