|| The Sound Faction (dot com) ||

Here's the thing: with more and more band "RIP's" going up all over the internet it's disheartening and a real bummer to sit helpless and see your favourite bands get dragged under in the always volatile and ever-changing music scene. I know that I've felt the helplessness settle in on me as I log onto MySpace and see that several of my favourite bands have tossed in the towel after years of struggling. I know what you're thinking: "Psh. Quitters..." but it's a rough business out there and it's becoming harder and harder to get heard.

So rather than sitting back and doing nothing we did our part by starting this website! Perhaps it's not NME or Kerrang just yet, but if one person a day comes to this site and discovers a new band, hears something new that they love: it's mission accomplished! Now, not everyone has the means to start a website, and that's where Jackie and Michelle come in!

Jackie and Michelle have started a myspace site called Support The Scene! It's just starting out now, but with your help and passion for this industry, I have no doubt that it'll boom into something phenomenal! Their mission is to give fans and bands awesome new creative ideas for promotion! They'll even walk you through it in their blog! Not only do they talk the talk, but they get up and walk it too! When we were friended on MySpace by these girls, I checked over their site and couldn't help the huge grin that crossed my face. The music industry is my passion, I do everything I have in my power to support bands and artists, and to see two girls with similar passion and the same mission has kept the smile on my face all day!

I’m a huge loser and I read a bunch of band member’s blogs religiously. I was skimming through a post made by Vinnie (the drummer for a band called Less Than Jake) and he mentioned something about loading up a USB with a bunch of songs and hiding it somewhere in the city, waiting for someone to find it. That inspired our CD sampler project. We contacted a lot of bands to participate in the project and they were completely stoked on it. From there, the idea just grew and grew and I asked myself “why should I stop here when I can do so much more?” The next logical step was Support the Scene.
Jackie: Support The Scene

The first promotional "how to" Project Idea that the girls have posted are "CD Samplers"

Check Out Jackie and Michelle's Step By Step Blog Post

Step 1: Deciding on a band and getting permission
Picking the right band to promote is a very important step. Take into consideration how much you love their music (because you need to be prepared to invest a little time in this project) and how popular they are/what label they are on. (There's no sense in promoting a band like Fall Out Boy in this way since they are already very well known.) Once you have decided on a band, it's time to get permission to distribute one of their songs. Most bands can be reached via myspace or on their respective websites. Shoot them an e-mail, don't be shy.
-Excerpt: Support The Scene Blog

Remember that it is VERY important to get permission before distributing any copywritten material. Now: we know more than anyone how intimidating it can be to e-mail your favourite band with a proposition like this, so in the spirit of helping, I've prepared a proposition letter that you should feel free to use and edit to fit your needs. Here is my sample letter to my favourite band Suburban Legends:

Hey!

My name is Caity, I'm a huge fan of your band, your music always makes me smile and dance! I found a group on MySpace called Support The Scene (myspace.com/wesupportthescene) which is basically a call to action for fans to step up to the plate and promote their favourite bands. Suburban Legends immediately came to mind when I thought of their first project idea: handing out CD samplers!

Basically I'm writing to you to ask permission to distribute your song "Let's Be Friends" for free on home-made sample CD's to be passed out in concert lines, festival shows, et cetera. The Sample CD would include only the one track along with a thank-you note and information to hear more of your amazing music (ie: Your website address and myspace page). I understand that I should not distribute copyrighted material, which is why I am writing to ask permission before proceeding.

I can be contacted via MySpace (myspace.com/thesoundfaction) or my E-mail address at soundfaction@gmail.com

Thanks for your time, I hope to hear from you!

- Caity

A few tips to getting responses:
-Be polite and courteous
-Watch out for spelling errors, cut back on Net Speak
-Don't expect an immediate response
-Check the profile: sometimes an alternate contact is given
-Be prepared to hear "no". It happens, sometimes as much as a band would like to they can't legally allow you to distribute material. It doesn't mean they don't care, or that you should give up: try with another band!

The scene is ever-changing, and it's hard to keep up with it sometime, but I whole-heartedly believe that by getting involved and helping out whenever you can (even if it's by handing out fliers for a show) we can keep the scene alive, well, and even flourishing with amazing bands who really deserve the chance!

Can’t truthfully say I know much about the Toronto/GTA scene at this point (the only Toronto band I regularly listen to is Birds of Wales hah), but in general, when it stopped being all about the music. People now seem to be more concerned with the latest fashion trend associated with a genre. That and the fact that more and more bands are coming out with music that means nothing, but are becoming popular for jumping on the wagon. Bands that are good, bands that mean something, those bands are being pushed to the back burner. It's upsetting, really.
-Michelle: Support The Scene

Click Here to go to Support The Scene's MySpace page!