PunkPonyPrincess

One of the great joys of making a vinyl record is the download code card insert art because you discover it costs literally nothing to say ‘thank you’ and put your own fursona on the back…

Jean Jaques Brunel.

Dunno why. He stood out at the time.

And a thing made manifest. 

nearly there. Preorders available and downloads are happening. It’s actually selling!

https://clairefoxx.bandcamp.com/releases

All the time, I play crappy punk pop so I'm comfy with not misadvertising..

30 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

There isn’t much danger of getting a bad cut or pressing these days as vinyl now has to compete with other technically superior formats, so it would be economically unsound for the manufacturers to produce anything sub-standard. 

What I mean is being in Berlin I won’t be able to be present and listen and approve the master in person and there is a lot that can change to the sound at the mastering stage, not just for the purposes of getting the plates made for vinyl but all aspects of the sound. I will approve it remotely but it won’t sound as they hear it, here is an area for messing things up. But Dp&M have mastered some terrific records and their reputation is solid so I can forgo being there as a necessary safety net. As with graphic designers, sometimes you just have to leave them to do their work.

1 hour ago, oZZma said:

No it's not that simple... Using them makes your chances bigger, and your self-promotion easier. That's why all that blah blah blah so-called "punk-hardcore" bands after all are using them. Almost all of them. Even the more preachy ones. Even Fugazi. At this point I'm totally disenchanted about all those bands, all that they made and seemed "authentic" and sincere doesn't seem genuine to me anymore. Now it seems like an "image" thing like any other. Luckily I never cared much about those aspects, I only listen to the music and leave the other stuff aside. 

As of vanity or DIY publishing, it's vanity if you go to a studio and pay for it. Which is what most "DIY BLAH BLAH BLAH" bands do 

We’re getting away from recommendations for pressing companies, but ok.. On the one hand as you say streaming makes chances bigger and self promotion easier but as you also say, using them makes those bands seem less genuine and authentic and less sincere. 

My instinct and response to that Is to keep it small and what I find is personally manageable; definitely don’t give away right-to-play your assets to corporations like Spotify that pay $0.0014 per complete song play, not because of the money (there is no money or promotion in any of this for me) but because the relationship with corporations seems unhealthy.

I DIY recorded a few songs  in my living room. Just bass/drums/vocals no guitar or synths or computers. I’ll press a few up because it’s nice. It’s manageable like this. 

It’s so very simple to avoid these online services.

I think DIY publishing is a much better term  than “vanity” — although it is (albeit a term that comes with assumptions about being unpublishable). I’m not interested in even engaging with that. The single is what it is. 

Anyway, just got the go ahead i’m using the mighty Dubplates and Mastering in Berlin to master and make the plates for this. €280 for two tracks incs plates. I won’t attend this one, but I trust them  to not mess it up. 

7 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I'm surprised you're not doing your own sleeve artwork...

No, this is way better than anything I would have produced. Plus I want a different perspective on visuals. Everything gets claustrophobic otherwise.

Will do when it’s pressed.

55 minutes ago, Meddle said:

So it is a vanity project and you are treating it thus. No harm there. 

It is by its very definition vanity publishing  
    n  the practice of the author of a book paying all or most of the costs of its publication

no one in their right mind would want to get involved with me.

Definitely a random choice of a couple of badges. Friend of mine makes badges and sells them at conventions. It’s a trivial thing, but it feels right.

I  expect the ppl I hand my work to work they way they need to. I record without a computer not to be an analog luddite but because I don’t own one (I have an iPad for web browsing — which is plenty).

The graphic artist I think uses a computer to print out art then uses tipp exx and spray mount and then rescans in — but that’s their process. Likewise the engineer and post production personnel tweaking this might use a computer, not my concern unless it’s harmful.

I loved Desperate Bicycles and Television Personalities as a kid... lessee... £157 in 1977 appears to be just under a grand (Source). I reckon I could do it for £967. Maybe another time.

