www.LipstickBlondeBand.com

IC: Tell us about your background, and why you moved to Nashville.

Dan: I was singing jingles in Manhattan. My wife had just given birth to our daughter. Taking the train from where we lived in CT into NYC and back was pretty tiresome. I was leaving at 7am, and getting back home at 11pm. Not a great lifestyle for a new dad. I had a friend who was writing here in Nashville. I always knew that the best songwriters on the planet grew like weeds in Nashville, so I took an exploratory trip down to Music City to see if it would be a fit for our family. Needless to say, I loved the whole vibe of this town and immediately set out to relocate.

IC: Tell us about the band.

Dan: Our band is made up of touring and session guys from here in Nashville. The various members have either performed or recorded with such notables as, Gretchen Wilson, Felix Cavelier, Journey, Charlie Daniels, and more. Lipstick Blonde was put together as a “cover band”, targeting the Private Event and Wedding Markets. We also play a few nightclubs to keep the band fresh – and those venues are a great place for perspective clients to come see us interact with the audience. We play a wide variety of tunes, but I guess we’re really known for being a really good “sound-a-like” band and the big production and heavy harmony stuff ie: Journey, Boston, AC/DC, Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard. Several of the members have done extensive work in the Karaoke industry – providing music and voices for the tracks downloaded for use in nightclubs and such. I think this is why we pay close attention to detail when learning parts and vocal phrasings and tonality. We’ve even invested in our own personal vocal effects devices, and spend time programming them to the exact effects used by the artist we’re covering. These are all things that I feel separates us from other cover bands.

Here’s the actual lineup:

Dan Tracey – Guitar/Vocals: Live Performances with Chet Atkins, Bob Welch, Skunk Baxter and members of STAIND; LIVE TV appearance with Chet Atkins; Songs placed in major motion pictures and prime time TV shows such as Material Girls, Bold & the Beautiful, Young & The Restless, Plain Jane; Numerous sessions as BG singer/ guitar / keys; Opened for Pearl Jam, and U2 Aloha Stadium – Vertigo Tour

Michael Dearing – Bass/Vocals: Gretchen Wilson (also appeared in several videos), Rockie Lynne, Justin McBride, Ricky Van Shelton, Stacey Michardt, Felix Cavalier; Numerous sessions as BG singer.

Tom Hirschmann – Keyboards: Played all instruments on over 200 placements in hit movies & TV shows including Scary Movie 4, The Forgotten, Bolt, CSI, The Olympics, Grand Theft Auto (Hit Video Game), NEW hit movie, “The Kids Are Alright”.

Jim Handley – Drums: Live performances with legendary rock band “JOURNEY”; numerous TV commercials; performed with: Teachers Pet, Funk If I Know, Your Little Dog Too (Toto Tribute).

Sheryl Hammond – Vocals: TV placements in NEW Hit Reality Show, “Plain Jane”; winner – Best Country Song – 92.5 Radio – CT; Fronted two successful top 40 bands for two decades.

You have to be diverse today. We go from screaming out, “Highway to Hell” to contemporary artists like Katy Perry, and Lady GaGa. Then there are the Motown hits, Classic 80’s, and Wedding Standards. It’s all about entertaining the audience and keeping them dancing! We always make it a party, and keep the crowd involved.

IC: How did you land players of that caliber?

Dan: I basically called on friends that I had performed and/or done sessions with. I kept a mental note on who would be a good fit musically, and whose personalities would work well together. The music we cover is very challenging vocally, so I wanted to make sure I had all the bases covered there too. As far as keeping touring pros committed to a “cover band”… You have to have a great band – so that it’s musically satisfying for everyone involved. You need to keep them working, and pay them well. And it’s got to be FUN! We take our job seriously and always try to be professional, but there’s no place for unnecessary drama or divas in this bunch. We laugh at ourselves a whole lot.

IC: We’ve often heard that it’s not wise to have a personal relationship with someone in the band because of the strain it can put on the band or on the relationship. Yet, you’ve been able to make this work for many years now. Tell us how you’ve been able to effectively separate business and pleasure.

Dan: My wife and I have been playing together successfully for over twenty years. I’m sure when some band members first heard that the female singer is my wife, they were probably afraid of a drama situation. Once they see how well we work together, it’s not an issue anymore. Ya know… I don’t know why it works… It just works for us. We really don’t argue. We keep it business, and we’ve been lucky enough to always have a similar vision and focus. Again, we want to be great musicians and performers, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. You can’t. It’s not brain surgery, it’s music. And music is supposed to make folks smile and have fun. All that being said, I have found myself in other playing situations with husbands/wives and boyfriends/girlfriends in the same band, and it’s not so much fun. I guess we’re lucky.

