NXNE Wants You! The Top 5 Things NXNE Looks For in a Band

Posted by Marya Mclaughlin on Jan 7, 2011 12:30 PM
Marya Mclaughlin
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All big festivals have the difficult job of picking and choosing the bands they think are the right fit for them. Usually, you’ll find they have some criteria that they follow when looking at all of your EPKs so that every single band gets a fair shot. But as an artist, it can be hard to prepare when you aren’t sure what a promoter wants from you. So, we’ve taken out all of the guesswork and are bringing you The Top 5 Things NXNE Looks For in a Band.

Now in its 17th year, North by Northeast Music Festival and Conference (NXNE) has become the Canadian festival destination for new and emerging talent—unsigned bands, indie favorites, and major-label headlining artists alike. Seen as the most anticipated summer music event in Canada, NXNE Music, Film, and Interactive are essential gatherings for artists, industry folks, and fans. We had the opportunity to speak with Crispin Giles, NXNE’s Music Programming Manager and asked what they look when reviewing artists’ EPKs, and here’s what he told us:

 

  • It's all about the music. We've said it before and still think “as long as it’s good” still applies. Getting that gut feeling when you hear something great and new is always awesome. Of course there are loads of other measured aspects as well – level of press response, live gigging activity, other festival plays, etc. But it’s all in support of the music.




  • Originality is key. I think people want to connect with something on an emotional level and are interested in something musically fresh – a different take on the familiar. It's really disheartening to see bands simply regurgitate clichés and conventions. I mean, yes; conventions exist for a reason, but it's what an artist can do within those structures that make them stand out over another. Be musically inventive. We’d rather be blown away by something really cool sounding than wade through paragraphs of reasons why we should like something. Many times bands will follow a sound or trend to its bitter end, explaining how fresh it is – and in reality it’s a formula. For me, I always like hearing something genuine and real.




  • Creativity. We can do without the flowery bio prose and staged "band shots". The first thing is always the music and then we want more to be revealed, but in a cool and honest way. Stay away from the hard sell pitch. We’re more likely to respond to the creative - both musically and in the ways artists promote themselves.

  • An Eye for Detail. NXNE is looking at the complete EPK when reviewing a submission. While listening to the music player, we’ll explore all the other elements of the EPK looking to see a complete track listing, new videos, recent live updates, press pull quotes, discography, recent photos and more. Keeping your EPK current and complete is essential. Nothing says, "I'm not interested" more than a half-assed submission. Why do my programmers want to bother if an artist can't take the time to complete their calling card? This is likely NXNE's first introduction to the band and first impressions are everything.





  • The Big Picture. After having a bit of time getting to know an artist through their EPK a larger impression begins to emerge, and questions are asked: Is the band on the road? Are they doing what they need to do in order to support their thing in a meaningful way? Where are they placed? Where are they on their personal arc? What are people saying about them? Where and what sized rooms have they been playing? These all factor in as NXNE programmers begin putting ideas in place for slotting an artist. It's the big picture, all the elements of an EPK that determine how we’ll will respond.



Now that you have advice straight from the source, we think you’re ready to show NXNE your best. Submit here by January 31, 2011.








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