Broke-ass band cuts an album by borrowing a giant music store's facilities and gear

Stacey sez, "In innovative collaboration between a music shop and a band with no cash that will help get an album made. The music shop is allowing the unsigned band to use the recording equipment for sale in the shop after hours. The band, Georgia Wonder, were also happy to be 'one of the most pirated bands in the world' on PirateBay

Georgia Wonder: Recording An Album With No Cash (Thanks, Stacey!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Anonymous

Can’t pay for their instuments? This band must be on a mission from God.
dculberson

If the album does well, the record store could make money by selling the equipment off – charging extra because it was used to make the album! (It could happen…)
jjasper

1) Solicit local businesses for money to include mention in song

2) Write song with mention of local businesses

3) Profit?
pKp

Plus, seriously, guys. As long as there’s no dent or anything like it on the guitar, what exactly is the problem with buying it new ? It’s in mint condition either way.

(And I say that as a guitarist – albeit, admittedly, a sort-of-punk one)
wolf99

Great job. It’s ideas you need.

Btw, music’s great too. Good old handcrafted and singable tunes. Love it. Hell, I even made them come over to Germany last September to play and join a panel on DIY marketing too.
cognitive dissonance

there was a band “flaw” who did the same thing to cut their first album; buy all the instruments and recording stuff necessary, keep the boxes, be mindful of the return policy, and take everything back when they’re done. even with a re-stocking fee, i’m sure it was far cheaper than any alternative.

and what’s the problem? bands don’t make anything off of albums, and them being pirated on TPB just means they have a decent fan base to tour on; where the artist actually sees cash flow.
hadlock

If they’re anything like any music store I’ve been in, they probably have $50,000-100,000 worth of recording equipment on the floor as demonstration units. Stores occasionally sell their demonstration units at discount, when the new model comes in.
Day Vexx

It would be WAY more interesting if they’d done it on the sneak, during business hours.

“hey, can I demo that guitar? hold on a sec while I set up my 4-track…”
JohnCJ

I just love the fact they realize their spot on TPB as a good thing.

True, they will never get a dime directly from our Swedish friends, but there are many types of capital. They are getting a metric ass-ton of social capital off of the “piracy”, and as everyone knows, you can exchange one form of capital for another.
Anonymous

“I’ll buy this new microphone!”
“Awesome! Did you know that microphone was used to record an album?”
“… but I thought it was new”
“well it is, otherwise we’d be selling it as used, but as you can see… full price, must be new”
“but you just said it was USED to record an album”
“well yeah, but it’s still new to you”
Anonymous

Earlier in the year I read about a band in Manchester, UK that made a music video using footage recorded on the CCTV cameras throughout the city, which they were able to obtain through the Freedom of Information Act.
schr0559

At a college radio station I was familiar with, there was a decent if antiquated studio. Legend had it that a band (I forget the name now, but they went on to some regional success) recorded their first album entirely by sneaking in late at night.
Anonymous

But what about the store then selling that benevolently used gear as new? I dunno if I’d wanna shill out a grand for a ‘new’ guitar that had some other guitarist’s sweaty hands all over it for a week.
- randalll
  
  Good music stores have liberal policies about playing the instruments for a reason. Anyone who drops a grand on a guitar without getting their sweaty mitts on every other guitar in the store to be sure of their purchase is an idiot who just wants a guitar that looks cool.
  
  Either assume other people have played it or enjoy shopping at a shitty music store.
kimparr

I love it when people get creative! It reminds me of a book I just read by Andy Feld ‘Wake Up Your Life is Calling. It’s about how you can be happy and attain success in life in any situation. When you stop dreaming and reaching for that dream you stop living – thanks for the inspiring post.
Bottlekid

Here’s another way. Chris Difford, lyricist extraordinaire from Squeeze and now solo artist, is using a web site called Sellaband where fans, or anyone really, can become an investor in his next album. Investor returns are set for each project and can include show tickets, exclusive tracks or even profit sharing.
http://www.sellaband.com/projects/chrisdifford
Anonymous

When i worked for Caruso Music back in 1996-8 there were SEVERAL band projects doing this same thing.

This is not unusual. Store owners often don’t mind since their salesmen are getting real world knowledge on how to use the equipment and thus can sell the gear better too.
Mitch

Good deal. Everyone wins. I remember the kid that made the videos on the equipment at the Apple store a couple months ago. That was impressive.