Welcome to the first post of the "Dreamers" series. The goal of this series is to get to know [and introduce you to] some of my favorite music makers and folks making things happen in independent music. If you would like to be featured or have a suggestion of someone you'd like to see - please let me know. You can email me at indiepulse [at] gmail.com.
Today we get to know Travis Morgan a bit. I've been a fan of his Birmingham, AL-based label, Skybucket, for a while now and had a chance to ask him some questions. Skybucket has been really busy lately managing artists and releasing records. Thanks again Travis for taking the time to do this for me.
* What was your first job in the music industry?
My first job actually was starting and running this label back in 2002 (our first release was in 2003). I had no former knowledge and didn't work for any other music companies before starting Skybucket. I have learned what to do by learning what not to do. In a way, it has been a pure and free experience. Free from outside influence, so perhaps that's helped on the creative end. That being said, if I were younger and able to work for a label (or another music company) before starting my own, I would. This could've helped me cut to the chase on some issues and knowledge. In my case, since there were no labels (oustide a DIY label or two) in Birmingham to learn from, I had to learn on my own.
Editor's note: Travis also added that he worked "in a record store (3 different ones in fact) before starting a label."
* Where did the name Skybucket come from?
The label was born out of need rather than a sudden urge to start a label. I started the record company with my friend Justin Lee (who left in 2004). The story is: There was a literary magazine starting up in Bham (short for Birmingham) and they approached Justin or Justin approached them about doing a cd compilation with the magazine; I cannot remember now. They wanted to do it. The compilation was supposed to accompany the magazine. So, we set forth to create an Alabama music collection. We dug around as much as we could for solid music coming out of Bham, Montevallo, Huntsville, Auburn, etc... When we had the collection ready, the literary guys were not ready to move forward. We waited several months for them to get their act together and when they did not, we proceeded. When we had the collection ready, we needed some kind of a way put it out. We thought, let's do it ourselves and we should put a label name on it...what should we call it? We wrote possible label names on the front and back of legal pad sheets. We finally decided the name "Skybucket" fit the personality of the label. There's not a big story behind the name. Sky Buckets are things at theme parks that take you from one end to another. They simply bring to mind joy so we wanted our label to be associated with something that brought joy to people. We put the two words together and called it "Skybucket." Hopefully we can help bring joy to people with the music we release.
* Who is your music icon?
Wow, that's a tough one. I think of an icon as being someone that everyone knows, so that's not very interesting to me. I'd say one of my heros is Eddie Hinton. Eddie did a lot of session work in Muscle Shoals in the late 60s/early 70s. He contributed to a lot of records/songs you've probably heard. Look him up all All Music Guide. It's pretty spectacular. What's even better is the music he made. Although, he made only a handful of records, they're all very special, but especially to me Very Extremely Dangerous. Buy that records now. He died in Birmingham in 1995. Even in Bham, not many people know who he is, but he was considered a musicians musician. More musicians know who he is and respect him than do the average listener.
* Do you have a favorite keepsake?
A recent one is a pin that my stepdaughter gave me which I wear or carry in my pocket of the character Carl from the Pixar film Up.
* Tell us about where you go to get inspired..
When it's not summertime, I love to hike. It's a great place to clear my head of life's frustrations and reset my brain. A new park opened in the Bham area called Red Mountain Park which is really great for hiking. It's full of interesting wildlife and the park displays the remains of abandoned iron ore mines (Bham made a lot of Steel)
* What is the big project(s) you are working on right now?
Currently, it's the new Delicate Cutters album Ring. It's getting some buzz right now. I'm very excited. I'm also preparing to put a lot of work into the new full length by Belle Adair from Muscle Shoals.
* What qualities do you look for when deciding to work with artists?
Do I love this band?
Do they write great songs?
Could they make a great album?
Would I listen to this band if they weren't from Birmingham or Alabama?
Do I like the people in the band personally?
Would they be making music regardless of success or being able to make a living?
* What's your favorite place to buy music?
I like both Renaissance Records and Charlemagne Record Exchange, both located in the Five Points South area of Bham. If you go in those shops without a list, you will be very happy because you'll discover something new every time.
* What's your favorite place to see live music?
Hands down, BottleTree in Bham. It's one of my favorite venues anywhere.
* Who is your favorite industry person to follow on Twitter?
Honestly, I follow Bob Lefsetz [@lefsetz]. Other than that I don't pay attention to many people besides those I know. I love following comedians like Marc Maron, Jim Gaffigan and Neil Hamburger.
* How would you describe your philosophy and approach to the label?
Although I love so many different styles of music, I feel like I've mainly been interested in songwriters. Every band I work with tend to have at least one key songwriter that has been honing their craft for years, decades, even. I love jazz, electronic, avant-garde, etc...but I'm more focused on songs. That being said, I also tend to work with bands that have a dark side. Many acts on the roster write about dark subject matter. Not always, but it can be very interesting to me for a writer to explore the shit people don't talk about. My approach is very DIY. I do mostly everything myself. I have people that help from time to time, but it's mostly my vision. I am interested in releasing records that many other labels wouldn't release due to a lack of that certain glossed over, overproduced sound. Honestly, if someone recorded something on a four track recorder and it was beautiful I might take that for a stroll.
* Top 3 things you've learned from running a label?
- Touring leads to so many opportunities a non-touring band will never see.
- Physical distribution means very little for a new artist. If you're an artist just starting out, make your music available for all to hear on the internet and don't worry about printing physical copies. Create demand first.
- Somedays a lot of buzz is happening and others you cannot pay someone to pay attention to you. Enjoy every good moment and don't let the bad ones get you down. Remember why you're doing what you're doing.
* In what ways is artist mgmt the same or different than running the label?
Again, you're probably asking the wrong guy. I'm also learning management as I go. In my case I manage bands that aren't on my label. I'm not saying I wouldn't do manage artists I work with as a label, but right now, I'm not. On the small level that many of the bands I work with live, I tend to do everything I can to make things happen for them either way. They've got to get labels and booking agents interested, and between writing, rehearsing and playing shows, they need help to make those things happen. I really enjoy working with artists from the ground up, developing artists. I want to help them achieve their goals. Being a label is only a piece of the puzzle. A manager assists in so many details. It's a really fun thing to be a part of.
