Attracting an Agent
Now we’re down to the big question—how can a musician attract an agent? The first step is to have a large enough following that you feel that you’re not able to keep making the phone calls yourself. Many agents recommend having an online presence, some radio airplay, maybe an album or two, and having a band manager and perhaps a publicist outside of the band. “Generally speaking, if artists are just coming down the street looking for representation, we want to know what they’ve got behind them,” Case says. “They have to look like a star and make a living playing. You have to be attractive and look like you can sell. Do they have a manager looking out for them and helping them look for new opportunities? We look for an artist that already has something about them. I turn down five to seven acts a week–we don’t ever sign anyone who doesn’t have their own crew—their own manager, stage team and productions team.”
Sparks and Houghton also say good etiquette is important when trying to attract an agent. First, call an agent’s secretary and ask if they prefer contact through E-mail or phone. Then, E-mail or call an agent and politely ask if you can send them a press kit and follow up a month later with a phone call. Make sure all E-mail correspondence is spelled correctly and grammatically sound. Houghton likes to see a great promotional package with a quote sheet, posters, video and tour history. And it might sound like basic common sense, but don’t instant message agents or call them up drunk and give them a sob story about how you’ve “paid your dues” and deserve to be making money. Laura Jenney, senior agent and public relations director of T&T Management and Booking says arrogant musicians are one of her greatest pet peeves.
“(It) bugs the soup out of me (when) artists call me and me spend “x” amount of time telling me they want and need this promotional service and that promotional service, and then they tell me they do not have any money to pay for those services,” Jenney fumes. “Hey, I would like to wake up 10 years younger and be the first female percussionist for the Allman Brothers too, but so far, life is tough that way!”
Your #1 Fan
If you’re not sure if you’re ready for an agent, think long and hard about whether you have what it takes to attract and keep an agent.
“In the beginning, you have to be your own advocate no matter how hard it is,” says Houghton, “Ask yourself the question ‘What kind of agent could I attract that would work for 10 to 15 percent of what I’m making?’ When the answer is a good one—a better one than I could be myself—then try to go find an agent. Not before.”
To find a good agent, musicians should check with their peers in the music industry—other musicians—or look up the agencies that represent artists they admire. Sometimes, the state they are in will list registered agencies. Texas, for example, has a list of registered and legitimate agencies on their governor’s office website. Sparks also says it’s important to both make intelligent choices about your career and to be truly involved in any decision-making about your future. “Just because someone put their hand on a rock and declared themselves an agent doesn’t mean they’re one,” says Sparks. “Bands have to remember that no one will be responsible for you 100 percent. You have to have an active involvement in any business relationship.”
So whether you’ve decided you need an agent or you prefer to stick to ask your sister book your tours in exchange for mowing her lawn, just remember this key piece of advice: don’t call an agent drunk in Nashville, because every agent at William Morris in Los Angeles might hear about it the next day.
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