Manic Bloom: Ourstage Article

MANIC BLOOM

I found this article on Ourstage and wanted to pass it along.

MANIC BLOOM: INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

Published
by
jayschneider
on June 26, 2009
in Artist Feature and Rock
Ourstage

“A band is a business.” This was the conclusion reached during a discussion with Jeff Brinkley, drummer of OurStage alt rock band, Manic Bloom late last week. The band’s catchy yet unique melodies, refined song-writing abilities and impeccable sense of musical movement definitely make for good dialogue. And their OurStage track record is a hot topic—as the only band in OurStage history to win the Grand Prize in two separate months, they hold countless #1 Top 10 badges. Still, our conversation turned to the band’s approach to the industry beyond their musical goals.

After speaking with Brinkley, however, something became very clear to me: These guys are just oozing with industry intelligence and professionalism. Two of the members hold audio engineering degrees while another member is trained in web development. So it was no surprise to learn the band recorded only the final layers of their most recent self-titled EP in a professional studio after laying down the rest at home. (For more information on “shortcuts” to a professional album, check out our previous stories about recording at home and making the most out of your studio time.) And after one visit to their MySpace page or Website, it’s obvious the band takes pride in both their career and appearance. Brinkley expanded on mentality by saying a band can’t rely on the possibility that “the right person” will listen to their music if there’s no reason to take the band seriously. While Brinkley credits musical talent and drive as being a driving factor, he feels the professionalism in Manic Bloom’s Website and overall demeanor plays a role when it comes to securing major opportunities. These opportunities are evident in the band’s representation from a management company, high profile gigs such as the Red Gorilla Music Festival and sterling reviews from local music authorities like Tony Stone of 102.9 the Buzz. Manic Bloom also play a lot of gigs and important benefit shows around the TN area. Organizations the band supports include (RED), Invisible Children, The One Campaign, and Rock for Darfur (get some more info on the “benefit” of benefit shows).

Brinkley ended our conversation with some advice and concluding statements about the band. Just as a business maintains a professional image, a band should treat their endeavors the same way. Brinkley recommends that bands create separate bank accounts for income earned by the band and money used for the band. In other words, pretend your band is an organization because, really, that’s what it is. A band needs its own income and budget, its own image and composure. Manic Bloom’s success is evidence of this.

The band is currently working to record some new songs and combine them with their existing library to compile a full-length album, expected to release later this year. Check out their upcoming shows if you’re in the area, and head on over to their fan club because this band is here to stay.

• See original article Ourstage

• The Magic of Manic Bloom

• Manic Bloom - "Best New Artist"