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John Redmond: How to pursue a music publishing deal
John Redmond, VP, General Manager of PolyGram Music Publishing Canada at the time this article was written in May 1996, has a music performance and songwriting background that includes a solo album on London Records and a five-year stint as a writer for Acuff-Rose/ Opryland Music in Nashville. At the time of writing, he was on the boards of FACTOR and CMRRA, as well as the executive committee of the CMPA. Redmond has been a SOCAN member for more than 20 years. His advice on pursuing a music publishing deal includes the following pointers:
Packaging
It sounds really stupid, but make sure your demo cassette is clearly labeled. Make sure the songs are listed, in order, and label both the J-card (cardboard sleeve) and the tape itself. Always include a copy of the lyrics. And make sure your phone number and address are included. And address the package to exactly who you want it to reach.
Creative considerations
Don't ask me what I'm looking for, tell me what it is you write. You should be writing what you have expertise in. Somebody will say to me, "I've got this great country song." So I ask, "How long have you been writing country?" They say, "About six weeks." Immediately I know the song is not going to cut it. Write what you know, what you're familiar with. It's surprising how many people don't.
Also, you have to know what you're looking for from the publisher. My first question to writers is, "Are you writing for yourself as an artist, or are you writing what you hope are coverable tunes for other artists?" This is really essential because if you're hoping to sell so called "alternative" material to other artists, well, you're going to have trouble because most artists on the alternative side write their own material. Therefore those kinds of songs aren't very accessible for covers.
Timing and persistence
People give me a tape on Monday and expect me to listen to it by Friday. That’s a huge problem for everybody in this business. Writers need to be patient. I don't mind somebody calling back to confirm whether a tape has arrived, but, for instance, I got a tape at the East Coast Music Awards. I got home on the Monday and the guy called me Tuesday.
I'd say wait two weeks then call just to ask, "Have you received it?" That may be enough of a trigger to get the person to put the tape on the next time they're listening. If we've got a clear slate without too much of a backlog, then we may get to it within a couple of weeks. If we're snowed under, it might take four weeks or more.
Track order and selection
If you say there are three songs, put three songs on, and always put the hottest track at the top. As a publisher, I expect the first two songs you send me to be the very best songs you've ever written. Send a maximum of three songs.
Demos
One thing that absolutely drives me nuts is if there's an instrument out of tune. From a ballad standpoint, I can see past a guitar and voice or piano and voice. But for everything else, you should have a rhythm section. It's so easy to do now. I don't need a full-blown arrangement, but at least guitar, bass and drums. Of the international demos I receive, they've all got rhythm tracks.
Vocals are really, really important. And again it depends on whether the writer is writing for themselves as an artist, or for someone else to cover. If it’s an artist, I'll understand that the person may not be the greatest singer, but they may have a unique texture to their voice and that's important. But if it's a demo for other people, the vocal has to be hot, it has to be that much stronger because you're competing against the Diane Warrens of the world.
Even my own artists will occasionally say to me, "This song would be good for so and so." And I say, "You didn't even want to record it yourself. If it's not good enough for your own project, why would it be good enough for somebody else's?"
Song weaknesses
I never say I hated a tape. My line is, "I don't feel strongly enough about the songs to make a commitment." The main things that would make me say that would be…
1) A lack of melodic development, if you've got a bad singer, you're not going to have much melodic development.
2) Chord changes that are overly familiar. If I've heard the progression a million times then I'm not going to be interested. No 12-bars please.
3) Lyrics that are too cliché. Go for potent imagery. Find a unique way of presenting familiar themes.
Critiques
Writers shouldn't expect a detailed critique of their songs. We just don't have that kind of time. I may put down "Lyrics are too cliché," but I won't say which lyrics. I usually say production is in place or it's not.
