feedback on a return

[Mmichaelis]

Greetings Taxi friends,

I could really use some help figuring out how my submission to a listing was returned. The song and listing is blues rock, right up my alley. I feel like if I'm going to be successful at music placement, if I can't do it with this genre, I can't do it with any. I've spent most of my free time in the last 6 months watching taxi tv. I haven't had very many forwards but I've totally understood why my previous submissions were returned. But this one - I am really scratching my head over. This was a song I wrote specifically for this listing, not an old song I was trying to shoehorn in. I spent $400 making this song (between the singer, drummer, and mixing engineer), and each of these people were hand picked to match the requested vibe of the listing. The mixing engineer used all kinds of expensive analog outboard gear to mix the track, and used drum samples to match the references. So I feel like given the money and significant effort I spent on this I deserve a little more feedback than what the screener provided.

Here is the listing: S200325SR

GRITTY, BLUES-Y ROCK SONGS with Male or Female Vocals are needed by an A-List Film/TV Music Publishing Company that always shoots for high-end placements. They’re looking for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Songs in the general stylistic ballpark of artists like (but not limited to) Kaleo, Barns Courtney, Welshly Arms, etc., etc., etc. Please listen to the following references to get an idea of what they’re looking for: “Way Down We Go” by Kaleo, “Fire” by Barns Courtney, “Legendary” by Welshly Arms

Please submit Bluesy, Swagger-filled Rock Songs that have a soulful and anthemic style and feel. Big bad drums, gritty guitar tones, and swagger-filled vocal performances could help give you all the edge and attitude needed for this request! Please avoid references to specific names, dates, times, places, brands, and profanity for this request. Do not copy the referenced acts or Songs in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

Here is my submission:

https://soundcloud.com/matt-michaelis/k ... -michaelis

Here is the feedback I got:

I think you could improve this song by: You might get closer to the blues rock style referenced by trying to create a bit more modern sounding fx on your drums and possibly would alter your melodic phrasing and lyrics in your b section. Also would try exploring a more anthemic layered chain gang chant like chorus.

I returned or forwarded this song because: Know My Name is not close enough in arrangement or production to the referenced songs.

Additional things I noticed...
Style: Mood is off target with the listing request. Composition: Melody could be stronger. Performance: Vocal performance off target for the listing

I guess I just don't understand how this could be "closer to blues rock," or the "mood is off target for the listing request." I sort of get the "more modern fx" on drums, but that's the only observation that seems reasonable to me? Thank you so much for any constructive feedback you can provide, I really appreciate it as I'm really struggling with this one.

Matt Michaelis
(909) 525-2653

[lesmac]

Its a good song.

I agree with the screener after listening to the values in the references. Not saying I would have the same opinion without reading what the screener said but with the luxury of hindsight the references are sparser, more vocal centric [great emotive singers], the drum sound for sure as well as production on other instruments.

I get a southern rock flavour with a hint of jazz rock coming through in your track. More an old style band arrangement.

You have ended up with a well produced song. You need to keep your costs down these days and that means working out how to do it all yourself. You may be able to do that already but your'e not Robinson Crusoe here. I and a few others here have been down the demo route and ended up with average songs that sound reasonably produced.

I find it hard myself to shake off the sounds I grew up playing. Try not to take it too hard and knock out some more tracks on your own and see if you can get closer. Critical listening is key.

[cosmicdolphin]

Yeah...Good track...I listened to all the refs first..then your song..Some observations

1. Your song is good. Well written performed and produced. Easily Broadcast Quality IMHO.

2. $400 to produce..ouch. My budget for making tracks is zero apart from the cost of the gear to make it and the electricity. Now I'm not making tracks like this so maybe not a fair comparison but I do have some songs out there, my co-writing buddy has a couple of placements with stuff I've mixed but those 8 tracks on the album didn't cost anything more than sweat equity and favours. Knowing how much they have earned, whilst I've seen sync fees over £1,000 the average per track it is some way below your $400 production budget after them being available in a Library for a couple of years and backend royalties were small fry compared to the sync fee. YMMV but I personally don't think it's a sustainable business model unless you are partnered with a high end Library that pays up front for production costs and even then it's usually recoup-able.

3. Whilst I think your track ticks a lot of the right boxes it's in the ballpark without being a home run. I listened to the references first and although I'm not overly familiar with these particular songs , they are the sort of thing I might enjoy if they came on the radio so I'm probably within the target audience. When I played you song after those three the main thing that stuck me was your song sounded 'safer' and less 'edgy' . Not quite as modern or youthful as the references. So to me your song skews older than what they were after. Some parts of your song reminded me of Paul Weller actually, I guess that's what they are calling the B section? I like Paul Weller very much but it's not what they asked for.

I think I would break it down into a couple of main areas. The production whilst good and solid is not like the references, not as hard hitting especially the drums. There's almost a Hip Hop element to those other songs in the drums whereas I felt yours was just a pleasant trad sounding kit ..no boom or bap vibe to it. There's also a lots more cymbal than say the Kaleo track ..I think cymbals are not so present in some genres now and stuff like your claps aren't big enough. All these small details add up to the whole feeling of the track being less 'epic' than what's been referenced. It doesn't scream ' anthemic ' which to me comes from stacked percussive kicks/stomps/claps..layered vocal chants..big roomy sounding vibe-y mix. That sort of thing.

Vocals. They are very good and way better than anything I could ever achieve vocally but again I feel they are a bit safer / more mature sounding. I'm not a vocal coach although I've had many years of vocal coaching but I would say your delivery is different to those other reference tracks. i.e. There's more aggression in them and you feel like the singer is going over the edge at times ( in a good way ) and the whole production supports that with the saturation/distortion and big drums. That edgy feeling can definitely coached by a singing teacher. Some people have it naturally ..some can do it but have never been told they need to. Its bit like acting I guess, you need to put on a different persona.

Hope that helps shed some light, I can imagine the return was tough. I can understand the Screener's reasoning and agree with it on the whole although I feel on another listing on another day this is worthy of a forward but maybe not quite such an edgy kinda listing.

Mark

[Mmichaelis]

Its a good song.

I agree with the screener after listening to the values in the references. Not saying I would have the same opinion without reading what the screener said but with the luxury of hindsight the references are sparser, more vocal centric [great emotive singers], the drum sound for sure as well as production on other instruments.

I get a southern rock flavour with a hint of jazz rock coming through in your track. More an old style band arrangement.

You have ended up with a well produced song. You need to keep your costs down these days and that means working out how to do it all yourself. You may be able to do that already but your'e not Robinson Crusoe here. I and a few others here have been down the demo route and ended up with average songs that sound reasonably produced.

I find it hard myself to shake off the sounds I grew up playing. Try not to take it too hard and knock out some more tracks on your own and see if you can get closer. Critical listening is key.

Thank you Lester for your response! I appreciate it! This helps me a lot.