“We know where the music’s playin’, let’s go out and feel the night”
My dad played music my whole life and as a kid, I would jam with him. He played country, classic rock, Beach Boys, the Beatles. When I was about 12 or 13, I went in a different direction and got really into punk. I developed my own style, but as I got older, I reconnected with the songs I grew up on.
I’ve always been in about 3 bands at any given time. I play guitar and I sing, and each band I am in has a different sound – punk, folk, rock. I like to be inspired, so playing with multiple people works for me. In college I got a business degree, which has actually been helpful in my music career. I’ve also gotten to tour pretty consistently, which has been cool. A goal of mine was to tour Europe, and in 2016 I got to do that.
“Let the beat rock, let the bass boom”
I always worked while I was doing music and was lucky to have jobs that allowed me some flexibility. I don’t know that I ever thought I would go in to sync licensing, and it happened somewhat organically: I was putting out music 2x a year, either on my own or with the bands I was playing with. I’m probably on 25 to 30 albums!
After one of my main bands, THE JOLTS, broke up, we had a few sync placements. I didn’t know who to talk to about placing some of the other songs I was on, so I started to research the topic and immerse myself in it. I read books, I listened to podcasts, I read things online. Through a friend, I found out about an opportunity to place a Christmas song on the show SWEET MAGNOLIAS and I challenged myself to write it overnight. I didn’t write it overnight, it took a day or two, and I submitted it. I did everything on my own, and they used it! That was really the spark for me to spend more time pitching my own catalogue. I started thinking about the reality of having a roster of bands that I liked, and working with people whose music I believed in.
“Music, all its delicate fear…is the only thing that don’t change”
Last fall, I did about ten placements right away, which was exciting. Like every company there are peaks and valleys, so when things are quieter than I’d like, it gives me more time to research productions, research who is supervising projects, what’s coming up, etc. I make a lot of cold calls. I do a lot of admin work. If I have a brief from a music supervisor, sometimes I make a playlist and try to hone in on what they might be looking for without overwhelming them with too much music. My role is to make their jobs easier; I want to give them what they need, make sure all the music is cleared, all the paperwork is signed. That way, they can just say “yes, we want to use this song,’ and I can deliver it.
One thing I’ve started to do as a sort of side hustle is help artists get themselves set up to be able to submit their music for sync. You’d be surprised at how many bands and singers I come across that aren’t even signed up with SOCAN and don’t know the first thing about what they need to do to be able to license their music.
“The music is here to stay”
I’d say about 70% of the productions I work with are Canadian. One of the most beneficial things I did was attend the Guild of Music Supervisors Award Show in Toronto (Canadian Sync Awards), which ended up being a pivotal networking event for me. It was great to be in a room with so many talented people and I was lucky to connect with many of them. It seems to me that the Canadian film community all sort of knows one another because it’s not huge like in New York or Los Angeles. It’s a little closer knit. Obviously, film and TV shoots happen in Toronto and Vancouver, mostly, but Victoria is also coming up as a new market to film.
“One likes to believe in the freedom of music”
It’s been really interesting to be on this side of the song. I’ve always had an ear for music, even if it’s not a genre I favor personally. When I decide to work with a band or an artist, first and foremost, I have to ‘hear’ something. I was lucky and started off with bands I was already a big fan of, like Radioactivity, whose work I respected. I want to differentiate myself from other agencies by representing underground bands. Even though it’s niche, I want to champion those types of artists.
When I first talk with someone looking for representation, I explain that this is a long game. Even if a supervisor is interested in one of their tracks, it’s possible you won’t hear back for 6 months. Movies especially can take a long time to choose music. It takes patience. At a moment’s notice I should be able to submit whatever it is that’s needed and then wait for months to hear back. That’s just the nature of this business. There’s a lot of timing involved as well. Sometimes you have to wait to find out who the music supervisor is on a project, but if you wait too long to follow up, you might miss the chance to pitch them.
“I meant to go over and ask for a song”
I love what I am doing now. I’ve signed some of my favorite bands and I get to pitch their music for them. It’s a nice feeling to tell a band I got a placement for them. It’s really rewarding to be able to highlight music that I care about and got so much from, personally.
I am always a little disappointed when I hear about an artist is selling their music catalogue. Of course, I can get why someone wants to make as much money as they can when they can, because who knows if those large sums will be available to people in ten or twenty years? I also feel like every artist should own their songs, own their publishing and have a say where that music is going.
Looking to send your music out to sync agents and music supervisors? Caster has just the right list! Get started now.