Financial Successes

My two most recent bands, Napalmpom and Self-Cut Bangs, have existed as the increasingly rare “hobby bands that have never lost money on their releases.” While the former worked and toured hard to sell out of vinyl and CD pressings of 500+, playing hundreds of shows in the process, the latter was formed during the pandemic and has existed solely off of digital sales, project grants, occasional shows bookings and SOCAN and Sound Exchange royalties. Both projects have made money.

But let’s be clear. Both bands are five pieces, and the $250,000+ needed to make that a comfortable career for each member is nowhere near the ballpark of success we’re talking about here.

With due diligence in having everything lined up for a release, hard work in executing that plan, and a little luck, there are scenarios for both that represent viable side careers or at the very least, pay-for-themselves hobbies. In each section of this guide, I will be transparent about the financial realities of these bands and how to set yourself up for the same level of relative successes. Again, we’re talking “these releases help to fund tours and the next release so the band isn’t out of pocket, and occasionally allow for a little extra cash on top of that.”

Press/Radio Successes

To give a sense of what kinds of results a record can get without outside help from a manager, publicist, radio tracker or agent, and using the Trickle Down Music guide, here’s some selected highlights from Self-Cut Bangs’ latest release. I choose this one to highlight partly because it’s the latest release I’ve worked on, and partly because the band was formed in the pandemic and didn’t have the benefit of name recognition or an actual live band or touring momentum in the lead-up to the release. In other words, it wasn’t starting from an established position.

That said, having worked in the music industry in various roles in Canada for over 20 years, it did have the benefit of many prior relationships and networks, and it must be acknowledged that I benefit from a privileged position.

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Self-Cut Bangs – Album Highlights

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• Album broke even before release day
• Charted on National Earshot Charts for Campus & Community Radio for 10 weeks (#40, #40, #22, #6, #7, #15, #9, #9, #23, #27) – Monthly Top 200 Placements: #67 for November 2022, #12 for January 2023, #52 for February 2023
• Earshot Chart Breakdown: 23 weeks, 12 stations, 56 chart placements, highest placement #1 on CJAM). Stations charted on: CFBX, CFMU, CFOU, CFUV, CHLY, CHRW, CICK, CITR, CJAM, CJRU, CJSR, CJSW
• Radio Locations: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), USA (New Jersey, Massachussetts, Carolina), Japan, Brazil, UK, etc.
• 10/12 of the album’s songs played on National, campus & community radio
• Played on multiple shows on WFMU (Dance To The Radio, Shake Some Action, The Mike Rogers Show, etc.)
• Charted for 13 weeks on WLAS (Massachussetts)
• #1 debut for sales on Alberta New & Notable releases on Bandcamp
• Features & interviews from Range Magazine, CBC Homestretch, CBC Provincial Playlist, The Calgary Herald, The YYScene, The JFJ Conspiracy Podcast, The Raven, etc.
• Top 10 Best Calgary Releases of 2022 – The Calgary Herald
• Top 10 Best Local Releases of 2022 – The YYScene
• Album of the Week – Tinnitist
• Best Music Videos of 2022 – Cups N Cakes
• Pick Of The Week release – Cups N Cakes
• Festival showcases confirmed at Winterruption (Edmonton), Big Winter Classic (Calgary)
• + much more!

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Selected Highlights of Recent Discography

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