I oppose streaming services, despite their inevitability i’m content to be unknown and exist outside of Spotify/Tidal/Apple/Google and Amazon (and all the attention grab stuff most bands seem to require and want to indulge in). I’m happy being smol and in control.  It’s about £1600-£1700 all in with everything except recording (which I do at home)  for a single.

But oh it’s a thing that didn’t even require a computer to record or make the cover art on. That purity may disappear once it hits the mastering ppl but that’s out of my reach.

i might include a random badge, “I hate Claire Fox” (I added the extra x to differentiate myself from a more well-known pile of human sludge) and/or “Antisocial Justice Worrier”. Like I said I’m  more interested in recreating the essence of the late 70s  than considering this an “investment” or as a moneymaking venture — I’m pretty sure I’m going to lose money and I’m okay with that. I’m making a double a sided petulant scream into the void.

13 hours ago, taunton-hobbit said:

If they want it, they'll pay - never undersell your talent.............

😎

This is true. I might think about going above £7.99. I’m not releasing on any of the digital or streaming services although there will be a download code and i’m hoping to just keep my music to physical copies as i’m not interested in gaining any more attention than what is personally manageable. Which is not much.

I thought £10 but if you charge that, will they come?

Cyclone are a bit more expensive than Duplion who seem ok but I haven’t seen any feedback for them.

Duplion

250 = £722.22 white vinyl (VAT - £866.62) £3.46/unit

250 = £870.26 splatter white/red (£1,044.31) £4.17/unit

Cyclone is:

300 x splatter white/red: £1095.00 +VAT (£1314.00 Inc.)  £4.38/unit

I might forgo splatter and just go with white. It also means I can keep unit costs down.

Not taking into account travel costs to mastering engineer (this can be substantial) plus time, vinyl handouts (artist/master/engineer/journos/radio/promo) plus material costs of printing postage labels, travel to post office (32 Miles for me round trip). There will be other outgoings — but as you can see this is not a money spinner but a labour of love.

http://clairefoxx.bandcamp.com/

I’m trying to recreate the excited feeling I had every week in 1977-1980 era buying 7” singles. These things are expensive but magical talismans of sound.

Thanks for all the links folx..., if you have any experience of any of the ones linked to please let me know, a link is helpful but without context it doesn’t help me decide. But I appreciate the links, a few new ones I had not spotted here.

And funnily enough i’ve been in touch with Human Punk regarding other matters, I did not know they did vinyl.

It’s a 2 x 10 with a dome tweeter and a 4 x 10 — all with appropriate original drivers both being juiced by a Series 6 GP7 each... the pedalboard splits into a “guitar “ from the bass and bass for my punk band so two cabs, two amps. 

I love my stickerbomb in progress... 

Side by side, a new configuration for me.

Both cabs have wheels which makes living with them a lot easier.

Looking into a recommended company to press my 7” single... it might become an EP if recording goes well. But I was wondering if any Basschatters have any companies they recommend.

Initial small run, say 250 but I expect sales through bandcamp and gigs will go well as i’ve got radio play and it’s my first single in 30 or so years. It’s punk. I’m recording it over the next couple of weeks, but the very rough demo I put up earlier as a status update.

EDIT: a more polished recording but not yet a final print or corrected mix  is now up in my status updates.

It limits the different places you can play, you cannot get that crunch and percussive thwack of playing directly over the pickup you are forced to play in the safety zone. Playing right up to the bridge is not possible, in all it’s more restrictive than it is beneficial so I never have them.

Sneaky. Love it.

The baloons could have “cis-fumes” written on them. 

57 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

Very tight-fitting lower undergarments. 

That only works if you are a boy

I’ll get a chipmunk pedal. Maybe two cheap uns for the band.

I’m Just a lightweight anyway

5 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Helium balloon.

Just for onstage mojo this is a complete winner, but, that being said, helium is a very scarce resource for us at the moment...