We’re so pleased to introduce everyone to the newest member of our team, Kathryn Graham. Kathryn comes to us from Bluewater Music, where she worked as a royalty analyst as well as artist manager and creative development guru.

Here we ask Kathryn a few questions so you guys can better get to know her (and a few questions that are sort of our secret hazing ritual – I mean, your favorite records are important, you know?)

Lyric Financial: Tell us a little bit about your background.

Kathryn Graham: I’m from Dayton, Ohio. Grew up in a creative family where music and art was a big part of our life. I was involved is choir and musical theater. At an early age I knew I wanted a career in the entertainment business. Studied liberal arts at Wright State University and transferred to Full Sail University in Orlando where I finished a degree in Recording Arts and Music Business. Right after I graduated I moved to Nashville. I was lucky to find an internship at a local publishing company that turned into a job! I got a real dose of the music business starting out as a royalty assistant and was able to start an artist management department within the company, where I learned a great deal of how the creative side of the industry works.

LF: Do you feel your background in creative services allows you to connect with the artists and managers who are looking to establish a relationship with Lyric Financial?

KG: Yes. I’ve been there and understand the needs for both managers and artists. Having access to your royalty income when you really need it is important. So many decisions are based on timing. If now is time to make an album before spring tour and your next check doesn’t come in for another 3 months, what are you going to do if it’s the only source of income you have for the album? Wait 3 months and push back your plans? No way!! Call Lyric Financial and have them advance the money.

LF: You also have a strong background in royalty processing and assessment. How do you feel you can be an advocate to the industry professionals working with Lyric?

KG: Royalties can be tricky. There are often extra fees, reimbursements, un-recouped balances, etc. that can affect your income. They key is to ALWAYS look at your statement details, not just the summary page. Mistakes are easily made and it’s important to catch those issues so it doesn’t affect the future of your royalty accountings. If I’m gong through your statements and see something looks strange I’m going to mention it to you. We all deserve the money we work hard for.

LF: What are you most looking forward to in the new gig?

KG: I’m looking forward to meeting new people in the music industry and expanding my knowledge on advance deals.

LF: What are your top 3 favorite records of all time?

KG: It’s hard to narrow it down to three. Rolling Stones: Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), and Exile On Main St.; Aerosmith: Rocks and Nine Lives; The Beatles: Rubber Soul and Revolver

LF: Who would be your dream client to work with?

KG: Dave Grohl

LF: Give us one more fun fact about you.

KG: I have an orange tabby cat named Maui.

When INgrooves, one of the U.S.’s largest digital distributors, purchased Fontana Distribution from Universal Music Group last year, nobody was quite sure what to make of it. With physical music on the decline, and digital on its way up, it seemed a counterintuitive acquisition.

Bryan Mead didn’t think so. INgrooves Senior Vice President of Artist Services saw it as one major leap forward for the company into the realm of full-service, artist-friendly, tech-savvy services. And what started out as an all-digital distribution company has boomed into one of the major players in the label services game, encompassing everything from distro to marketing to promotion and more. We asked Bryan about the past, the future, and of course his favorite records.

Lyric Financial: What does a day in the life of Bryan Mead look like?

Bryan Mead, INgrooves Fontana: I get in early, I like to start the day without a lot of distractions and read the day’s music news.  As we have just launched INresidence Artist Services to serve the artist and manager community, there are a lot of moving parts as we build the team and bring in projects.  My day is split between vetting deals and listening to a lot of new music, speaking with managers and the staff about marketing opportunities, budget planning, international strategy, pre-order campaigns and a ton of drive-by conversations. There is nothing better than working the halls and getting everyone excited. We are a very close team that works and plays hard together.

LF: It feels like INgrooves Fontana is positioned at the crest of the new wave of distribution, bridging the gap between physical and digital, and working with a variety of partners to bring labels and artists a comprehensive set of tools to help them conquer the music world. Can you tell us about some of the strategic partnerships you’ve forged, and how they benefit your clients?

BM: Thank you, we have worked hard to build out a first class independent operation that takes in all the needs of the label partner. We vet a lot of opportunities with new business and marketing models for our labels and try to bring them the best services with the greatest value.  PledgeMusic is a personal favorite, as we have built out our relationship with them as a retailer: in essence they are our fan club for the pre-order space.   We provide the marketing and fulfillment role, much like we do with any other retailer.  We also have a solid relationship with SoundCloud, where labels can auto populate their pages via our console, saving them time and, as the SC platform develops, making them money.  Other partnerships that save time for our partners are with RightsFlow and SoundExchange, where our systems talk and handle the service automatically.  Lyric Financial is also a great partner in terms of offering a plug and play finance solution, we look forward to the further developments of this model as cash flow is critical in the independent sector.

