Jelli Records
EDITOR’S NOTE: As of October 2016 Ria Timkin is no longer working with Jelli Records Ltd. The article was written in March 2016 and remains part of The Secret Plan Of Ria Timkin series, as well as part of Ria’s journey as a young aspiring musician.
Success in the music industry is fickle and inconsistent. Nevertheless, there are standard rules that could help you get your foot in the door. Besides having undeniable talent, every musician needs two more assets that’ll help them promote their career – a reputation and contacts. If you use both of them right, your chances of success are doubled.
It is possible that organisers are ready to bear with the whims of a big celebrity, such as Mariah Carey, due to her outstanding accomplishments and unquenchable popularity. But don’t count on their tolerance if you are a beginner! To be honest, I think we all prefer to deal with well-mannered people, so no matter what stage you’re at, be nice! Besides, as my manager likes to say: “We meet people twice – climbing up the career ladder and then on our way back”. I don’t think I should even mention the wonderful power of a good contact list. This priceless network will provide you with anything you might need: venues, studios, musicians, and producers. Moreover, there is no better way to convince an organiser to add you to the programme than to enlist the support of a person whose opinion the organiser would trust. Nevertheless, let us not get stray from the question in hand!
Up to a certain point I had been building my little music empire by myself. I worked as a promoter, manager, musician, and representative all in one! And it was not simple at all! Not only because it took a lot of precious time that could have been spent on rehearsals and composing, but also because I was constantly haunted by missed opportunities. You couldn’t possibly know about every single event happening in the city, but I always felt I’d missed out every time I found out about a festival or a competition that I could have taken part in, if only I’d hurried up. My applications were declined so many times just because the level I was at didn’t allow me to progress.
I guess you can argue my point, but I think that without proper representation, this transition from an amateur to a more experienced musician is not very feasible. The venues don’t want to risk inviting you, because most likely you won’t bring enough people to the event. Therefore, you’d probably want to cooperate with other musicians and try again. Unfortunately, not every venue is ready to invite artists of so-called amateur level. That means, if you want to conquer bigger and more famous venues, you need to find a more experienced artist, who would be glad to have you as their support. It is truly incredible, if by this time you already have such connections and you are now slowly packing for your very first tour in support of a rising star! If not, then you might want to consider the option of finding someone who would be happy to assist you! In most cases, this savior turns out to be your manager.
It is easy to say, “find a manager”, but how do you actually do it? No doubt, every scenario is different! George Ezra was recommended by his professor after the audition at BIMM (British & Irish Modern Music Institute). Rick Barker heard Taylor Swift at a coffee shop in Nashville and offered her a deal straight after. Some musicians bombard agencies with their emails; some prefer to wait believing that the right manager will find them by himself. There is no unique formula! However, there is one important condition: a potential manager must see something more than just a successful project or a good financial investment in you. Last time we talked about how essential it is to find like-minded musicians to work with. This is even more true for your manager! Because he will become your main adviser, representative, promoter and even a mentor. And I must admit I was very – very lucky! Without me knowing, I met my manager three months after I moved to Bristol. Steve Parkhouse looked at my art with a lot of caution, I could tell! After all, I was quite a risky “foreign” project. Thankfully, it all worked out and now I am a proud member of Jelli Records.
In November 2014 I heard about a weekly open mic that took place in Clifton. A little bird told me that the open mic was organised by a local record-label, Jelli Records, in order to keep an eye on the local music scene. I couldn’t miss that chance for the world! I came to that little bar called The Bristol Fringe with huge expectations. Unfortunately, no miracle occurred. Jelli Records didn’t offer me a deal, and I didn’t turn out to be a super star overnight.
However, I wasn’t in despair. Instead of continuing my search elsewhere, I worked on winning over that label. I started going to their every open mic, kept following their news and took courage to send them my demos so they could consider signing me or at least give me a review on my music. Surprisingly, a representative of the company got back to me. They were not looking for new artists, but they gladly commented on my music. In a nutshell, most of their remarks were things I knew needed work and I had already been working hard on improving them. Still, their response was incredibly motivational and helped in my music development.
A little bit more time passed, and Jelli Records had a free slot for one of the acoustic events they organised, to which I was kindly invited. If it was a Hollywood movie, then the plot would unravel as follows: I would arrive at a concert (probably at the last minute), I would play my set and the crowd would go wild and Jelli Records would immediately realise what a diamond in the rough I was all this time and they’d offer me a deal straight away. In reality, it wasn’t quite like that! I actually had to refuse the invitation, because it was formative assessment time and I had too many assignments at school. I was busy writing four different essays simultaneously and had moved into the Wills Memorial Library. I was offered another performance at a similar event, and with a heavy heart, I had to refuse again.
Technically, it should have been over. Who would want to collaborate with a person who wasn’t available? But I guess, uncountable apologies in one email and my persistence in showing that working with Jelli Records was my long-term goal, played a part. The director of the company was either intrigued or cheered up, but he suggested that we meet and talk about my grand music plans. That’s how I met Steve for the first time. He said that honestly he wasn’t planning on signing me straight away, but agreed to invite me to play at a few events and help a little bit if needed. In a sense, it was a test to see how dedicated I was.
I haven’t thought much of it before, but statistics show that out of ten musicians who claim music to be their calling, only one would continue trying even if they had no luck at all. Too many give up on their goals once they face difficulties. In a way, my future manager was trying to check whether I would fight for my right to be a musician.
Rock Vector, N10 (30) 15.03.2016
Photos are taken by Chris Dean
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