Fan,
Is it common for indie labels, especially the bigger ones like Merge or Matador to keep the rights to a band's album masters? If so, is there a good business reason to agree to this?
John

Dear Fan,
I've recently started a solo music project after being in a band for 10+ years. Previously, there were four people sharing band duties such as booking, promoting, etc. Being just one person, I find there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. How can I create a new "team" to help keep the gears in motion as I work to build a name for myself? I know all about street teams, contests and other means for getting people to help spread the word, but I need a core team that I can rely on. I don't know how to make this happen since I'm an indie artist and not able to offer pay or other big benefits. Any insight is appreciated!

Thanks,
Jordan

Fan,
I started playing drums for my good friend's amazing music project. We have lots of respect for each other as musicians, I am excited to be a part of his vision, I love everyone in the band, etc. The project has a lot of support. He is on a nice label, has an amazing publicist, and just scored a great booking agent who will get us paying gigs. There is just one problem, though: tour and money. The tours that are being booked are on both coasts, for about three or four week increments. In order for me to be able to do this, I would need to make money. Like, enough for rent. And food. And my cell phone bill. Oh my dear Fan Landers, how possible do you think this will be? Do touring giggers make ends meet? Will I?
A Young Lady

Dear Fan Landers,
We're a melodic indie pop band from a small college town in California. When our band first started, we had a great opportunity to put out two records on a record label that is known mainly for releasing Christian music. We figured it was a great way to get our music out into the world and it was; the label had great distro and treated us well. Even though we have since gone fully independent, we still can't seem to get any love from "cool" indie blogs and press outlets who cater directly to the people who would probably like our music, mainly I suspect, due to our former label associations, not to mention our home base in the hinterlands of California. How can we become "born again" in the eyes of the secular music press?
Daniel

Hey Fan!
My band Swearwords has been playing together for a while now- we're put out two well-received EPs and have filled some of the crucial rooms in Chicago. This year, we'll be releasing our first full-length and touring the midwest and both coasts. Any advice for keeping the momentum going and priming the pump before the next push?
Best,
Neil

Dear Fan,
I'm in a young band from Reno, Nevada called Memory Motel. We just released our debut 7-inch, and we're getting to the point where we need some form of management. It's becoming increasingly difficult to deal with everything on our own, and as a result it feels like we're swimming in circles. The only problem is that Reno is a town that's not exactly filled with many good band managers/ booking agents/ industry contacts, and cold emailing people doesn't seem to be working that well. Do you have advice for an indie band coming from a small market like Reno, trying to find more contacts? Should we just pack it up and try to make it in a big pond like L.A. or New York?
Huge fan of the column.
Memory Motel

Fan,
I am in a small struggling band, we have been together for two months and we want to get our music out there and try to start booking local shows. The major problem is that we are all being kicked out of our houses soon but we want to prove to our parents that we can make some money off of being in a band. How can we do what we love? Any suggestions?
Stereo Type

Hi Fan,
My band, Knights, is about to send our 12-song self-produced and self-financed album to get mixed and mastered. The album art is done, and I have a timeline/agenda set for self-releasing it. Recently though, I've been thinking, would it be a better idea to attempt to get it released on a label? Is it a common practice for people to complete whole albums and not release if they can get a small label to back it? I have no problem releasing it myself, but it would be nice to get on a small label and hopefully be helped by some of their marketing and booking resources.
Regards,
Nick

Dear Fan,
Since I was a kid, I've suffered from bipolar type I, and while aspects of the disorder function as a boon to my musical output, social anxiety is holding me back a ton. I love performing, and I feel completely comfortable onstage, but the idea of "meeting people" and "networking" is terrifying to me and it's something I'm going to need to overcome to move farther forward.

Fan,
Say there is a producer the band admires--around the Mike Mogis level--or perhaps someone in a band we think we would be a good producer because it turns out she arranges all the songs in her own band despite not being the leader, or has an amazing ear for harmonies, or what have you. But we don't know them. What's the best way to ask them to produce our next record? Obviously we'd send them music, live videos, whatever they need to assess the situation. But is it fine to reach out to someone you admire, or completely arrogant/ignorant to assume they'd give a stranger the time of day, especially if they're in the middle of a successful career themselves? And if they've never produced before, when should money come up?
Sam