LF: The distribution landscape has changed dramatically over the last decade, and is rapidly transforming as we speak. What’s next in the distribution world, and how is INgrooves Fontana rising to meet that challenge?

BM: As we move further towards streaming as mainstream, music will be everywhere and micro-transactions coupled with mass data accounting will become the new norm.  The headaches of distribution will only get more complex and our goal is to make it as painless and simple as possible for our partners.  We will continue to look for new outlets and be on the forefront of developing trends around monetizing music.  It will also be a further development of marketing services, which is why we created INresidence and have already had tremendous response in a very short period of time.

LF: OK, now for the hard question: what’s your personal favorite record of 2012, and what are you looking forward to in 2013?

BM: One of my favorite albums of last year was by a Swedish band called iamamiwhoami, if you like Portishead with deep grooves, check it out.  My current favorite is the new London Suede album, something we have coming in late March, a true classic from the band!    The new Nick Cave is perfection as well….

Lyric Financial: Many of our readers might be unfamiliar with Kingdom Records, so give us a brief history of the label, its mission, and its artists.

Michael Towns: Kingdom Records has been in the music production, marketing and distribution business since 2001. In that time, Kingdom has become a bedrock in the Gospel genre. We have distinguished ourselves by successfully producing over thirty albums and DVDs combined. Kingdom has won numerous awards including acknowledgement by Billboard Magazine as one of the nationʼs top ten independent record labels in 2008 and 2009.

Today our roster is a mix of gospel and urban. Our top artists are Shekinah Glory Ministry, The Brown Sisters and Cynthia Jones. On our Urban Creed and Indie Chart Music we have around 15 smaller artists in various genres.

LF: As a gospel label, do you face unique challenges when it comes to financing, marketing, and promoting your recordings?

MT: Gospel music is different than other genres in that the music really belongs to the people. It is the music that believers turn to in sorrow and celebration that reaffirms and renews. Because of the public trust nature of the music, there are just some things you don’t do. Artists have to be careful with their public images. We have to be sensitive to how the music and music advertising is positioned. We have to be mindful that in some religious denominations the idea of commercial music is an anathema. These factors tend to limit the market’s size and growth. Another hugely complicating factor is that the vast majority of public performances are in local churches. These venues are smaller and often done free or for a modest fee that barely covers the artist’s costs. Thus, live music promotion is further complicated.

The quest for scale is a key factor in gospel music. Despite the genre’s challenges the cost side of the ledger is often similar to promoting secular music. The genre’s key differentiator is that the risks are smaller and the upside limited. Unlike secular artists, gospel artists know exactly where their fans will be on Sunday and Wednesday. That knowledge means that you don’t have to drive them to a venue. However, they are less inclined to pay you to show up.

Financing music is a challenging proposition. The intellectual math is simple. If an artist has a bona fide sales history, you can use it to estimate future sales. However, banks and investors who don’t understand the business tend to be hard asset or cash flow lenders. Unless you are moving significant volume, label cash flows are typically all tied up in projects and marketing. If you are working with an artist with no sales history and lots of talent and potential, its either 1970 or you have lost your mind.

Though we have been lucky to work with a few different banks, everything changed in 2008. Many banks just stopped talking to small firms. We had also been fortunate to work with our distribution partner. However, all the financings were tied to asset delivery. So even though we knew we could secure funding, we had to fund projects through final master. Again for a small label, we had to be incredibly creative and fortunate. It also meant planning was a luxury another guy enjoyed.

LF: How did you come to work with Lyric Financial? Can you tell us about how Lyric has helped your business grow?

MT: Our distributor at the time was Universal Music Christian Group/Fontana. Our label was their flagship when they began this division in 2007. We had an excellent relationship with Fontana’s finance team. They knew all to well the industry deal. As then Vice President of Finance and Business Development Jeff Clayborn told us, “I would rather not be using my balance sheet, but I recognize that it’s just difficult for small labels to find financing partners”. His sensibilities didn’t mean better terms, but at least he understood his clients. Jeff had mentioned that Fontana was always looking for a better way to finance label partners. He made the introduction to Lyric Financial.

