Wilco goes from label to indie

[Eric***]

I don't really think they were getting much publicity money from their current label anyway, were they? I have rarely seen much mention of them outside of Wilco circles recently. I would imagine the promotion/publicity is the primary area where they'd miss a big record label.

The whole thing with this as a model is that it still depends on bands going to a major label at some point, because otherwise they don't have the following to make it on their own. Unless you count just endless touring, but even that can't compare to the legions of fans you get from being a big name.

It is a little disheartening to me, because it seems like it's impossible for bands to do it the "right way" (i.e. without selling out and playing the role of cash cow for at least a while). But...so be it. At least there's music out there.

Speaking of Wilco, has anybody listened much to the Avett Brothers? I got them as a recommendation this past fall and listened once or twice, but didn't really spend much time with the albums. I figure Wilco enthusiasts might like them.

[R_of_G]

The whole thing with this as a model is that it still depends on bands going to a major label at some point, because otherwise they don't have the following to make it on their own. Unless you count just endless touring, but even that can't compare to the legions of fans you get from being a big name.

One could attempt to follow Phish's model of becoming a big name in large part because of the endless touring. Despite allowing a cadre of fans to record and freely distribute their shows, they've been extremely successful selling their own professional live recordings of their shows in both CD and digitial download forms. They seem to be putting out more DVDs of entire shows as well. Recently they got into pay-per-view for their NYE run and that did well too.

Their total fanbase might not be as large as some more mainstream acts, but they seem to have figured out how to keep as many things in-house as possible while working with a major for album releases. They did self-release their first two albums so they could go back to it if they chose. Trey has his own recording studio in the farmhouse. A damn nice one too.

I would speculate Wilco could pull off much the same thing. I'd imagine like Phish, a Wilco show is not the same every night. That alone generates interest amongst fans in wanting to hear more than the one official "live album" the general music fan will listen to of some band he likes.

[kidsmoke*]

Speaking of Wilco, has anybody listened much to the Avett Brothers? I got them as a recommendation this past fall and listened once or twice, but didn't really spend much time with the albums. I figure Wilco enthusiasts might like them.

big

And Wilco doesn't seem to rely on typical marketing, they're not a mainstream radio group. They encourage taping and sharing...(Tweedy's quote: "we're not into keeping people from hearing our music")

Avett Bros are a great Band, they've been at it a while as well. Emotionalism is a great album.

for the uninitiated.......a nice piece on Wilco. Tweedy's a regular guy.