LP Release Party (Part I: Planning)

As you guys may or may not know, Betsy Wells is not only busy playing away in shows around the region, they are also working on a new LP, to be released later this year. I have been looking around for venues to host the future release show and its looking like The Slowdown. Not the small stage at The Slowdown, but the big arena stage that fits 600+. I have a few very talented bands in the works to open for the band as well, but I will release those at another time. The vision for this party however, will be a bit different from the EP release party that happened last March at Sokol Underground. That show was a big success, don't get me wrong, but this party is going to be HUGE! I will be inviting newspaper columnists, production companies, local celebrities, bloggers, music reviewers, and A&R people. Of course, a party would not be a party if all the guests did was listen to a live band perform. So each guest upon arrival will receive a promotional gift bag w/ the full album and other goodies. A mingling session with the band will most likely occur 1-2 hours before the opening act begins; and alcohol/foods will be present.

A special guest list will be made up for free admittance to the press and to close friends, but joining the Betsy Wells Street Team's in Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, or Chicago would maybe land you special brownie points; enough to possibly gain free admittance:) Either way, I will keep you guys up-to-date with this party planning each time I come up with a cool idea to add. Also, feel free to leave comments on other cool ideas.

Assembling a Press Pack

Okay, so I will be driving back to Omaha this Friday because I am applying for a few jobs. The real benefit with this though is that I will be picking up lots of copies of the EP and assembling a promo disc to send to potential clients (radio stations, venues, newspapers, blogs, labels, etc.). I will be putting the bands' best songs on this disc. Essentially, I am assembling a press kit. A lot of people don't know what a press kit is; or at least what a good one is. Allow me to shed some light, but I am by no-means an expert (yet). The press kit I am developing includes three 8x10's of the band (two action shots and one normal face shot), a biography page basically explaining the bands style and skills level, a press page that includes reputable quotes from the press, venues played at,& bands played with, lyrics to the songs on the disc, and my contact information. I am designing each document with the Betsy Wells logo on it (top or bottom I haven't decided yet) as well as creating a business card so I don't appear to be a Midwestern farm boy who just one day decided to enter the entertainment business.

I have been in contact with several radio stations, although I still need to set up a meeting with our hometown 89.7 The River, and plan to send a press pack to many of them. The real goal at this point is exposure. I am paying $3something, out of my own pocket, for every press kit, but in the end, it is not about how much you spend. It is about accomplishing your goals. EXPOSURE is the goal, and having a song played on the radio gives the kind of exposure a tour cannot. I never thought that I'd use anything I learned in school for my "real life", but I was wrong. Deciding to become a marketing major was probably the best decision I have made in school, although that probably is not saying much.

Until next time, keep those Betsy Wells tunes playing.

New EP Released in March

This is my first blog entry since being named manager for the band. Actually, this is my first blog entry period, being that this is the first submission to this blog since it was created. So much has happened for Betsy Wells over the last several months, including the release of their very good self-titled EP in March. This is such a monumental occurrence because this marked the first iTunes submission from the band, although I believe "Into the Wind" [2008] is just as worthy (I should probably make that happen actually). Myspace and Facebook are one thing, but to offer a product for a premium in the most popular music store in the galaxy, it gives your band a certain mantra amongst fans. And believe me, this mantra is a very positive thing for Betsy Wells. I was going to spend this submission reviewing the album, but then I thought; I'm the manager, fan's want to hear from outside sources how good something is. So I will leave the reviews up to the press (but I can guarantee they will be positive). I decided to talk about just what it is Betsy Wells will be up to in the next several months.

If you didn't know already, Thursday May 20th will mark the first time Betsy Wells will perform at a music venue that is not in Nebraska. Hallelujah! Chicago will welcome Betsy Wells to Goose Island Brewery (right next to Wrigley field), as they headline the show for the 21+ crowd. If your from Omaha or Chicago, you probably have heard of a band called Swizzle Tree. Well, Steve from the band (Swizzle Steve) is actually in charge of booking at Goose Island. If you are 21+, then making your way down to Betsy Wells' first non-domestic show would be a great way to show your support for the band that started out playing in the backyards of people's houses. Friday May 21st actually marks the second live performance outside the wonderful state of Nebraska, as The Beauty Shop in Fairfield, IA plays host to Betsy Wells and several other very-talented regional bands. I have a very special announcement to make, however I can not due so until May 3rd. Believe me, this is one not to miss, as it entails Betsy Wells having the opportunity to play with nationally renowned acts. I WILL POST AS SOON AS I AM ALLOWED! I am posting shows on the Myspace page and the newly created Reverb Nation page, also linked through Myspace. Check dates and go to the ones that look awesome.

Moving away from booking for a moment, I have been hard at work speaking with production companies and setting up interviews for the band. I feel that if Betsy Wells is going to become national (and I do believe that they will), marketing and promotion should be to the extreme. So many bands have the talent, but they don't make-it because they don't have the promotion necessary to introduce people to their music. Secret Note Productions out of Chicago will be interviewing the band before the Goose Island show, and then filming the show for those of you who can't make it out. It will be available on their blog and Youtube. I have also set up a radio interview at Mars Cafe in Des Moines, Iowa (yes, my home) with Scented Vinyl. Daniel Bosman will be asking the band a lot of questions and then will be having them perform live in the studio for a sort-of demo session for listeners. This will be happening in July so stay posted.

To conclude, I feel a record deal on the horizon if you fans keep staying loyal, Betsy Wells keeps making more fans, and a hot lava lamp doesn't explode all over their pretty little faces (thus, causing all of them to look like Seal. Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea actually. But there is only one Hedi Klum. Damn you Seal!)

Stephen Murray