IC: Nashville is a city built on songwriters and original songs. What made you choose to forego that and play cover tunes?

Dan: Well, we’ve been lucky enough to have some success in the writing arena with song placements in film and TV. A few of us have had song placements in over 200 Major Motion Pictures and Prime Time TV shows like, Bolt, CSI, Plain Jane, The Forgotten, Scary Movie Four, and even a hit video game you may have heard of called Grand Theft Auto. And we’re still very active writing and pitching original songs too. We just like to keep it separate. Lipstick Blonde was put together as a Private Event band, and that’s what we focus on. …Entertaining the client with a great selection of songs, done right.

IC: Do you ever get tired of playing cover tunes and just wish you could play all originals??

Dan: Lipstick blonde is something that we do as a supplement to our income – which is primarily touring, session work, and song placements. There are nights when I’m singing my heart out, but I’m thinking about how I have to clean out my gutters at home. Sometimes, I’m just on “auto pilot”. I’ve even heard that Sir Elton John is a bit tired of singing “Tiny Dancer”, and drifts off during his shows. We’re human. However, 99.9% of the time, I’m in the moment and having a blast. Luckily, the guys (and girl) always keep me laughing. And the audience is keeping the energy level high.

IC: What kinds of venues does the band perform in?

Dan: Private Event Centers, High End Nightclubs, and Casinos. These types of venues not only pay well, but usually treat you well too. After we give a four hour high energy show, it’s nice to come back to our clean rooms that the venue provides and not smell like an ashtray.

IC: What is your secret to keeping the band booked?

Dan: No secret. It’s persistence, professionalism, relationships, and delivering a great product. There is no better advertising than word of mouth. Strive for excellence, and that’s what will get you the great gigs! People will talk.

We started by booking as many club dates as possible to get the band tight. Rehearsals are only for endings; live shows are what REALLY get a band sounding tight! From there, we sought out wedding planners, agents, and Private Event websites for advertising purposes. We ASKED  them to book us! We continue to mix up our performance dates between, clubs, casinos, and private events. You have to stay working! Not only to keep the band moral high, but also to keep sounding fresh.

IC: Has the band recorded any music of its own?

Dan: Not as a band, but we do sometimes make guest appearances on each others projects.

IC: What is next for the band?

Dan: We’ve been branching out into other states and venues, and expanding our song list. We’d really like to develop our own merchandise …T-shirts, hats, etc. This would be another revenue source for us, and a great way to advertise. We’re also making more inroads with event and wedding planners.

IC: What did you see in Indie Connect that made you want to be involved?

Dan: Great info! Fresh ideas from other artists.  I’ve also learned a lot from some of the guest speakers as well.

Click to read the latest issue of Indie Connect magazine

Whenever I coach an artist, I always start by having him or her define why they play music, what they want to ultimately accomplish, what success looks like to them, what makes them special and what challenges they see ahead. In general business, the answers to these come from the three practical planning and analytical tools. I have defined them below and illustrated how they can benefit you as an artist. I firmly believe that you will springboard your career to new heights if you just stop what you are doing and put these tools to work for you.

Mission Statement – Your mission statement reflects your loftiest, intangible, immeasurable and virtually unattainable goal. It often focuses on the impact that you want to have on others or the planet. For example, Indie Connect’s mission statement is ‘To unite and educate everyone in the independent music industry.worldwide.’ Obviously that is literally impossible. But it is what we strive towards day in and day out. We often say that there are countless tremendously talented independent artists out there who will go totally unnoticed if we don’t make Indie Connect work’.  We don’t say that to be egoistical. It is simply an honest way of reinforcing exactly why we fight through the daily struggles to make the business work.

As an indie artist, you need to have the same kind of motivator. Your vision statement might be ‘to reach people worldwide with a message of hope through my music,’ or ‘to teach all young people to reach for their dreams.’ Whatever it is, it is your north star. Every decision you make should be based on whether or not it will get you closer to the realization of your mission. It is the reason that drives you and keeps you going even when business is slow, or you haven’t gotten the right ‘break’, or publishers keep turning your songs down. You are on a mission, and you won’t let anyone or anything stop you!

