Wind-up Records has long been known as the house that Creed built. Although they are an independent label, they’ve been home to many chart toppers in the Active Rock and Alternative genres. Over the last few years, Wind-up has been branching out, picking up artists that seem out of place on a roster that once included Drowning Pool and Evanescence. Kings of A&R caught up with Wind-Up A&R director, Shawn Cohen, to find out more about their new eclectic roster that includes bands such as The Griswolds and SPEAK and how they are transitioning into new genres.

Wind-up has been picking up some surprising new bands. Where is all that coming from?

We have been known as the house of active rock for a very long time and we’re trying to be creative and showing the world that we can do mainstream, alternative, pop…we’re not just rock. We want to work with music that we love, no matter the genre.

What’s your favorite artist that you’re working right now?

Hands down, The Griswolds. Not just because I signed them, but they are just from fans to music the most intriguing, fun, exciting people and it shows all around. Their social media, their recorded music, their live shows, they are a very dynamic band.

How’d you find them?

I found The Griswolds in the blog scene. They had posted their first song , Heart of the Lion. It was under the radar when I heard the song and I was really into them. I did some homework and saw they were doing well on Triple J (Australian Radio). I listened to their other songs and I thought it was very creative and refreshing so I reached out to them. CONTINUE READING

Renowned music industry executive Tom Sturges literally wrote the book on creativity. In his most recent work, Every Idea Is A Good Idea, he explores the two primary types of creativity- individual and collaborative. While the book is a must-read no matter what you do, filled with excellent advice and exercises to help anyone find their creative center and learn to access it more efficiently, many of us work with artists every day in a non-creative capacity. We followed up with him to find out a little more about how to have a successful relationship with truly creative people, and see what creative turns he has taken to end up where he is today.

In the book Every Idea Is A Good Idea you talk about how deeply personal the creative process is, and how it shouldn’t really be discussed. When you said that a one-hit wonder will go on and on about how a song just came to them, I laughed out loud. We all know those guys. Can you give me a few questions one can ask to get a good read on whether or not a new artist is really tuned in to their creative center? Or is producing material the only way to really know?

True artistry is very genuine, and very truthful in its presentation. And you know the truth when you see, and more importantly, hear it. In a strange way, it’s almost as if the performer doesn’t really care if anyone is listening or not, as if he or she is so in tune with their own music and art that the presence of a witness is insignificant. Picasso could not tell you how he painted, but he could tell you how empty his life would be without his art.

So the questions to ask a new artist would relate to their inspirations, their artistry, their big dream, their favorite song that has ever been written (not their own, I hope), what they were like in high school, and that kind of thing. Come at them from the perspective of complete respect and see how they respond.

You have worked with a lot of very extremely creative people and in your book you share one particular story about an encounter you had early in your career with Carole King. You have picked up a lot of wisdom about creativity itself, but what can you share regarding what you’ve learned about working with creative people, from the business end of things?

Between an artist and the record, there are several intermediaries, including the producer, engineer, mastering engineer, mixer, a&r, etc. Between the songwriter and the song there is no one. When working with artists, the music is almost like a third person in the room, probably because it required so many others to successfully create it. When working with the writer and talking about the song, you might as well be talking about a family member.

The bottom line is that one must be completely respectful of a creator’s art, and allow plenty of room for ego and dreams to co-exist with the vocal, instrumentation, the lyrics and melodies. But, before sharing an opinion with someone about their work, find out if it’s the FINAL version, i.e., cannot be changed no matter what versus a DRAFT, i.e., still a work in progress. If it’s the latter, feel free to say whatever you like. But if it’s the former, pay a compliment relative to your view of the work and say no more.

What do you think it takes to have a successful working relationship with an extremely creative person when you’re not really a collaborator?

If you are working with someone and you are not a collaborator, you need to pick the role you intend to play. Possibly you are the sounding board (listen to all ideas and offer comments and suggestions), the enabler/facilitator (organizer of studio time and finder of musicians, but with no “creative” role to play), or the fan (who loves everything, no matter what). The thing I find most creators need most is believers. So if you cannot be any of the three above, just believe. CONTINUE READING

Mark Ronson “Uptown Funk” 31,000 downloads
Taylor Swift “Blank Space” 27,000 downloads
Hozier “Take Me To Church” 24,000
Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud” 19,000
Meghan Trainor “Lips Are Moving” 18,000
Meghan Trainor “All About The Bass” 10,000
Taylor Swift “Shake It Off” 10,000
Fall Out Boy “Centuries” 10,000
Madonna “I’m Madonna” 9,000
Sam Smith “I’m Not The Only One” 9,000
Selena Gomez “The Hear Wants What It Wants” 8,000

Kings favorite blues/rock singer-songwriter Katie Buchanan just released her new single “Honey, Don’t“, the first track off her debut full-length album Glow, set to release in March of 2015.  Influenced by artists like John Mayer and Sara Bareilles, Katie pairs fine-tuned guitar chops with self-produced soundscapes, putting her own gritty spin on the singer songwriter niche. She has been making waves throughout the blogosphere, being featured in notable publications such as American Songwriter, Diffuser.fm and Pop Matters.
Contact: info@katiebuchanan.com

Nadia Rayne, hailing from St. Paul, Minneapolis is making her way as an up coming singer-songwriter and YouTube cover sensation. For only at 14 years of age, her vocal prowess can be heard in  Sia’s cover Chandelier and her original “Color Out The Lines“. Nadia already has a decade of singing experience and sights Beyonce as an influence with respect to songwriting, expressing herself musically. Nadia has a voice of a young Duffy, Adele and Jesse J all rolled up into one.
Contact: elamanna14@gmail.com