Lyric has been wonderful. Our management team is very encouraged because Lyric understands our business. That was one hurdle that we really did not overcome with our local banks. The one thing we appreciate about Lyric beyond the cash is that they genuinely seem to care about helping us to grow our business. We have always maintained that if your partners are not giving you ideas or helping you to solve problems, then you have the wrong partners. Lyric thinks outside the box. They are responsive and quite frankly they don’t waste your time.

Lyric not only has helped us get through a very turbulent year but they have given us the ability to begin thinking about our business differently. We have capabilities that we didn’t have before. Its just a matter of finding the right catalogs and partner. Lyric is a long-term partner.

LF: With digital music permeating nearly every aspect of our lives, it would seem the future is bright for smart music companies who find new ways to expose people to their music. How are you utilizing new distribution and listening opportunities to find new fans?

MT: Gospel music is a laggard in the switch to digital. However, we see the landscape changing. We are out of the project development business. We are now positioning ourselves as a fee for service platform. There is a significant value add that we offer to facilitate brand development and promotion in the digital space. Our payment model will be part hard dollar and part revenue share. We have three imprints: Kingdom Records (gospel), Indie Chart Music (digital only, all genres, new artists no sales history) and Urban Creed (all genres, digital and print on demand fee for service, license and compilations).

LF: What’s next on the horizon for Kingdom Records? Any new releases our readers should know about?

MT: We are releasing Desmond Pringle’s new album Fidelity on April 23rd. We are also releasing the Shekinah Glory Ministry Surrender DVD on the same day. Surrender is Shekinah’s fourth concert DVD. We are planning for May delivery of two Shekinah Glory compilations. We also have a number of new artists scheduled for release on Indie Chart.

Kingdom Records Artist Highlights

Shekinah Glory Ministry (SGM)

Shekinah Glory Ministry (SGM) is the standard for urban praise and worship music. They’ve made chants such as “Praise is What I Do” and “Jesus” universally known tunes that choirs around the globe sing every Sunday morning. With five RIAA gold and platinum record and video certifications behind them, this coterie of psalmists, minstrels and banner-wavers are the inspiring soundtrack to many Sunday worship services around the world.

Desmond Pringle

Desmond Pringle’s golden tenor can be heard on some of the finest recordings in recent times. That’s him backing up R. Kelly on “I Believe I Can Fly.” Over the years, he’s shadowed Aretha Franklin, Marvin Sapp and Yolanda Adams on CD, and led “The Place” on Shekinah Glory Ministry’s RIAA certified gold CD, Live. He’s composed hits for others and also enjoyed hits of his own ranging from the worship ballad “You Are God” to the inspiring Adult R&B hit, “Arms Wide Open.” Now, after a six-year recording hiatus, Pringle is back on the scene with the uplifting tune, “Can’t Even Imagine,” the first radio single from his first and forthcoming Kingdom Records debut CD, Fidelity. His new soul-stirring hit “Can’t Even Imagine” (#24 on the Gospel Chart) is a fresh addition to the current praise and worship music trend. “Usually songs come to me with lyrics and melodies as if someone is singing on the inside of me,” Pringle says when asked how the song was conceived.

The Brown Sisters of Chicago

The Brown Sisters, who refer to themselves as “undignified worshippers who worship God in spirit and in truth.” The Chicago natives have enthralled audiences around the globe with their warm harmonies and spontaneous worship. They’ve shared the stage with Aretha Franklin, Bobby McFerrin, Marvin Sapp and Shirley Caesar among others. The Brown Sisters who have been singing professionally for almost 20 years had never released an album. This career omission ended when the sisters joined Kingdom in 2009. The CD entitled The Brown Sisters Live in Chicago was well received by critics and fans alike. Their reverential radio singles “Awesome God” and “Hold On” received strong radio play across the country. The Brown Sisters frequently tour nationally and in Europe.

