If you are
interested in our label, please read on to see what we are all
about and if we are likely to be a good fit for you in the future
from both an artistic and business standpoint...
Barking
Dog Records is a
REGIONAL label of outstanding musicians in various genres. Based
in Fargo, North Dakota, USA and encompassing the Upper Midwest
(including Minneapolis, MN) as its HOME MARKET, Barking Dog Records
strives to identify the finest musicians in the area and help
them launch their professional careers. Though some artists on
the label are strictly regional in scope, others are national
in terms of touring, distribution and promotion.
By regional, we mean the areas
noted above. If you are from the East Coast, West Coast, South,
Southwest, Europe, etc. etc., please do not send us your materials
because we will not consider them.
Barking Dog Records' criteria
for signing artists is fairly straightforward - we are extremely
selective and only consider those bands/artists who are experienced
professionals, who have extensive performing experience, who
are committed to performing, and - above all - who are outstanding
musicians.
We also record many bands and
artists who are not on our label but who come to us as clients
in our recording studio, Raptor Studios.
MUSICAL GENRES:
Although our label is
more geographically-based than genre-specific, certain types
of music are given priority consideration including acoustic,
pop/rock, and some classical.
ARTISTIC CRITERIA:
As with all companies
who hope to be successful, Barking Dog Records chooses its investments
extremely carefully. We only sign artists whom we feel possess
an extraordinary musical connection with their audiences, a commitment
to extensive performing, outstanding musical talent and musicianship,
originality, and (the most ephemeral ingredient) that "extra
something" that is particularly compelling about the artist
that sets them apart artistically from thousands of other musicians
with similar goals and desires.
TOURING: Next to artistic excellence, the most
important element to a project's success at the regional/independent
level is performing and lots of it. Barking Dog Records artists
must commit to performing as much as possible. For a full time
artist/band, that typically means a "home" touring
radius of the states adjoining the artist's major market home
base. For artists based in Minneapolis, that means Minnesota,
Iowa, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota as a starting point.
Barking Dog Records works closely with regional booking agencies
and will attempt to help artists secure management and booking
services.
RECORDING:
Barking Dog Records is
somewhat unusual in that we are also a production company and
recording studio. All releases currently on our label were recorded
at our facility, Raptor Studios, and
co-produced by Mike Coates in collaboration
with each artist. The rationale for that arrangement is threefold:
we believe in the outstanding production quality of our work
and the standard it sets for releases on our label, in undertaking
the creative process together with each artist we feel we more
deeply understand and can better promote the artist's music,
and we also believe in keeping recording costs down to reasonable
levels in order for the artist - and the label - to have a more
realistic chance at realizing a profit. WE WILL NOT RELEASE ALBUMS
ON THE BARKING DOG RECORDS LABEL THAT HAVE BEEN RECORDED ELSEWHERE.
A bit unusual, maybe, but that's the deal.
If you would like to
submit your music to Barking Dog Records for consideration, please
fill out the following:
Artist
Submission Form
Print this page and mail it to
Barking
Dog Records, PO Box 1455,
Fargo, ND 58105. Enclose a demo CD (please make sure song titles/track
numbers are clearly marked), press packet (this can include bios,
photo, press clippings, gig calendars, etc.), and any other information
about you or your music that you would like to include.
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