A Fantastic Interview WIth Tony Fagenson About the Music Industry

Thought I'd pop in quickly and link to a really good interview that Tony recently did with HypeBot:

Part 1

Part 2

I find this part particularly interesting:

Q: Looking back on it now, what was your experience like being signed to a Major Label?

Fagenson: I'd be lying if I said the experience was anything but great overall. Like anything it has it's ups and downs, strikes and gutters. Sure they f$&ked a few things up, and communicating ideas could be a very laborious process with a large company...

But we were very fortunate to have a team of people that was behind the band for a long time, and fought hard to break down walls for us and get our music heard. We wouldn't have had that success without the powerful reach and $$ of a major record company. We had a good relationship with many of the employees of RCA at the time and enjoyed seeing the various folks when we'd pass through their particular town or what have you. Lots of bands end up despising their labels, but that never really happened with us.

It looks like Tony has undying love for the label, even though they dropped them on their heads back in '04. I really don't understand this viewpoint from Tony, but I reckon it has something to do with his father being a relatively successful producer and a product of the old music industry (Don Was). Tony is very savvy, but still has ties to the old guard - it makes for an interesting interview.

Also interesting is the post in the comments section of that article by Brendan from the early 2000's one-hit wonder "Wheatus" (I will never forget "I'm Just a Teenage Dirtbag" blaring over speakers all over my freshman dorms - ahhh, simpler times):

Eve6 is one of the best live bands I've ever seen. Toured with them back in the 2000 and then some.... they bring it. And in the spirit of kissing even more websternet ass....Tony is one of my fav. modern drummers.

But I lovingly disagree with you Tony....grey haired baby boomer execs who don't know what the f' TCP/IP stands for are 90% the problem....they didn't even know what Napster was when our 1st USA sales week came in under expectations and I asked if they could get those sharing numbers.

They could have made deals and monetized in 1998 but they were arrogant and entrenched old men...very, very conservative. They really thought the internet would blow over...then they thought they could overpower it by being draconian and protectionist....and when that didn't work they began to abuse the only people who did care about their products. Couple that with THE CRAP they put out year after year = 2009.

many thanks for the article....and go see Eve6...they are the real thing.

brendan b brown
wheatus.com

ps...Tony, and all other recording and performing musicians...make sure Soundexchange hasn't forfeited your royalties!

Looks like I wasn't the only one who questioned Tony's loyalty to the ones who botched a huge opportunity for the music industry.