Vision Statement – Your vision statement reflects what striving to achieve your vision physically looks like. While your vision statement is immeasurable, you mission statement is very measurable. You might see yourself with hit songs on the radio worldwide and playing concerts to 10,000+ people. But it might also be to make your living solely from your musical talents, or to have one of your sons covered by another artist. Again, every decision you make should be based on whether or not it is in line with attaining your vision.

SWOT Analysis – SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The object is to make a list of all of the things that fit into each of these categories as they pertain to your career. Then you determine exactly how you are going to capitalize on your strengths, overcome each weakness, take advantage of every opportunity, and eliminate or lessen each threat. Here’s how it works:

Strength:   Wide vocal range    

How I will capitalize on it:

• Write or find songs that allow me to show off my range

Strength:  Considered good looking

How I will capitalize on it:

• Use photo(s) of myself as CD cover
• Place photos prominently on my website
• Seek PR opportunities where my picture will be taken and shared
• Seek modeling and acting jobs

 Strength: Great at building a fan base on Facebook       

How I will capitalize on it:

• Dedicate 1 hr./day to building the fan base on Facebook
• Teach other band members how to do the same thing.

 Weakness: Not strong at accompanying myself 

How I will overcome it:

• Take guitar and piano lessons

Weakness:  Don’t know what to say between songs

How I will overcome it:

• Take acting, improvisation and or comedy classes
• Hire a live performance coach

Weakness: My voice gets tired if I sing for more than 2 hrs.

How I will overcome it:

• Take voice lessons
• See a doctor to check for nodes or other physical challenges

Opportunity:`My co-worker knows a DJ at the radio station

How I will take advantage of it:

• Put together a professional one-sheet and CD
• Ask my co-worker introduce me to the DJ so I can give it to him.

Opportunity:   Playing a very large show later this month

How I will take advantage of it:

• Order more CDs and t-shirts to sell
• Invite other club owners to see us perform
• Have friends collect fan email addresses at the show
• Have a friend man the merch table until we get there after the show

Opportunity:  Will be attending a major music conference

How I will take advantage of it:

• Have business cards and one-sheets made
• Put together a sample live CD to hand out to agents
• Compile a sample CD of original songs I want to get cut or licensed

Threat:  Not making enough income

How I will eliminate or minimize it:

• Look into getting investors
• Launch a fan-funding campaign for the next CD
• Find a booking agent who can move us into better-paying gig

Threat:  Having challenges with asthma

How I will eliminate or minimize it:

• Find out if there is anything that can be done medically to help
• Hire a vocal coach and learn how to sing through challenges

Threat:  My day job might close down

How I will eliminate or minimize it:

• Pursue booking higher-paying gigs to make up for some of the loss
• Look into licensing some of my songs to generate more income
• Start teaching guitar to generate extra income
• Talk to the band about moving from part-time to full time
• Start looking for a position in a full-time band

As you can see, using these 3 simple tools helps you accomplish 5 major steps towards your success:

1. You obtain clarity in your vision, with a well-defined purpose for working through the daily struggles
2. Have a compass to follow – all roads lead to achieving your mission and vision.
3. You see which areas of the business you are strongest in, which helps you define your image
4. You identify all of the good things that are happening and are on the horizon. This keeps you optimistic.
5. You see where the challenges to your success are, and you become proactive in eliminating each and every one of them.

Most importantly, having these written out puts you miles ahead of the countless artists who are floundering aimlessly and eventually beaten by this sometimes not-so-friendly industry!

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For us “creative types”, there are more ways than ever before to share, give away, and/or sell what we do. In a universe of seemingly infinite choices, what separates the Great from the Good? The intriguing from the mundane? The unique from the same old, same old? Songwriters, artists, and educators, Benita Hill and Steve Leslie, think they’ve found the answer- Authenticity. Being authentic means being true to the only you there is! It means communicating this unique message in everything you do as an artist and entrepreneur, online and
off.

In this amazing workshop, Benita Hill and Steve Leslie shared their journeys of success (and failure), and along the way, revealed:

• The importance of answering the hard questions about your
  career.
• The do’s and don’ts of being a successful solo artist.
• How to pitch songs without a publisher.
• The secrets of effective co-writing.
• Practical methods for achieving your Authentic Voice.
• And more!

Jazz great, Miles Davis said, “It takes a long time to sound like yourself.” Attend this workshop and save yourself some time!

