COVET
BADFLOWER
Date Signed: October 2017 Label: Triple Crown Records Band Members: David Adamiak, Forrest Rice, Yvette Young Type of Music: Math-Rock/Post-Rock Management: Shawn Carrano - Headphone Management Booking: John Lashnits / APA Legal: Bryan Christner Publicity: Monica Seide-Evenson - Speakeasy PR Web: Facebook.com/CovetBand A&R: Fred Feldman
Date Signed: N/A Label: Big Machine Records / John Varvatos Records Type of Music: Rock Management: Jesse Beer - The MGMT Company Booking: Andrew Buck - APA Legal: Doug Mark Publicity: luke@bbgunpr.com, collin@bbgunpr.com Web: BadflowerMusic.com A&R: Julian Raymond
I
S
t’s the age-old struggle for an underground band trying to stay true to its DIY roots without going broke: How does it handle signing a deal with a record label? While the phrase “selling out” is virtually devoid of meaning now, musicians still must consider to what extent they want to relinquish control over managing themselves. Take, for example, the path that San Francisco post-rock band Covet took in the lead-up to signing with Triple Crown Records. The so-called “adventure rock” band weighed what mattered most to them with what they were willing to let go. “We wanted to be DIY for as long as possible, because we felt it was manageable and within our grasp,” bassist David Adamiak says. “We were excited that Triple Crown reached out initially, but we weren’t really fully intending on doing it until we saw the deal they offered. “They weren’t going to take any of our merch [profits] or our guarantees
“Album sales are less of a thing these days, so we were willing to sacrifice that.” from shows,” he continued. “So we were like, ‘Woo hoo! That’s sick.’ And album sales are less of a thing these days, with streaming music, so we were willing to sacrifice that.” While Covet had received offers from “a trickle” of other labels, Triple Crown stood out among the pack, according to Adamiak. Simply put, the band had admiration for the label’s roster, which includes some of Covet’s post-rock brethren. “I’d be lying to you if I said that being on a label with a band like Caspian or From Indian Lakes didn’t play into [our decision],” the bassist notes. “Those bands hold high esteem for us in the group, and we saw how well they’ve been doing since they’ve been on the label.” Covet landed the offer after their booking agent––who also handles Triple Crown bands––spread word to label honcho Fred Feldman, Adamiak says. A requisite phone call and lunch ensued, and Feldman allayed the band’s concerns about their remaining DIY despite the signing. Adamiak underscored that Covet, which is now touring through November with Polyphia, maintains its independence by regularly playing shows and creating their own merch. – Kurt Orzeck
outhern California rock quartet Badflower first graced the pages of Music Connection in 2014 when they scored a deal with the indie label Hundred Handed. Fast-forward four years later and the band has now signed with Big Machine Label Group and John Varvatos Records. In fact, Badflower is the first artist to sign to the label under the newly minted partnership between Big Machine Label Group president/CEO Scott Borchetta and fashion designer John Varvatos. The band has had an interesting relationship with Varvatos. While the band was still with an indie label and relatively unknown, Varvatos
“Don’t worry about which label has the most money, just find the passionate people” featured a Badflower song in one of h.is fashion shows during New York Fashion Week. “When we saw that happen we looked on up and discovered that he was starting his own record label,” says frontman Josh Katz about Varvatos’ other endeavors. Eventually Badflower showcased for him, got along really well and signed a deal with John Varvatos / Republic Records. When Varvatos left Republic, to merge with Big Machine Label Group, it became a no-brainer to come along for the ride. “It made sense. ‘Let’s go follow John’ because he’s been the champion for our band this whole time,” Katz says. The signing was entirely painless and has so far paid off for the band. The first single under the new label, “Ghost,” has claimed the #1 spot on the Active Rock Radio Mediabase Chart. The band is currently supporting The Wrecks on a US tour while also headlining several shows and appearing at numerous music festivals. Then in 2019, they'll be joining Nothing More’s The Truth Tour and will release an upcoming album. When asked what helped the band the most during the signing, Katz emphasized finding the perfect team. “Find the most passionate staff,” he says. “Don’t worry about which label has the most money, which label has the most credibility, just find passionate people because those are the people who are going to propel your career forward.” – Jacqueline Naranjo November 2018
musicconnection.com 27