MUSIC CAREERS » Blog Archive » Q&A with Francis Macdonald

Q&A with Francis Macdonald

Posted by Music Careers On October - 22 - 2007

If you’ve ever dreamed of doing it in the music business, chances are that Francis Macdonald has been there, done it and bought the t-shirt. Among the feathers in his musical cap are founding and single – handedly running the oh-so-critically acclaimed Glasgow label Shoeshine Records (keeping it afloat since 1996 – no mean feat for an indie label), writing and recording two solo albums under the moniker Nice Man, drumming for Teenage Fanclub, and playing with countless other bands (bet you have a CD in your collection with his name in the liner notes). Add to that busy schedule managing Camera Obscura and managing and co-producing The Attic Lights and you get some idea of from just how many different sides Francis has seen the music industry.

Here, he shares some pearls of wisdom, gleaned from his extensive experience.

Question: You are a solo artist, and you have been a member of several bands. What have your experiences as a musician taught you that you have applied to the way you run your label?

I am much more sympathetic to labels than I used to be! I played in BMX Bandits for years. Creation Records released three of our albums and a bunch of singles, gave us tour support – basically spent a whack of money giving us a shot. When I started Shoeshine one of the first things I did was thank Alan McGee for giving us a shot. He appreciated it and said “it’s easy to be the bad guy when you’re putting out records”.

I suppose being a musician and a music fan I wanted Shoeshine to champion music that I was passionated about and hopefully I was and am sympathetic to my artists. Performing in-stores can be a bit hit and miss, for example. I wouldn’t urge artists to do that when I know I wouldn’t be too keen to do it myself…

Q: How did you get your label off the ground? Looking back, what was the single best decision you made when setting up your business?

I was involved with a couple of bands and I had music ready to release, but in order to get some outside investment and funding I had to put together a business plan. I wrote and re-drafted for weeks and months and it really helped me order my thoughts and set some goals. The single best decision might have been to just do it rather than talk about it and let the dream fade away.

On a more specific, anecdotal level: the 4th single I released was a collaboration with Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub under the title Frank Blake. I got an email one day from someone who had heard it on the radio in the US. Rather than just say “cool”, I asked who played it where (it was Jeff Cobb at WFMU), got the name of the DJ, sent a package, another DJ (Michael Shelley) got it in touch. He sent me his album (”Half Empty – it’s WONDERFUL) we worked together, that led on to me working with the wonderful Laura Cantrell which led me on to working with Paul Burch, Jason Ringenbeg… I released Karine Polwart’s last album and I am sure the Laura Cantrell association helped there. And Karine led to the wonderful Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis with whom I am currently working. Lots of stuff has led on from that initial WFMU connection. I think it was a good decision to have followed up that initial ‘fan email’.

Q: Similarly, what is the single worst choice you made when getting the label going? What one thing would you tell other to never do?

Don’t throw good money after bad. Be realistic about your limitations. Avoid debt. Use other people’s money. When I started earning money with Teenage Fanclub (having recorded some tracks on their debut album I ‘rejoined’ them about 6 years ago) I put it all into the label. If the label could not stand alone, I should have re-thought how it was operating. Don’t let your heart rule your head. Running a record label all on your own is an easy way to lose money.

Q: At a small label, keeping an eye on the budget is always important. When you are promoting a new release, how do you prioritize your promotional budget? If you could only spend money on one thing – say, a radio promotion company, a print media promotion company or advertising, what would you choose? Why?

It depends on the project. As a rule radio sells records more effectively than press. But a band whom by their nature are not going to get a lot of radio exposure – because they’re too subtle, too ‘out there’ or whatever – probably don’t justify the expense of a radio plugger. I would suggest the label services the specialist radio on its own if it can and meanwhile spend money on press. Retail promo needs to work in conjunction with other areas – even if a release is racked out in-store and heavily discounted, that stock is going to come back to you in a month or so if buyers don’t have a good reason to buy it (i.e. haven’t seen the band play, haven’t red about it or heard it or whatever.) If you have an artist with a significant sales history, you can project likely sales and work back, formulating a budget of what is sensible to spend and then breaking that down into specific areas: national and regional press and radio… student/club… on-line… retail… posters/adverts… tour support (yuk!)… etc.

Q: How important do you think it is for bands to promote themselves on the internet? Do you think things like MySpace can take the place of more traditional promotion routes?

