Little
Heart Records - a Louisville based independent label owned by Bryan
Puckett. I’ve known Puckett since I was a child, so when this assignment came I
immediately thought of him. The music he produces is not only some of the best
in Louisville, it is also some of my personal favorite in the area. The Late
Ones, On my Honor, and The Recievers are just three of the many bands included
in the label.
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| Bryan Puckett |
“For me, it's less about genre and
more about heart. If a band really believes in what they are doing- I believe
in them.”
For
Puckett, his label is more about getting music people would enjoy out there. The
main idea for each of the bands is to connect their fans to each other. They
want their fan base to grow through each other. Going to see The Late Ones with
another band might cause a fan/fans to
become interested in the headlining
band.
“It's a matter of finding bands that fit those musical tastes.
Someone tells me they like The Movielife? I tell them to check out Late Ones.
The Movielife fans should translate well. "You love Brand New's early
stuff? Have you tried Receivers?" Music should be a conversation. That
conversation is worth a lot more than buying some flashy ads in magazines. Heck,
why do people buy ads in magazines to sell music? Music is auditory!”
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| The Late Ones |
The music industry is changing every day, mainly due to new
forms of technology and intricate things within technology. Puckett told me
about how differently he distributes his labels music today compared to when he
first started. It used to be trying to get CDs into stores, just like in our
textbook, Puckett told me about how important retail stores like Target and
Best Buy used to be for CDs. Since the new digital age, Puckett distributes his
music through iTunes, Spotify and even Facebook.
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| On My Honor |
Problems occur in every type of industry. Whether it be the
music industry or the car industry. In regards to the music industry, because
of this digital age profits are not what they once were. Illegal downloading
has brought many troubles for bands, produces, and the entire industry. “Selling
T-Shirts is something illegal downloads will never take away from bands,”
Puckett brought into prospective for me. T-shirts are huge parts of getting attention for bands.
Puckett has told me that even though it may not seem like it, merchandise is an
essential part of marketing. T-shirts and other merch can be sold online and
even more importantly at shows. This is one way to make money for costs instead
of selling actual CDs.
“I think small labels might have it easier. The bigger
labels- no one feels remorse stealing a record from them. I think the personal
relationships our artists and labels our size have with fans keeps most of the
sales on the upside.”
When looking at the information shared with me by Puckett, and
information I have found researching the internet, I see how difficult it
really is for the music industry because of technology advances. These new
programs like Spotify in which gain profits for the artists and rights holders
is awesome, but there are still ways to illegally download music. Even if
Napster was shut down and then reopened legally, people are wonderful at procuring
ways to download music. With sites that allow people to gain control of music and
other forms of media like movies, there will always be a way to get free
access.
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