Fluorescent Hearts
Fluorescent Hearts are a band that seem to be doing things right. They've already played in Asia, released their debut album, have kick-ass branding and imagery, yet they have only been around for a very short while and don't have the backing of a major label. So how have they done it? We spoke to the band's manager to find out how he has taken the band to where they are now.
EVO4: So firstly, how did you get involved with Fluorescent Hearts? Gary was your drum tech at the time was he not?
Actually that was it. He turned round to me one day and said you have to come to the studio and hear my band so we went to the studio, introduced ourselves, they stuck this little CD on with all the click tracks and stuff and played Give Me Your Love and me and Fiona just looked at each other, our jaws wide open! Literally, Chris' voice is just astounding.
EVO4: Was it the sound that we hear now?
It was really raw, don't get me wrong it's not like what it is now, but you could see just what the four of them were doing as individual musicians that was just devastating. You just knew there was utter class beneath everything they were playing, and they were playing a song, they weren't playing for self-indulgence.
EVO4: How did you develop the image for the band? Was this your vision?
We work really firmly as a team. The deciding vote being yours truly. Sometimes what they think as right isn't how you're trying to pitch it. Where I'm coming from, I need someone to click and press play. When they see an image, they have a preconception of what they're listening to so you have to get past that by neutralising. That's what we did with the photoshoot in January, we made it very neutral; take away the tatoos. Not take away their personality, just structure it.
EVO4: So you've got this band, the imagery is moving on, and all of a sudden one of the guys wants to leave. How did you handle that?
We ended up not doing auditions. What transpired was that the social media announcements were very structured. This is something that goes on behind the scenes that people don't appreciate - it's not like you just put up a Facebook post and it's done. New photoshoots were already done with the three remaining members, and as the announcement went out from the band, Damien [the departing member] was queued up to post his update as well, and the website and social media was instantly changed so when the announcement went out the branding was immediately changed so that people could see that nothing was stopping.
EVO4: Was this co-ordinated by you or the band?
I structured it deliberately, so a lot of it was us sitting round the table chipping in ideas and then I would bring things back to reality about what could and should be done. When I first came on board, I didn't want to manage them, but I did get them the technology they needed like laptop, ProTools, and then they got a show opening for Pulp Fest, St Enoch Centre so that was their first live show and I ended up getting all the branding done for them, website, merchandise line...
EVO4: You seem to have been thrown in at the deep end fairly fast, is there anything you'd have done differently?
If I could have done it differently, I wouldn't have rushed into all the merchandising. You've got lines that don't shift so well, and then you think you could have used those finances for touring. Sometimes you need to think what are the key priorities. Could I have spent a lot less on the website? Did we need all the range of merchandise? Should we have spent more time recording? I know the guys love the album, but looking back I would have done a four track EP and done the album this year.
EVO4: How do you manage the social media side of the band? Do they have control of the Twitter/Facebook pages?
Primarily the band take control of those, but when you're doing key promoted posts I'm like run it past me, that's too much, you're missing the point... Promoted posts need paying for, so I'll need to sign off on what gets paid for, are we targeting the right one? I don't want to talk about the tour, single and the video in one post. Pull it back to reality, what do you want people to do from that one post. Younger bands need to understand, social media is very powerful but it's also like spam!
EVO4: So I'm guessing you use your insights to figure out what works and what doesn't?
What we've found gets the most reaction - and this is not a guarantee for everyone, you need to use your insights for you - what works for us is small video clips. We posted a video of the guys playing around with space hoppers, and it got people interacting and commenting because they like to see the band's personality. Find what works for you and try and manipulate it as best you can. You've got to find that story where people want to talk about it. Social media is good but it can never replace the face to face promotion like flyering and meeting people at gigs.
EVO4: Gigs in Asia. How did that come about?
This is where, fortunately, my personal circumstances allow me to do a few more risky things that other bands can't afford to do. Like going out to SXSW - you can get funding from Creative Scotland as a manager of an act on an independant label - so I went out there and met a few people, a lot of them were setting up this thing in Singapore called Music Matters so we did that. And from doing the Singapore thing we got offered a show in Hong Kong. From the Hong Kong gig, one of the promotors who runs Midifest in China, who had two or three acts performing in Singapore, got in touch and asked do you fancy going across? So we ended up closing the main stage on the Sunday night to nearly 7000 people! It was all mainly accidental, but you set up one, other things start to happen. We've been offered back to Asia as a result of the performances there, back in the UK we've been offered things because of what we did in Asia...
EVO4: So what advice would you give young bands looking for management?
I think the biggest advice I'd give if you're looking at management: does a band need a manager? A manager will find you, or you will know if you need a manager. How do you know if a manager is right for you? You'll know. You'll see it in their eyes. They can be your biggest fan, but will they do something for you? It's realising what you're doing for an artist. Another band approached me to manage them, but I just don't have the time at the moment. And that's what a band needs, someone to be honest and say I just can't put in the time you want. But what I have done with this band is asking them what is it you want in three and six months time let's work backwards from there and say right, you need to do this, this and this... Let's look at what you think is working, and I'll tell you a different story, but it's bringing the cold harsh reality: that's not working for you, that's not working, but this really is, why are you not exploiting that more. And I find that by doing this, mostly they don't need a manager. Going out to try and find a manager very rarely works.
EVO4: And your advice for a young manager who maybe thinks they don't know the right people or contacts at the moment?
You learn more and more every day. It's been over two years for me now, and the part that I've learned most in the last week is that managers don't have to know and do everything in terms of PR, all we have to do is facilitate. And have the passion and the objectives. I see my role progressing, as FH do better and we have more of a structure and we have a good booking agent, a good promotor, a good label to maybe take some of the weight off the shoulders, my job at that point will be to see those elements brought together in the interest of the act in order to grow them. So looking at my band, where do I want to see them in twelve months time? I want them at the Hydro, I want them on a sold out headline arena tour. So I have to make those people working below me and alongside me make that happen. That's what I see a manager doing, creating those opportunities for you, but not necessarily doing them because that's what your promotor is for, what your agent is for, what your lawyer is for, what your accountant is for. It's understanding how the jigsaw pieces fit together.
EVO4: And finally, your own plans for the future?
My objective is, if this goes really well is to maintain my independent label. If it goes well, I now have a platform where I meet so many artists that I can start reinvesting back in and saying, you know what? You remember that band we played with before? Fucking brilliant but they really need some assistance, let's get them on our label. We now have the tools and the contacts to develop that artist. We can't do it for every artist, depends who your contacts are, they're in certain genres. At that point you'd be looking at it as an investment and looking to get a return, so you would be acting as a label and looking for some money back but I'm sure there would be many bands who wouldn't turn up their nose up at that and be grateful of an opportunity with someone who's done it and cares about them, not that they think they can turn a profit from it. It may all be rose tinted spectacles, but I'm a musician first.
Massive thanks to Joe Hele for taking the time to talk to us about his journey so far with Fluorescent Hearts.
£10 Records founder Joe Hele, has worked in the music industry for over 25 years with some of the worlds most well known artists. Combining a wealth of commercial and performance experience to an independent label, allows a greater level of focus to support an artist from grass roots.
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