The internet has changed so many things. Digital distribution and file-swapping… podcast… MySpace, etc. The importance of the internet is pretty overwhelming. When I started working with Camera Obscura (as a manager) they had neglected their website and they didn’t have a MySpace. I think taking care of both of those web presences has really allowed them to have an important connection with their fans. The MySpace page has had a huge number of plays. MySpace is a great shop window for bands – but traditional press/radio support, gigging, etc. the MySpace should support and complement that activity. I don’t think it is enough to upload your new demos and sit back and wait for the world to come and discover you and make you a star.

Q: What should a small label look for in an artist? Are there any financial arrangements small labels should avoid making with artists – and of course, if so, what are they?

Spend as little as you can acquiring the music and as much as you can promoting the music. If I tell an artist I have £1000 – would they prefer I gave it to them instead of promoting their album, the sensible artist should say, “spend it on the promo”. It is hard enough for small labels – work with artists you like, with whom their is a mutual respect, and who appreciate the time and effort you are putting in to trying to get their music known. Or get ready to embrace heartache.

Q: How important are contracts for a small label?

Very. They can be as basic as a few lines on a page but it’s a point of reference so everyone knows where the stand, eg who owns the record and for how long? Are we talking about a licensing arrangement or a recording deal? Geoff Travis told me his first agreement with The Smiths was just a couple of bits of A4 paper but it was a legally binding document.

Q: What are your favorite releases on Shoeshine? Of which releases are you most proud?

I released “Roll On John” by Greenwich Village bluegrass/folk artist John Herald and that was a labour of love.

Alex Chilton turned me on to his music. A great, great character – now sadly missed by a lot of people. That was his first album in 16 years. Michael Shelley “Half Empty” is a great guitar/pop rock album. Songs like Rollecoaster and Think With Your Heart make me green with envy. Laura Cantrell “Not The Tremblin’ Kind” was a very important record. It was quite a breakthrough for me and the most successful thing I’d done at that point. Laura singing her own song “Queen Of The Coast” made me weep. And her take on Amy Allison’s “The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter” is jaw dropping. The Beauty Shop are a great band too. John Hoeffleur is a special talent. Check out the song “Paper Hearts For Josie” if you don’t believe me. Amy Rigby “Don’t Ever Change” is an amazing song too.

Q: What led you to get involved in management?

I licensed The Beauty Shop on to another label but wanted to keep working with them so I offered to manage. I guess I had already done some of the stuff over and above what a label does so it wasn’t exactly strange new territory. And if a manager has had some experience as a songwriter/musician/label, that’s got to be a good thing: they know what to expect – and what they should not expect – of the people with whom they have to interact. I hooked up with Camera Obscura at a good time. They had been around for a while and never had a manager and yet they were getting ready to make a wonderful album with producer Jari Haapalainen so I was able to help get them organized and plan a strategy from there.

Q: What is a day in the life of a music manager like? What aspects of your bands’ careers do you look after?

A typical day might depend on whether they are on tour or not or whether there is a release campaign looming or whatever. Camera Obscura are quite unusual in that they do not have a UK label so there is more slack for me to take up there. In general I suppose I field enquiries, I check in with agents, promo people, distributors, etc. I pester the band to update their site and MySpace. I try to keep the band and everyone involved with them in the loop so any developments – good reviews, new shows, etc – all help to add to the story and make ‘the team’ feel a sense of progress. I try and be proactive and think up ways to move things forward.

Q: What should other aspiring managers look for in a band? What important contractual issues should a manager look out for, or what red flags should they be wary about when considering getting involved with managing an artist.

Look for a band that you are passionate about or in whom you can see real value. And make sure they understand your role and why you get paid. Try not to spend your own money – especially when there is nothing in sight for you to commission on. Being a manager can be quite thankless. More like a goalkeeper than a goalscorer. So play with a team that knows what you are worth. And get a management contract that states clearly for all to see what you should do and how you should be paid for that work. Handshake agreements can be quickly forgotten when money enters the equation.

Q: What bands are working with now? Are you interested in adding even more bands?

I am managing and co-producing a band from Glasgow called Attic Lights. Melodies, harmonies, guitars and beards. It’s been fun making a new album with them (I don’t get to produce very often) and some big labels are sniffing around. I think I am about to get a whole lot busier.

Q: What other projects are you working on at the moment?