The debate rages over whether she is a major internet "find" or whether a clever PR stunt .... but does it matter?

Surely the important thing is that the major press are actually talking about music again?

Either way it is a big hit record.
Question is... is it any good? Is she any good?
And will the bottom line on the project warrant the spend?
Indeed, will the bottom line on the Orson project warrant the spend?
Much though we love No Tomorrow and are delighted the Tipsheet found and made the industry aware of it, we're far from convinced that the major label expense has been worth it.
But we shall see in time.

for me the question is:

why artists, who created his/her own audiences (by whichever means) still waste no time and sign standard contracts with major labels?

and they don't even get the million-pound/dollar/euro-advance, like JK explained in an other post.

I'd never heard of Sandi until I saw her on TOTP. I like the song. I did wonder what she was on about - punk rockers with flowers in their hair? - until some kind person explained that it's about her wishing she'd lived in either of the rebellious eras of Hippy or Punk. Actually that line has turned out to be a talking point and therefore a good promotion angle. A bit like when they stuck an S on the end of Sir Cliff's surname - "I thought it was Richard." "No, it's Richards." "Oh, that's kinda weird." "Yeah but it got us talking about him."

Owen GIBSON
media.guardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,,1786405,00.html

The latest sales figures show her single is likely to be number one by this weekend, but debate yesterday raged over whether singer-songwriter Sandi Thom is a self-made internet superstar or simply the next in a proud tradition of rock'n'roll PR swindles.

Thom has been compared to Janis Joplin and KT Tunstall and, according to the reams of press cuttings that accompanied her rise, was penniless and struggling until she secured a

Does anyone know the dates the Sandi Thom webcast thing started?

The first I've tracked down is April 4th. Now at that point there was major media attention, press stuff etc.
Seems like it was all started off together TBH. Getting the media to talk her up and doing webcasts for the media to talk about.

Of course the webcast attracting attention could of been much earlier, but I don't know anyone who saw it before beginning of April.

Might Sandi end up with one big UK hit and a huge reputation as this century's... what was the name of the UA band in the 70's with Nick Lowe in it that sank after a huge New York City jaunt launch?

Brinsley Schwarz

The PR-Company was FAME PUSHERS, owned by none other than DAVE ROBINSON, who later founded together with JAKE RIVERA the one and only STIFF RECORDS.

nm

I can hardly believe the hot air this thing is still generating. Let's face it, Thom is neither a high-concept innovator like, say, Kraftwerk, nor a writer on the par of Tracy Chapman or Sir Paul. It's a pleasant but twee novelty song. I could imagine The Two Ronnies or the Ab Fab pair doing this as a skit. It raises a smile.

So now the noise is being generated by the noise. The buzz is about the buzz. The media is feeding off its own pre-fab rumours. But at the end of the day, there's not much to it, is there?

When you spend your day looking at the snow on a TV screen, even dandruff stands out.

nm

The report says that the webcasts started on 24 February.

http://noyetidance.blogspot.com/2006/03/sandi-thom.html

I enjoyed Sandi's song on TOTP on Sunday night...very catchy song! And a nice way of delivering it too!

I actually admire the marketing method; good for them.
But I do suspect it may have backfired by being too successful!
And I wonder when a national journalist will spot the Kevin Johnson connection.

I hope it has been noted how remarkably quiet I have been on this thread!
I hope that the publicity has not back-fired, to get this far would be very cruel indeed.

I think we've gathered you're somehow involved martin, just let everyone know to what extent and stop alluding to it!

It's because major labels know how to market and sell music. Plus they have the money and employees to make sure all stops are pulled in order to get a sales and airplay success.

Majors are fantastic in creating big regional and global stars - they can get your record on the radio.

For an independent label that say only sells over the internet - it's near impossible to get commercial radio airplay and ABC/BBC radio play.

Indie's don't usually have budgets for video promo clips and don't have a spend budget for press advertising.

But being an independent artist or label is still damn satisfying and a good way to get your music out there but you'll probably miss out on radio airplay
and reaching a large audience.

Let's face it, it's extremely difficult to get an artist signed up to a major - a major will normaly have to invest 250 - 500 K in launching an artists first record which is hell of a lot of risk capital.

I would say for any career artist if you have the opportunity to sign with a big hitter label then do so, same with publishing. If however there's nothing on the horizon being offered then I say do it yourself and be an independent. Don't sit back and wait for 10 years for a major label to contact you -
you have to be productive now and if necessary do it independently.

David

Yeah come on Martin, spill yer guts

Also, how do you pronounce Thom? If it's like "Tom" then I would say that a Sandi Thom sounds like a crap on a beach God I'm so funny.

it's a #1 single though, surely good for Sandi and everyone involved with her. No such thing as bad publicity, and if the figures were massaged a little for hype reasons, the public are certainly swallowing it hook, line and sinker, so a good time had by all I'd say.

But I do see the poser about the point of signing to a major after creating that much buzz-I'd be inclined to start my own label if I was her.

From Pete Townshend