INTRODUCTION
by Keith McBride, President and Founder
"First and foremost, I am a music lover and a musician. I've been a contributing member of various local music scenes up and down the east coast (I've moved around a lot in the last 10 years), but I've never seen anything like Maine. Now, granted, I haven't been a Mainer very long, but my impressions of Maine have been confirmed over and over in my short time here. First, there are some incredible artists, songwriters and bands around. Go to any random open mic night you see, and you'll find so many "diamonds in the rough" that you'll wonder if there even IS a rough. Second, this community embraces its local music unlike any other state I've seen. Some may see it, others may not. Some may choose to criticize it, others may choose to seize the opportunities it presents.
"Roadside Manna Records was founded with these two ideas in mind: (A) that there is a great deal of talented singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, and bands lurking below the surface in Maine, and (B) that there is also a population of music lovers waiting to hear the music they make. Quite simply, the goal of Roadside Manna is to connect A to B.
"Most of these artists have the talent, the drive and the desire to grow their music, whether it be their hobby or career, but what's holding them back is the fact that it costs THOUSANDS of dollars to create a CD that does any justice to their talent. But without that, no one ever knows how good the music is, and the word never spreads, gigs don't materialize, and the vicious cycle spins and spins and spins . . .
"But what if there was someone willing to step forward and invest in local artists who showed extraordinary talent and drive? That's the role a record company takes if they truly love the music they promote. That's the role that Roadside Manna wants to play for artists and bands in Maine."
If you would like any additional information, I encourage you to get in contact with us without hesitation. Thanks for your interest in Roadside Manna Records,
K.M.
WHAT WE DO
(And, more importantly, what we DON'T do . . . )
Roadside Manna Records provides a helping hand by providing financial backing to artists who are trying to complete a demo, single, E.P., L.P., or live performance release. We can also help artists who have already completed and released music by providing them with additional avenues for distribution and sale: iTunes, cdbaby, Napster, Rhapsody, and local-friendly retail stores like Bull Moose and Newbury Comics.
Equally important is what we DON'T do. There are a lot of misconceptions about record companies, and musicians are rightfully cautious and suspicious of anyone sticking a contract under their nose. The music industry has earned this reputation after years and years of perfecting the art of screwing over hardworking musicians to line their own pockets. They've mastered the art of the recording contract, making it a guaranteed win-win situation for the company, and a no-win situation for the artist.
But it doesn't have to be that way. This is the most important thing that Roadside Manna does NOT do.
An artist who signs with Roadside Manna Records enters into a unique, symbiotic relationship that is mutually and equally beneficial. While most record deals guarantee that the record company will recoup ALL of its expenses before the artist sees one thin dime, our arrangement allows artists to begin putting proceeds directly into their pocket beginning with the very first album they sell.
We would tell you exactly how we do all this, but then we would have to kill you. And that's no fun for anyone.
Besides, there are a few other things that Roadside Manna does NOT do . . .
- First, Roadside Manna Records is not a recording studio. We are not engineers, producers or creative consultants. We do not make the music, the artists do.
- We are not a booking agency, nor are we a promotions/marketing firm. We look for hardworking local bands who LOVE being part of this local music scene. Part of being a hardworking local band is booking and playing regular shows. Another part of being a hardworking local musician is self-promotion. Roadside Manna takes a role in assisting with promoting our artists' records, but we do so at the direction and discretion of the artist.
- We are a small, local record company, and we prefer to focus on Maine and New England-based musicians/bands. If you're looking to book a U.S. or European Tour in the near future, you will be disappointed to find that we do not have the resources to support you.
We're always interested in meeting new artists and hearing their success stories, or their frustrations about being a musician. We look forward to speaking with you.
