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Meet The Music Exec Taking Bands From The Fringes To The Grammys https://ift.tt/2IIt3aN Alternative music doesn't usually top the pop charts. But whether it's Phoenix, Mumford & Sons, Childish Gambino or CHVRCHES, Glassnote Records has been at the forefront of crossover smashes. That's why I was excited to talk with music business luminary and Glassnote President, Daniel Glass. After heading majors like Universal and EMI, Glass set out to create the "best indie label" according to Rolling Stone. He treated me like family as I walked into his New York office, telling stories about the old Brooklyn neighborhood and our favorite Laurel Canyon songwriters. Here's our chat: Danny Ross: You've had huge crossover hits with rock, bluegrass and electronic bands. How did you do it? Daniel Glass: It's not an accident. When we identify artists, we look them in the eye and say, “Are they ambitious?” Because we see them as moving to the middle eventually. We don't want to stay on the fringes, we want to be on the radio and on SNL and on stage at the Grammys. We’re planning ahead now for Jade Bird to go to the next level, so we look at the great ones like SZA, Khalid, Maren Morris, Ed Sheeran. We aspire to that, and believe we should be there. Ross: So what do you make of pop music in 2018? Glass: You know, I'm not looking that fondly on this era to be honest. Everyone is moving to either L.A. or Nashville as creative centers. But you're getting a factory or laboratory feeling in the music, rather than an organic one. The mission is — "let me get a hook, a bridge, a break, a beat and put it together." But it's not working. And it's not working for career development. People want to hear something behind the artists. I think it's been a bit bland, watered-down music. It’s a little impersonal to me. Ross: Who is doing it right? Glass: Adele seems to ingratiate herself into the writing process enough, so that I believe it's Adele talking about the the boyfriend or whatever. And I think The Weeknd is an artist that actually is in the room because it's very personal what he writes — even though there are huge songwriters and producers on those records. Ross: So what songs are you listening to right now? Glass: A song called "Breathless" by William Prince, a first-nation Indian from Canada, and it's just a pearl. It was produced by Dave Cobb — you listen to it once and you know immediately. "Miracle" by CHVRCHES has the most mass-appeal potential of any song they've put out. They worked with Steve Mac who co-wrote "Shape of You." Plus, I went to see Carousel last night, and those songs are just incredible. "When you walk through a storm/ Hold your head up high/ Don't be afraid of the dark/ You'll never walk alone." I haven't seen that in 30 years! Ross: In the Spotify age, should an artist make more records or play more shows? Glass: What attracts us to the artists here initially is the live show — their musicianship or vocals. But I think people in this era over-tour, and they don't make enough records. I still think that recorded music is one of the most underrated parts of our business. It's now getting respect in the last few months because of the Spotify listing. But we were looked upon for the last 15 years as a diminishing loss-leader. Ross: But aren't musicians losing money making records? Glass: Some people say, "We're not going to make money on the record, so let's just put it out as an ad for the tour.” I find that awful thinking. Because the bands that were playing 18,000-seaters and release a mediocre record eventually step down to 9,000-seaters, then 3,000-seaters. So you need to put more challenging music out. Ross: Are you optimistic about the streaming age? Glass: I'm very optimistic. Artists and managers are smarter than they've ever been. So if you cut unfair deals, people are going to leave you or sue you. When you have a fraction of a penny as your new standard of measurement, you have to change, and I think that's empowering for a new songwriter or artist. We're a very fair label. We basically believe that if we do well, we should split it. Ross: But is the playlist culture a good thing? Glass: There are gatekeepers everywhere — on the label side, publishing, distribution. Gatekeepers pervade our industry. So you've just got to work them right, connect well and you'll get in. (continued on Page 2) Business via Forbes - Entrepreneurs https://ift.tt/dTEDZf May 23, 2018 at 11:39AM
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