Paper Garden Grows in Brooklyn

CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN: It’s a good time to be a young music entrepreneur. Talented indie bands are everywhere and searching for the right partnerships to help them develop. NYC and, more specifically, Brooklyn is a breeding ground not only for the bands, studios and live music venues, but also for innovative music businesses like Bryan Vaughan’s Paper Garden Records.

Vaughan, a 20-something graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, is building his business — a full-service record label and publicity firm — more in the tradition of Saddle Creek and Sub Pop Records than Interscope or Jive.  And this business is one that simply would not have been able to thrive ten years ago as it does today.

Paper Garden Records first popped onto our radar last November, with promotions for a music + art party they curated at Brooklyn’s 3rd Ward, called Multiverse Playground.

A multimedia exhibition featuring live music by Paper Garden artists among others, art/light installation, photography and comedy, the event demonstrated the label’s efforts to create a dynamic environment in which new audiences would experience their artists’ music in a new way.

Since then, Paper Garden’s roster has grown from 3 artists to 12 — including Peasant, Emanuel and the Fear, Philadelphia Slick, Mighty Tiger and SAADI — and the second Multiverse Playground just went off in Los Angeles this past weekend at Urban Outfitters’ Space 15 Twenty.  Vaughan and the rest of the Paper Garden crew run the business as if there’s not a second to waste; new opportunities are both found and forged — sometimes in their own backyard. Literally.

When we visited Paper Garden HQ, and the home offices’ backyard in Clinton Hill, Vaughan pointed out the remnants of Hillstock, a DIY music festival that took place in his and the adjoining backyards. There, we talked about Paper Garden past, present and future over a beer…

Tell us about how Paper Garden came to be…you started in Nashville, right?

Yep, I started the label five years ago when I was still in school and interning at Saddle Creek in Nebraska for the summer. The first band was a Lincoln, Nebraska band, Eagle Seagull. For the first two years, it was basically me doing artist development with them and figuring out the whole distribution process.

After that, I signed two more bands — Peasant and Darla Farmer — and things progressed with them pretty quickly. That’s when I came up to NYC. I was still in school; Belmont has a program in New York City. So I did that for a semester and then went back down to Nashville to finish up school then moved to Brooklyn.

How do you get a band to sign with you when you’re in college? You must have had an impressive pitch!

Tricks! (laughs) Well, it’s all been a little different with each band. Eagle Seagull were friends of my older brother’s. They were a small band looking to do what they could and I was just figuring it all out. Working together came naturally.

I discovered Peasant through Myspace. He was a fan of Eagle Seagull. I used to listen to every friend-request from bands on Myspace and I responded to this one. He sent me a few more demos and then I went to see him at CMJ and we talked more from there.

All the bands I started working with were in very early stages of things. Darla Farmer were friends of mine from school in Nashville.

So, once you moved to NYC, how’d you discover Emanuel and the Fear — the band we first heard/loved of the Paper Garden family?

I originally talked to Emanuel [Ayvas] through his other band, Motion Commotion. He sent me a demo. Then I met his manager at an Eagle Seagull show and we started talking. At that point I had just changed distribution to go through TeamLove, which goes to ADA, and in doing so established a much more solid distribution line.

Emanuel’s EP was a test run for both of us to make sure it made sense — he’d already put the money into making it himself, so it wasn’t the typical deal. If it worked for both of us, we’d develop that into a deal for the full-length album. And it did work out. As we moved into the recording of the LP, I finally left my day job. I’d been working at The MuseBox as director of online marketing.

So, what was your philosophy in setting up Paper Garden Records? What kind of music did you want to put out? What did you want to DO?

My goal was to build the bands that I liked and respected both musically and creatively and which would be cohesive with the Paper Garden brand.

I wanted to make sure the label’s roster was diverse, like my musical taste, but unlike a lot of other indie labels at the time that I still admired and drew inspiration from. The music industry is ever changing and ever evolving, and I really didn’t want to pigeon-hole the label into a specific genre.

How does the diversity in style impact the artists on the label? You have a hip-hop group, an 11-piece rock orchestra, an indie-folk-singer, an indie-rock-band, an ambient electro-pop artist, etc…

Occasionally, I’ll get a little flack for it being so diverse, but for the most part I think it’s a very positive thing because each one of the bands provides a different opportunity or hits a different demographic. Granted, media-wise, if a hip-hop band like Philadelphia Slick gets something with Okay Player that’s obviously not going to be relevant to Peasant.