Cynthia Jones

Cynthia is a distinctive gospel artist with a classic neo-soul sound and vibe. She ministers to non-traditional audiences in a powerful yet unique manner. The founder of the Ebony Angels and the Soul Patrol biker clubs and an expert cyclist herself, Jones continues to blaze a trail for neo­soul music (her 2008 “Gotta Soul” video aired on BET and Centric and has over 50,000 YouTube hits) with an evangelistic message but expands her territory with the new set. “It still has my neo soul vibe,” she says. “However, I’ve added some things that are not the style people expect from me like a club song and a straight up traditional gospel song. I’ve always wanted to have a variety of styles on my CDs. When I first came out people said I needed to have one sound so that I didn’t confuse the consumer. Now, people know who I really am as an artist, so I threw those songs on as bonuses for people that might want to hear something else. The project is hot, and the people are getting onboard for the journey.”

Whether he’s playing with his longtime band Everclear, producing and writing with other artists, or working on the Musician’s Assistance Program with MusiCares, Art Alexakis is a busy man with a storied past. Here we chat with him about the future: his upcoming work, the music landscape he works within every day, and the new business of making music.

Lyric Financial: Everclear and you have been a staple of the rock scene… What do you see next in the natural progression of your career, and what challenges are you facing?

Art Alexakis: I think as far as challenges go, the industry really isn’t an industry anymore. It’s not the engine that it used to be that dictated everything. It used to be that the labels and the money dictated everything. Now with that being gone for the most part, I think people are getting back to doing the music they want to do, and I think that’s a really good thing. I think social networking, and a lot of different options online, just make it better for people to be DIY.

But it’s funny, because you know, you hear about people putting out records all the time on labels you’ve never heard of, but instead of letting that define the business of making music … if people are creative … and can think outside the box, I think it’s got as good a shot as anything. Because it’s really becoming more about the music. I think it’s getting to the point now where people are really learning ways to put their music out there and support it. You have to be seriously crafty. You have to be working constantly. I know people who are like, playing in 4-5 different bands or signed to 2-3 different labels. They’re constantly playing with other people. They’re hustling every day just to make their living from music.

I was fortunate to have been a part of the old model. When I was came into the record business, money was shooting out of the ground! I’d call my A&R people and say “I want to mix in Barbados”, just you know, just joking around and it would get approved!

LF: Do you think the music business is in a better place, or worse?

AA: I think it’s in a transitional place. The old rules don’t apply. You can make something happen if you have what it takes. I don’t think that will ever change. If you’ve got a song,and you have talent, you stand a better chance than the people who don’t. But people aren’t throwing money at things like they used to. There isn’t the artist development there used to be. Now people won’t even sign you to a major label anymore unless 20 different people on a committee think there’s a hit. And then they try to get everything they can from you. The industry is trying to redefine the business, how the pie is cut up, without trying to enhance the pie. They’re not saying “ok, we’ll bring more to the party.” They just wonder how they keep their bottom line closer to where they need it to be, now that there are less going on and less people buying records.

LF: As a veteran of the business, how do you see that affecting your career? How do you see that moving forward?

AA: I work harder. I don’t get big royalty checks anymore. I play shows, that’s how I make a living. I’ve been working myself out of debt, like a lot of guys in bands that were really successful – we have built up a certain lifestyle. And I’ve downgraded that lifestyle to a livable place. I still live, I think, pretty well. I have a really nice place where in live in California, and I have a wonderful wife and younger daughter. My eldest daughter is at a wonderful college right now, and doing well. Life could be worse. It really could be worse. I’m healthy, I’m full of energy, I’m still doing what I love to do.

Where do I go from here? I want to continue to create and play great music with Everclear, but I want to do other things as well. I want to get back into acting. I’d like to write and direct, in both films and TV. I’d like to work with people on writing songs, helping people learn how to craft songs. Take my creative ability, and take the know how I’ve developed over the years, and impart that to teach and mentor people. I think that’s a new future for me as well.

LF: What do you think of the future of labels, and the importance of labels in helping artists foster creativity?

AA: Well, I don’t know. Like I said before, labels are really redefining what they are all the time. There’s great little labels that people are really excited about, but it’s usually based around 1 or 2 people that are there. When they leave, that cachet just kinds of goes away. So I really think it’s less about the label and more about the people that are running it or working there or making things happen. And that being said, what I’m starting to see a lot more of, is less about the labels and more about the management companies. I’m seeing management companies becoming more all-in. Like, my management company [Career Artist Management] has a touring department, they have a marketing department, they have a tour marketing department, they have a social media department. And everyone there kind of kicks ass. They’re great at what they do. And these are all people that either worked for promoters before the big promoters took over, or it’s people who worked for record labels who got disillusioned with working for record labels and being a small part of a big machine.

