‘It was born out of necessity and desire,’ say the band. ‘Without a suitable record deal on the table we knew that the only way we could continue was to form our own label and do everything from scratch. It was either that or fold the band. Over the years there have been people who’ve said “if I ever win the lottery, I’ll help you guys out” so we formed Alamo to help those guys help us out without winning the lottery. We presented a business plan to a few of them, offering shares in Alamo Music Ltd on the premise that the label’s first action would be to sign Four Day Hombre.’
So essentially you got your fans to buy into the band’s label. Would this have been possible without the advent of the internet?
‘Possibly, but it’s the belief and support of fans at gigs that’s allowed us to be able to go down this route. Having said that, the net provides so many new and interesting channels to distribute music and promote an artist. We’ve always said “give us an audience and we’ll do very well” and the proliferation of fans who want to help, who’ve come to us through MySpace, is staggering. MySpace, PureVolume and the like are an absolute boon. Also, since FDH’s conception we’ve had a very strong internet presence. So actually, I’m not sure we could have done it without the net. It’s enabled us to run our own ship entirely; from choosing studios and producer to marketing budgets and where our music is synched for film, TV, ads etc.’
How far do you intend to take the DIY route?
‘As far as we can. Every decision made is by the Alamo Team. We either do everything in-house or choose who we employ to do work on our behalf. If however a major or large independent was interested in licensing a record from Alamo, it would be foolhardy not to enter into discussions. We’re a commercial entity after all.’
And do you think it’s possible for a DIY commercial entity to crack a million sales?
‘Yes. For us it’s about exposure. If someone in the mainstream media champions an artist, whether on radio or TV then a million sales is an attainable figure.’
What advice would you give to others contemplating something similar?
‘Get your stuff out there. Everything from DVDs to CDs to downloads and vinyl, t-shirts, badges and even evil ringtones. Make sure you give your fans the best chance to get all your stuff. Sell it online, make sure your website is up-to-date and invite fans who contact you to get involved. Your mailing list is essential - it’s how you communicate with your fanbase and it sets the tone for the brand as a whole. These are the people who are most important to your success and they’ll provide a lot more help than you may think if only you ask them. They’re also great for giving you a bit of a lift on a hard day when they drop you a mail to tell you you’re doing everything right.’
The importance of the mailing list/fanbase is one that’s well understood by folk/acoustic roots duo Show Of Hands. Formed in 1991 by Phil Beer and Steve Knightley, the duo were early adopters of the independent approach. In 1996, they responded to fan support and took a chance on booking the Royal Albert Hall in London, at a time when they were unsigned and (largely) unheard of by the mainstream media. The support they had received from their fans gave them the confidence to make the booking and this confidence was well placed as they famously sold out the venue then, as they continue to do to this day. However, playing gigs of this size is by no means the be all and end all for the boys, as Steve explained: ‘We like to do a mix of gigs with most of the indoor venues being in the 400/500 capacity range and this is just about the right size for us - it’s still possible to play and keep the personal “feel” that’s so important. After our shows we like to chat to fans in the bar, and this isn’t always practical in the bigger venues’
This personal approach to fans must be about as direct a DIY marketing approach as you can get?
‘It is! We believe that having a group of friends enthusing and recommending us in turn to their friends, is the best way of spreading the word and “marketing” what we do.’