Three Ring Circus Interview

Interview with Chris and Dan of Three Ring Records:

1. When did the label start and who were the main instigators?

Dan: I began thinking about running a record label in the late 90's.
I actually decided to do it in February of 2003 and our first release
was in October of 2003. Chris joined me in the Winter of 2004 as I
began to realize that it was impossible to do everything I envisioned
all by myself.

Chris: I started out with the mastering of the first TRR release by the
Bother. Shortly after that Dan wanted to take it a bit further and
thats when I jumped on board.

2. The label sounds like a cooperative? I imagine you working out of
your kitchen (or basement) in an old victorian house. Am I far off?

Dan: Not far off at all - just ask my wife about the amount of floor,
counter, desk, and closet space occupied by label materials.

Chris: I do most of my work from the john.. that's really the only free
time I have at this point.

3. You claim to be a small label yet your website, album artwork,
release scedule and roster belie this fact. How do you accomplish
all of the above on your limited resources?

Dan: I guess it's time to change our label bio? Both Chris and I
work full-time to support this label. We definitely are limited as
to our financial resources which we try to make up with various other
skills. We've actually come to a crossroads with the label in the
sense that we just can't afford to fully finance the amount of
releases that we would like to do on a yearly basis. We now work
both as a Co-Op and a traditional label in the sense that we finance
two releases a year and the rest is all done as a partnership with
the band in which they fund most of the project while utilizing our
resources and industry contacts. We really feel that given the
amount of quality releases we do every year, someone is going to have
to eventually take notice.
Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.
4. Do you have distribution for the label and/or what percentage of
your sales come through the internet?

Dan: We are distributed domestically by Revolver USA, and digitally
by IODA. As far as a percentage breakdown, it all depends on the
band / release. But as a general number, I would say that easily 50%
of our sales come through the internet.

Chris: Yes. We have a fairly big web presence and IODA has been a
huge help!

5. How do you do your A&R?

Dan: Chris and I are both active musicians in the San Francisco music
scene, and as such we are exposed to a lot of great bands. Other
than that, we've signed two bands off of Craigslist, several from
demos, and the most recent (the Scattered PAGES) were actually
friends of Chris from his days in Texas who came to San Francisco to
perform at a Three Ring Records showcase and just blew everyone away.

Chris: The amount of talent out there is limitless, it's just a matter
of finding it. My relationship with the Scattered PAGES goes back to
Austin and their days as Deadwood Forest. Super guys, super band!

6. Your label has an unusually diverse sound (pop to altcountry to
spacerock) and from a statement on your site you'd like to expand to
hip hop, experimental and instrumental. Do you think it helps a
label to have a "signature sound"?

Dan: It absolutely helps a label to have a signature sound and that
could be a point against us. But as musicians and fans of all
genres, we can't justify painting ourselves into a corner. We want
to release music that we would listen to even if it wasn't put out on
Three Ring.

Chris: Good music has no boundaries and why should it. Both Dan and I
listen to everything from twee to death metal.

7. Since a lot of bands read this site what advice would you give
them on how to attract a label's interest and what criteria do you
use to sign a band?

Dan: First and most important is - how good is the music? Secondly,
it's very important to a label to know that you are out there
performing your music live.

Chris: How good is the music to us or the band? The band will always
think that their music is the stuff. It's about objectivity and trying
to realize if others will like the music as well. There are things
that Dan and I don't agree on musically but I sometimes go with it if I
feel like it will benefit the label. Also... the bands need to be
aware of the label, its releases and the aesthetic behind the label.

8. And here's the prerequisite "importance of the internet"
question? How has the internet affected your business? How do new
uses of the internet, like mp3 blogs, affect how you think about
promotion, sales etc?

Dan: The internet is very important to the label for numerous
reasons, probably too many to list here. Most press and reviews are
read on the internet. The first time someone hears our music is
usually by downloading an mp3, and a high percentage of those mp3s
are downloaded as a result of a favorable blog such as your own!
It's really surprising that one blog can generate hundreds of
downloads in one month, and we really value this type of exposure.

Chris: And of course there is MySpace which has had a huge impact on
TRR and all of the bands on the label. I have this theory that in the
near future we will all be judged and placed into social categories
based on how many MySpace friends you have! Ha!

Daniel Crowell
Three Ring Records
http://www.threeringrecords.com/

Featuring releases by: elephone, Tom Thumb and the Latter Day Saints,
Frankel, Soltero,The Ebb and Flow, Scrabbel,the Scattered PAGES,
D.W. Holiday, The Bother, and Love Vigilante!