I think it’s all about people. It’s about creative, inventive people who are not afraid to take risks. Who are not afraid to put themselves out there. That’s how the big things happen. Big things don’t happen by committee. They never have, and they don’t now. And that’s one reason I think the music business is in such a state of transition.

LF: How did you come to work with Lyric, and how has it helped you in your personal/professional life?

AA: I was referred by my lawyer, to a guy in who invests in bands and publishing and whatnot. And he knew of Lyric Financial, and he referred me to them. Eli’s great. He comes from a long history in the music business. I like the model of what Lyric Financial is doing, using money to help people with income streams that haven’t been tapped yet. In my case, that was SoundExchange, which was all I had left after a bankruptcy. I’m totally paid off and cool with the government, but I had a little bit left to go, and that’s where Lyric came in. To help me get my head above water. I’m really thankful for that. I’m thankful for Eli and everybody there.

LF: You were one of the early SoundExchange experiments for Lyric. Until then, we had really only worked with performance royalties from PROs, or publishers. And this has opened up a broad range of different types of advances that Lyric can offer. Both to artists, and to labels.

AA: Well, I think that’s a great idea for artists and for all the small and medium size labels that might have access to those kinds of digital royalties, and need that money to keep doing what they are doing.

LF: What other sorts of challenges do you think artists face in finding financing? You had mentioned the money from major labels has really dried up, and they’re not willing to take bets. So what’s an artist to do?

AA: I think an artist has to think outside the box. I made a record a year ago, the latest Everclear record. I went to a studio, I said to them “I’ll give you this much money for this much time.” I went in, recorded the basic tracks for both records, mixed one of them with the budget that I had. Then I had all these songs for a new Everclear record done. Then I would just make money as I go, do some shows, money coming in from SoundExchange. Just go in and record and vocals, mix three songs, mix five songs. And I think, people aren’t thinking outside the box anymore. The whole thing where you used to have this unlimited fund that we used to have. An $800,000 fund for our record. And the industry has downsized itself to where it’s cheaper to make things. Everyone talks about technology, but I don’t think it can be overstated how it really has changed the industry. Instead of needing a studio that costs $2500/day, I got a little ProTools studio that cost me about $5k, and a mic that costs me $3k, and effects and stuff. So I have about $10k in my own little personal studio, and I record all my overdubs there. And it sounds great. Not good, it sounds great! And I think that a lot of cottage industries have gone by the wayside. There used to be companies that just transferred tape around! Remember that? It would show up on budgets of records for tens of thousands of dollars. Now I walk in to master a record and I have four thumb drives in my pocket.

LF: I have one other question, it’s about Summerland 2013. I saw you had mentioned on Twitter that you were starting to work on that. Any news you can share about that?

AA: We are still putting the final touches on the bill, but it is looking very exciting! Like last year, we’ll have five great bands from the 90′s (including Everclear), the U.S. in May, June, part of July, Canada in July and August. And then hopefully Australia, South America, and Asia. We are committed to taking Summerland worldwide.

LF: Well, if you stop by Nashville I’ll certainly be in the audience! Thank you so much, this has been amazing.

AA: Well, thank you and thanks to everyone at Lyric Financial. You guys have been really helpful. It’s going to be a better year for me and my family because of working with people like you. Big things can happen with the right people behind you.

One of the most amazing things about working with artists and songwriters is to see their visions become reality, to see the fruits of their labor manifested in song. Recently, Lyric Financial has also begun advancing to labels, and along with it comes an entirely new set of rewarding clients. While labels have a tough road ahead of them in 2013, there’s still a vast amount of innovation, ingenuity, and, well, really great music being made.

Mathew Knowles and his label, Music World Entertainment, are in every sense veterans. Over 20 years in the business, a wall full of platinum plaques, and a rich catalog ranging from gospel to country to hip hop. And Music World is still on top of the game – Destiny’s Child, who Knowles manages (Mathew is also the father of Beyoncé and Solange), just released their first new track in almost 7 years.

We caught up with Mathew to ask a few short questions about the music business and the challenges facing labels today.

Lyric Financial: Manager, producer, CEO – you’re a man of many talents. Music World Entertainment is celebrating over 20 years in business, and showing no signs of slowing down. With all this experience in the music business, what do you see next in the natural progression for your career, your label, and what challenges do you face?

