At Kings of A&R, we get a lot of questions from  artists about how to build their team, especially when and how to get a good entertainment lawyer. We spoke with Ben McLane from McLane & Wong to get some answers to these commonly asked questions. Ben McLane has published articles on the music business in magazines and books including, Alternative Press, & Billboard Encyclopedia of Record Producers, and spoke at numerous music and entertainment/media conferences worldwide, including SXSW and NAMM. He has participated in numerous and diverse projects involving, but not limited to, legendary artists such as Weezer, No Doubt, Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones,  Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Eagles, Guns & Roses, and many more.

What do you do for artists?

We are an entertainment law firm with a focus on music, and we represent artists, producers, songwriters, labels, publishers, etc. Essentially, we handle all of our clients transactional matters such as contracts, advice, negotiations, making connections, protecting rights such as copyright/trademarks, setting up a business entity, resolve/mediate disputes, and on occasion shopping record or publishing deals. Our firm does not litigate.

When should an artist seek out an attorney to add to their team?

It varies, but certainly once the industry starts offering contracts for the artist to sign it is a necessity. Before that, if an artist is serious about a career it might make sense to have a lawyer get involved early to maybe assist them with protecting their rights (trademark/copyright, help the get their band partnership agreement in place, and set up an LLC or Inc.), or to help build the team (i.e., manager and agent).

What do you look for in an artist?

Someone (band, solo act, or producer) who has a unique sound, writes great songs, has charisma, will perform live/tour, and has the drive to make it.

After an artist is finished recording a song, what would be the next step?

These days the best thing would be to post the song to all the relevant blogs, on Twitter, Facebook and also have it available for sale on iTunes. Having a video (even a lyric video) to promote the song on YouTube would also be wise. CONTINUE READING

Buzz Track: Secrets to Shadows

Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, The Blues and Greys infuse indie rock with electronic elements to create a dark pop backdrop over which the unique and ethereal voice of front woman Lindsey Waldon shines. The Blues and Greys have been featured on The Huffington Post, MTV, Absolute Punk and Diffuser.fm featuring their debut Bright Lights EP they released Fall 2013. The band has been featured in national commercials and performed New Noise Music Festival alongside national acts such as Cherub, Dawes, and a sold out show with Norway’s Lemaitre (Astralwerks). With their energetic live show, the band continues to build a solid live following in Southern California.
Contact: tim@theborisgroup.com

Hozier
“Take Me To Church”
22,355 downloads

Mark Ronson
“Uptown Funk”
14,523 downloads

Meghan Trainor
“All About That Bass”
13,281 downloads

Sam Smith
“I’m Not The Only One”
11,732 downloads

Pentatonix
“Mary Did You Know?”
8,379 downloads

Kings favorite Jared & The Mill continue to impress with their popular track Breath Me In. They kicked off their fall tour alongside Canadian singer-songwriter Alexz Johnson and Patrick Droney. They hit the road in June 2014 with Barry Gibb performing for thousands of fans across the country at sold-out shows. They have also shared the stage with notable artists including Flogging Molly, Cake, The Killers, Y La Bamba, Joe Pug, Horse Feathers, and playing at Summerfest 2014 in Milwaukee with The Zac Brown Band. They are currently working on their next EP, which is slated for release in spring 2015.
Contact: travis@basismanagement.com

Buzz Track: Hold On Tight

Californian singer-songwriter Ed Prosek is creating a buzz with his latest work. His latest track “Hold On Tight” hit 100,000 plays in less than 3 weeks, and reached #1 on Hype Machine. With comparisons to James Vincent McMorrow, Patrick Watson, George Ezra and Ben Howard, he has dramatically announced himself as one to watch on the scene. Prosek has toured the UK, the West Coast of the US and Germany and just completed a 12 date UK Tour that took him all the way up to Aberdeen. Ed Prosek is an artist to watch…
Contact: stopandthinkmusic@hotmail.co.uk, (press) Kim@Supercatpr.co.uk