How did your previous encounter with the music industry affect how you've
decided to promote yourself this time?
I can't go into how it might have
affected me subsconsciously, but consciously I have learned a few
lessons.
First, that I want to make sure that when I finally make a CD album
- either with or without a label - I am perfectly ready for it musically. I will
make the album I want to make and not worry about second-guessing what the
public or a record company might want to hear.
Do you regret anything you did when you were in Catch?
Well of
course I made loads of mistakes, but I see them as an opportunity to be
constructive and improve. Some things still hang over me and in a sense I wish
they still didn't, but I cannot regret the experiences I had at the time.
While I hate some of the music we made at the time, I am still proud of some
of the music. And when I think that even highly-hyped talented bands like JJ72,
Muse etc struggle to get high in the charts, I realise that 'Bingo' did quite
well after all.
What are your views on programs like Napster?
Generally positive
and indeed I am one of Napster's few featured artists. I suggest you read the
thoughts section of my site at http://www.tobyslater.com/writingindex.html
- particularly 'Open Letter To The PRS' and 'Napsterism'.
After the judgement on Napster, where do you think the future of music on
> the internet lies?
The tragedy about it is that it means the record
industry can once again re-establish the status quo.
What people tend to
forget is that a judgement has not been made on whether or not Napster is aiding
copyright infringement, nor that its users are copyright infringers. The
injunction has been served with the assumption that Napster would be defeated in
court: guilty until proven innocent.
I think file-sharing has a big part to
play, mainly because it's an extremely efficient way of distributing music
online. The Napster system as it currently exists and as they're suggesting it
should be removes all the difficulties of encoding and hosting tracks.
I
can't help but suspect that the record industry knows this and simply wants to
own the distribution route and the strongest brand online, which in this case is
Napster.
What do you think about the current state of the British music industry?
Is there too much emphasis on looks instead of music?
There's always been
an emphasis on showmanship and image in pop music. I don't think that's a
problem and can see value in original pop bands who have an interesting look.
What pisses me off is the huge number of identikit stereotype manufactured
made-by-numbers acts. It's damaging to music in general and people will grow up
with the idea that instead of creating great art and learning to write great
songs, the way to make an impact in music is to meet the right managers,
stylists and producers, get a record deal and learn your formation dance
moves.
Some of the indie bands are almost as bad, though, with a formulaic
faded denim look and a sound to match. A little originality goes a long way,
which is why I love At The Drive In and am quite keen on Mo*Ho*Bish*o*Pi from
what little I've heard.