Mathew Knowles: The 20 years have been fun and flew by quickly. Our focus at Music World Entertainment will continue to be our Music World Gospel label as well as looking for acquisition opportunities in the faith base arena. Additionally I have a passion for teaching. This will be my 5 year as a college professor. I’ve taught at Fisk University and currently Texas Southern University.

LF: It’s 2013, and the label game has very clearly changed – what’s your take on the future of labels, and the importance of labels in helping artists in fostering creativity?

MK: It’s no secret of the decline in Music Sales however I’m still convinced that with a great song, strong artist work ethics and a great team behind any artist we still have the opportunity for success. The other key is marketing smartly and keeping cost to a bare minimum. At the end of the day it is about profitability.

LF: How did you come to work with Lyric Financial? And how has Lyric Financial helped you and your business?

MK: Lyric Financial has a very good reputation in the music industry. Eli Ball, founder, not only is passionate about helping his clients but extremely knowledgeable about the music industry.

Name: Sheridan Grime
Title: Processing Manager
First concert:  (embarrassingly) Hanson haha; but my second concert was James Taylor (amazing!)

Tell us a little about your background, your education, past work, musical life, etc.
I’m originally from a small coastal town in southeastern Virginia called Smithfield – the Ham Capitol of the World! I was always raised around music (both my parents were in bands) and community theater. I have also sung since I was a kid and was even in a few bands when I was in high school. I knew that I wanted to continue my passion and involvement with music into my career, and since I was also a bit of a geek I found my niche in the business/financial side of the music industry.

I attended college in Nashville at Belmont University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BBA in Music Business. During school I interned and worked part time at several companies, including the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Haber Corporation, and Big Loud Bucks, getting experience in customer/artist relations, business management, and publishing administration. Upon graduation I went to work for O’Neil Hagaman, an entertainment accounting and business management firm with many big name artists. I was selected for the position at Lyric Financial last November and am very happy to be back at a smaller company where I get to interact more with clients and creators on a daily basis, making a difference in their lives and careers. My husband is also musically talented, as well as being a professional sound/live production engineer.

Walk us through a day in the life of a processor at Lyric Financial
Since we are a small company, we all wear many different hats around the office. My typical day consists of LOTS of emails; answering new inquiry calls/emails/applications; researching our clients (and adding their songs to my playlist for the day!); contacting royalty organizations; collecting, issuing, and reconciling royalty payments; staying up-to-date on industry news and trends; calling clients about their accounts or advances; crunching numbers for potential advances; conducting due diligence searches; creating documents; and even watering our beloved fern.

What’s your favorite part of working at Lyric Financial?
The variety of people I get to talk to and supporting/helping those in the music industry financially so they can do what they love to do: create.

Helping artists and songwriters is at the core of everything Lyric Financial does. How do you help champion music through your work at Lyric?
I have a deep love of music and like to support both new and existing artists. I try to champion artists and songwriters by helping to give them the freedom and assistance they need to be creative, artistic and add to the world’s quality of living. I enjoy getting out to support local music and artists/songwriters at shows (such as at Musician’s Corner in Nashville). I’m also a vinyl junkie :)

What music are you listening to lately? What’s on the iPod?
On the way to work this morning I listened to: Fitz and the Tantrums, The Head and The Heart, and The Delta Saints. But I love the shuffle button so I can listen to all my favorites…rock, motown, and Americana/folk.

That's all folks. This contest is now closed.

However, this afternoon I was sharing an insight with one of our advance processors about getting to know the client as a person rather than just the target of her marketing call. She’s bright, and really gives a damn about our clients, and said I should include it in our next newsletter.

Last night I was driving home from dinner with my wife Mary and we passed what appeared to be a 30-something homeless person with a severe physical deformity. As we rounded the corner and the woman struggled to cross the street with her bags, my mom reached out from my subconscious and grabbed me by the collar to remind me that that object of my elitist observation was in fact a human being, a woman who laughs and cries, who is someone’s daughter or sister and who may have children of her own.

There is an old axiom that “it’s not personal, it’s just business”. Bullshit! It is personal. Make no mistake: business is survival of the fittest, with winners and losers. However, whether you are a corporation or a start up, long term success (which I admit not everyone is interested in) occurs when the value proposition is a win-win for all stakeholders, not a zero sum game (I win, you lose). The people you are negotiating with on the other side of the table have lives outside of the business. The clients or customers that those business negotiations are affecting are real people with real challenges and needs. That is what Lyric was founded on, doing the best for our clients (songwriters, artists, publishers, labels and producers) and providing efficiency for our vendors (rights organizations, distributors and publishers).

