Issue 17: Connor Murray of Crafted Sounds
Welcome to The Band Bible! I’m truly glad to have you here. If you’re a new reader, purpose of this newsletter is to address, break down, and shine a light on the business of being in a band. Each issue, we do this by interviewing (and celebrating!) someone who is making waves through their incredible work with or for independent artists. Learning the business of being in a band is something that is often inaccessible or shrouded in mystery, and it shouldn’t be, so I hope The Band Bible is able to play even a small role in helping to change that.
It’s a delight to feature Connor Murray of Crafted Sounds, a Pittsburgh-based independent label that releases the work of emerging artists. After reaching out to Connor for this interview, we discovered that we had crossed paths five years ago when I reviewed one of his artists, Eyebawl, on a blog I was running at the time. Though I have long since closed the blog down, it’s unsurprising that Crafted Sounds has managed to linger in my subconscious for half a decade. The label has always boasted a roster of exciting and eclectic fresh faces, and as a result, to visit the Crafted Sounds website is to open a treasure trove of hidden gems.
A roster of this caliber doesn’t occur by happenstance; it is no doubt a huge testament to Connor’s vision, leadership, commitment, and DIY ethos. With him at the helm, it’s no wonder why Crafted Sounds has continued to grow and flourish across the board over the years, having recently celebrated its seventh birthday earlier this month. To state it simply, the label does damn good work, and has earned a well-deserved reputation for doing so.
The blog I originally covered Eyebawl on may be closed, but its corresponding inbox is not. While writing this introduction, I logged back in and found my original email exchanges with Connor, and discovered that I had published the Eyebawl piece exactly five years ago today. It’s a really cool coincidence to now be here writing about Connor on the anniversary of having written about one of his artists. Between this and the label’s recent birthday, there’s no better time to dive into the magic of Crafted Sounds.
So, without further ado, here’s Connor Murray.
What’s the origin story of Crafted Sounds?
In high school I was too impatient to learn an instrument, however I was too passionate to not find a way to contribute to music in some capacity. Modeling my ethos, branding, and sonic influence off other DIY labels I admired, I decided to stumble my way through running an independent record label per whatever interpretation of that I had at 18. I designed a logo, and slowly began finding artists to work with, mainly focusing on small physical runs, and then adding other bells and whistles to operations over the years (vinyl, PR, digital marketing, show booking, distribution, curation, etc.).
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from growing and scaling the label over time?
It’s important to practice gratitude and count your blessings because nobody is obligated to listen to the project you are working on… no matter how much you care about it.
In your opinion, how can bands make a good impression when reaching out to a label?
If you are sending an email to a label for an upcoming release I suggest you do the following:
Reach out via email at least 6-8 months in advance of your anticipated release timeframe with recordings of unreleased work. If your end goal is to have a vinyl release, I suggest reaching out at least a year in advance. There honestly are not a ton of labels, and they likely already have rosters and commitments. Factor in physical production times, and you can see lead times for releases by newly signed artists taking longer to be released.
Make an effort to find the first name of the person you are writing to. Generally speaking, if the label is smaller, the label owner or manager is not hard to find. Few artists take the time to do that.
Send a short bio about the band, what the upcoming release is about, how the upcoming release came together, notable contributions and credits, past releases, etc.
Attach an inline photo of the band or potential artwork to the email.
Send a private SoundCloud link to listen to. Many other labels will attest that Google Drive/Dropbox links will be ignored/deprioritized as it takes more clicks and hassle to just listen. I work an unrelated 9-5 and juggle many other responsibilities. I just want to pop the music on while I’m doing whatever. SoundCloud is the best solution for that.
If you have any other documents (EPK, lyrics, full bio, tour history, etc.) that are worth sharing, list as hyperlinked text to a google drive location.
Include social media and streaming links to already released music. Hyperlink the text and make it look clean. Do not send a bunch of copy/pasted “naked” links.
Nice to have: Indicate your goals and expectations in a label relationship or an upcoming release. (Sometimes a label cannot support what you are looking for, and it’s good to know that up front.)
Is there any facet of our industry that you think artists should be more aware of?
Just because something is complete, it doesn’t mean that it has to be released in that moment. Do not immediately submit your music to DSPs and share via social media at 3am because you are hyped on finally finishing a project. Take time to construct a narrative around your release, share with people in advance that may connect with it, and build a light runway to release you art in consumable chunks (during optimal daytime hours) prior to an official release day. There is more value in creating a moment over many weeks rather than a fleeting couple of hours if you are a developing artist. In a time where consumer attention spans are ever diminishing, don’t let your hard work fall victim to an algorithm’s preferences and a flood of social noise.
Lastly, which “commandment” would you like to leave behind in The Band Bible?
Get involved in your local scene.
Book a show, get to know other people in your community making art, standup for bullshit that cannot be tolerated… that stuff matters more than you know it.
A huge thank you to Connor for taking the time to write such thoughtful answers. To keep up with Crafted Sounds, click here to follow the label on Instagram, here for Twitter, and here for Facebook.