Hey all, Grey Here.
Vanessa's enthusiasm about our work is beautiful to
read, and it's a rare thing in the world today to come
across something that has grown out of the ground the
way our funky little music has, and to become a part
of it with such affection is a gift, indeed.
During most of my waking hours these days, I proofread
commercials for a major Video Archiving company, that
serves most of the big advertisers in the country, and
as such, it's safe to say that about 95% of the
television I watch these days are commercials.
About four months ago, I had the unexpected pleasure of proofing about five or six commercials for a Gap
campaign, and I was surprised at how hip and good the music was. Calling an agent friend of mine in Los
Angeles, I discovered that the Gap was working with Independant Label bands and artists for their current
crop of commercials.
In the current climate that we live in, Radio has been more or less co-opted by two major media conglomerates, Clear Channel Entertainment, and Infinity Broadcasting. This has created an unprecedented period of creative banality and stagnation as far as mainstream radio goes, and with MTV playing less video daily (M2 is going that way as well), the avenues for an artist to be heard in America grow more and more limited. Satellite Radio, initiially touted as an antidote to this, has recently had it's major distributors bought by Infinity, so
there you go.
Along with the Internet, TV and advertising stand as some of the last venues for artists to be heard (and well-paid) by the greater American populace. Michal the Girl and the Moldy Peaches have both attempted to
shop their material to Buick and Pizza Hut, respectively, both with no damage to their creative reputations, I can safely say.
These days, for the professional, the question has shifted from "Sell or No Sell", to "Who am I Comfortable Selling To?" If the answer is "Nobody", then more power to you. Your principles are yours to live by, and living with your family in a trailer in Needles can be fun. Although I probably would shy from corporate sponsorship of live shows (I have bad memories of Pepsi-sponsored raves in Cali.), I would have no problem using my music to support products I myself use and believe in, like say, the MOMA or Turkey Bacon.
For many, the times have introduced enormous financial challenges, and although greed is a terrible composer,
I do believe that along with love, and loss, sometimes the best inspiration is to write for pay.
Let's call our agents and do sushi.
G.