Next time you catch yourself on autopilot, staring or forgetting why you do what you do, remember that is a real person you are dealing with and real people that may be affected by your actions.

Brian ‘Head’ Welch is perhaps best known as a co-founder and guitarist for the band Korn. But his most recent project, Love and Death, finds Welch taking a unique turn, a more spiritual and cathartic sound, while still retaining the signatures and guitar techniques that make him a legend. We caught up with Welch to ask him about the new record and his career in music.

How did you get your start as a songwriter?
I started writing with Korn in about 1993. I had messed around trying to write when I was a kid, but it seemed to flourish when I started writing with Korn.

Tell us about the new record and the new band. It’s a departure from your past work, but very distinctly you.
Thank you, yeah I think I have a pretty unique sound, but writing with my new band, as well as other writers in Nashville, added a newness to Love and Death’s sound. Our new EP Chemicals came out 4/24. It’s our first project with producer Jason Rauch.

What’s next? Touring?
Yeah, we hit the road with POD in May and we’re out with them for a month. We are pretty booked up until December with touring and finishing up our record that’s coming out in the fall.

Are there any other artists you’d like to work with?
I’m pretty open to working with others, but right now, the team we have is going really good, so we’ll see where we end up!

How did you hear about Lyric Financial?
I heard about Lyric through a former manager. I was going through a dry spell financially and I discovered Lyric just at the right time.

How has Lyric Financial helped you in your professional career?
Well like I said, I hit a dry spell financially and Lyric was really there for me. In 2009, I had just started touring with my new solo band, so the connection with Lyric was very key in helping to kickstart my solo career.

Anything else you’d like to share?
I would recommend Lyric Financial to anyone and everyone!

Name: Dr. Terry A. Steele
Occupation: Singer / Songwriter / Ethnomusicologist
Website: www.TerrySteele.com / www.TheLutherShow.com

How did you get your start as a songwriter?
I began songwriting twenty-five years ago. I borrowed about $500.00 from my father and went into a little 16-track recording studio to demo a very simple song called “Our Love.” And with it being my very first attempt at recording a demo, I didn’t know any other musicians or producers, so I ended up playing all the instruments myself! I sang the lead, and with the help of a friend from my church’s choir also sang all the backgrounds … although it was very difficult and I had so much to learn … still, I absolutely LOVED it and was completely HOOKED on music after that! And from that first day, I KNEW that I had found not only a career, but even greater … my purpose in life!

One of your biggest achievements was “Here and Now” with Luther Vandross. How did you wind up working together?
It was my Godmother, Ms. Dionne Warwick, who first played “Here And Now” for Luther Vandross! I, along with her son (and my little brother) David Elliott, had been working on the song when Dionne heard it and took it to a party at Luther’s home. Being the proud Mom, she played it for him and he loved it and wanted to record it. Working with Luther has been one of the GREATEST blessings of my life, one that I am grateful for to this very day!

Are there any other artists you’d like to work with?
Throughout my career, I have had the great honor to have worked with many of my all-time favorite artists and songwriters. Still there are many more great artists that I would be thrilled to work with. Lately, I’ve been working on some country music tunes and would love to meet and work with some of the brilliant country artists out there today!

What’s next for you? Any new projects you’re working on?
Currently I’m working on completing a book and CD project that should be released sometime in the late spring or early summer of this year! I’ve also very recently received my Doctorate in Ethnomusicology and will hopefully begin teaching later this year.

How did you hear about Lyric Financial?
Fellow songwriter and musician Mr. Preston Glass introduced me to Eli Ball and the Lyric Financial family last year, and it has been a powerful tool in the arsenal of my creative equipment ever since.

You called Lyric Financial “your secret weapon.” We love that! Tell us more about how Lyric has helped you in your professional career.
Since becoming acquainted with Lyric Financial, I have found it to be an essential part of the advancement of my musical endeavors. In an ever-changing industry, Lyric helps me to compete in the same arena as the major labels and publishers, while still being a small, independent boutique company. It affords me the ability to move forward with many of my special projects by financially backing them, providing me with advance access to my own royalty funds and publishing assets. So when friends ask me how did I do it, especially in this uncertain economy, I tell them: by using my secret weapon … Lyric Financial!