About Benita Hill:
Two number one songs by Garth Brooks – and she’s not even country!In the world of jazz, Benita Hill’s one-two punch is hitting its mark. The former background singer for the Allman Brothers Band released her first critically acclaimed CD, Fan The Flame, and established herself as a silky-voiced stylist and hit songwriter.In addition to Brooks, Hill’s songs have been recorded by Isaac Hayes and Kirk Whalum, among others. Her live performances regularly receive accolades and Hill has shared the stage with such jazz/pop luminaries as Boney James, Chuck Mangione, Kirk Whalum Michael Franks and Yolanda Adams, to mention a few.

About Steve Leslie
Steve moved to Nashville in 1992. He was signed to a staff songwriting position at EMI Music Publishing shortly thereafter, where he had songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Mark Chesnutt, George Strait, Darryl Worley, Rhonda Vincent, and Neal McCoy, to name a few.

Steve earned a Grammy Certificate for the title cut to Ricky Skaggs’ 2004 “Brand New Strings” which won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year.

Steve left EMI after nine years to open his own publishing company, Chord Boy Songs. He signed to Stage Three Music Publishing in 2005. Since 2007 he has maintained a career as an independent songwriter and music publisher. His new company, New Modern Songs, has published works by Darryl Worley and Darius Rucker, all written by Steve.

Cost: $35.00

Indie Connect members pay $25
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Here are some strategies for build the credibility and developing the relationships you need to move your songwriting career forward. 

Every songwriter dreams of getting that ‘big cut.’ Many don’t realize what it really takes to make that happen. Getting a major cut often requires several key components: 

The smartest thing any indie artist or songwriter can do is learn how to earn the support of  influential people.

© 2012 Vinny Ribas

With the growth of social networks has come the ability to connect with just about anyone. If you are adept at networking, either in person or online, you can contact people quite easily. Because of this, many industry professionals, from publishers and mangers to booking agents and venue owners,  get more than just a few emails and phones calls every day. I would venture to say that most of them welcome such correspondence, but only if they are done in a completely professional and unobtrusive manner. This is true with person-to-person meetings, whether they are spontaneous or scheduled. If you want to build strong music industry relationships, here are some common rules of networking: 

www.arielpublicity.com

Many of us are using social media to aid with our promotion and feeling like it is not effective in earning us money. In this masterclass, Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity teaches you how to effectively use social media tools to make a profound difference in your career.

This video is for artists at all levels and her techniques apply to musicians, songwriters, composers and producers alike.

About Ariel:

Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Ariel Publicity, a social media PR firm based in New York. Their Cyber PR ® Campaigns place musicians on blogs, podcasts, and Internet radio stations and coach them to create authentic relationships with fans. Since 1996, Ariel Publicity has represented over 1,500 independent musicians. Her book Music Success in Nine Weeks has helped over a thousand musicians get in control of their online strategies and her ongoing blogging challenges keep artists accountable through the reading process. She proudly serves on the boards of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, SoundCtrl, and The New Music Seminar.

A Masterclass w/World Renown Social Media Expert, Ariel Hyatt!

Tuesday, April 10 from 7-9 PM

Indie Connect,
2720 Old Lebanon Rd. Ste. 108,
Nashville TN

This workshop is also available via live webinar!

If you are serious about your career, you don’t want to miss this true Masterclass with world renown social media expert, Ariel Hyatt!

In order to sell more music, it is important that you know why people buy it in the first place. Then you need to market your music effectively. Lastly, you need to convince your fans to buy your music. In this masterclass, you will learn everything you need to know to increase your online sales dramatically!

Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Ariel Publicity, a social media PR firm based in New York. Her agency’s Cyber PR® Campaigns place musicians on blogs, podcasts, and Internet radio stations and coach them to create authentic relationships with fans. Since 1996, Ariel Publicity has represented over 1,700 independent musicians.

Her books Music Success in Nine Weeks & Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook & Twitter help artists get in control of social media marketing strategies and online PR.

Ariel proudly serves on the advisory boards of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, SXSW Accelerator, SoundCtrl, The New Music Seminar.

To Register for The Webinar, Click Here!

Cost: $30

Indie Connect Members pay $25

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How to get the very best photos both live and in the studio. This workshop will amaze you by bringing up so many things you have never thought of!!

Do you want the best and most exciting photos for your website, EPK, social networks and other promotions? In this workshop, popular music industry photographer, Kat Speer,  addresses posing for the camera, singing around the microphone so the photographer can see your face, personal care to prepare for being photographed, clothing colors and style, tips like wiping fingerprints from your guitar, etc.  You will understand what goes into getting great looking photos of yourself or your band.
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