But there are a lot of media outlets that do eventually tie-in and come back and provide new or different opportunities to a different act on the label.

Generally, I think people have more diverse tastes now than years ago where you had your genre and you stuck with it because you weren’t as easily exposed to different kinds of music and new bands.

Is there anything you’d say you actually look for in an artist beyond the obvious — talent — perhaps as far as attitude or goals?

Yes! And my criteria have definitely sharpened in the last couple years. First of all, I need a band to tour, because that shows their efforts towards developing themselves as an artist and growing their fan-base into different markets.

But the other thing I really look for is a band’s level of creativity outside of just the music. If they’re coming up with lots of ideas for different videos or remixes, or if they’re just out meeting and talking to other bands a lot, that makes a huge difference. I need a band to be active — whether it be touring, or coming up with video ideas, or getting your music out to the music supervisors, or just going out a lot in general and mingling —all of these things play a key part in a band’s ultimate success.

Touring is easier for some than others. What’s the approach with a large ensemble like Emanuel and the Fear, for example? How have you guys adjusted your approach?

Emanuel knows how important it is to tour and he’s really a thinker as far as coming up with ways to make it work. For example, we’ve been brainstorming and trying to figure out ways to get into the college circuit, even outside of the NACA program. Since Emanuel is a composer and went to music school, we’re looking at music schools, even elementary schools where he can play and teach kids.

Then, also, there are the city orchestras: he has all the parts written out so if he’s able to connect with the program early on, we can create a show that will definitely have that town draw because the people in the band are now from that town.

What do you think is the most important aspect of what Paper Garden does, speaking to what it is artists seem to most need from you right now?

It’s a different thing artist to artist. Everyone on the roster right now knows that album sales aren’t going to be great. I think what Paper Garden does provide is a constant forward-thinking train of thought and actual proactivity. If you have some random idea, we’re going to figure out how to make it happen. We’re also able to setup the old-school distribution and promotion. And publicity.

A lot of companies will want to separate the label side from the publicity side, but I don’t see the need to do that because I feel providing publicity to a good band who already has a record label and distribution, will show Paper Garden’s credibility and may connect somehow to some of our label clients.

Also, we’ll represent the whole roster for all kinds of opportunities, i.e. when a synch licensing opportunity comes into Paper Garden as a whole — if we have an artist on the PR side of things that suits the request more, I’ll submit that over something that’s not as much a direct hit from the label side.

Some of your publicity clients are one-off shows and project deals, right?

Yes, and we often provide more than just PR when we do publicity. For example, we signed on to do PR for [Copenhagen-based band] Alcoholic Faith Mission, to get the buzz going on their album, but from there, we setup distribution, got the albums pressed and setup a little tour for them in the States. That type of model provides incentive for both parties — makes the band want to be proactive and make sure they’re getting their money’s worth and incentivizes us to come up with all kinds of new opportunities for the band because it’s in our interest to sell records.

There are a couple bands that we’re working with in the capacity of artist development, in which case it is very similar to a manager-style contract and percentage fee, etc…

Is Paper Garden also managing any of its clients?

We do have one management client — SAADI. We started out doing PR for her EP which was released through Serious Business, and that naturally evolved into a managerial role.

My contacts and knowledge are more on the label and PR side of things, but if a band needs management and will trust in Paper Garden to get that ball rolling, we can do that. We really just want to see the band develop in the most positive way. We’re careful to build in a large degree of flexibility to our contracts so that we can adapt with the development of an artist.

Who’s representing your artists for synch licensing opportunities? Do you have specific companies you work with?

Peasant is with Zync Music, which is an exclusive deal. And then we have about five non-exclusive synch-licensing companies that we get along with really well who have provided different opportunities including Rumblefish, Jingle Punks, ishlab, Peace Frog, Tonic, and Music-By-Design.

Who inspires what you do? What record labels do you admire?

I will always have a strong respect for both Saddle Creek and Sub Pop. Saddle Creek were really at the very forefront of the new music revolution for independent artists. Also, Vice is very forward-thinking as far as events and branding. Also I really respect Cantora Records, which has a small, but incredible roster.

What is Paper Garden’s goal with the events you’re organizing?

What we’re always looking to do is get Paper Garden and the music in front of people who don’t already know of it. And we’re always looking to align ourselves with companies and ideas and individuals that that makes sense with our artists.

There are a lot of people doing a lot of creative things and I think there are different audiences for all of it. So to continue to beat the music snob crowd over the head with the same thing over and over…well, it may be a necessary thing, but we’re also looking to reach new audiences.

For example, at CMJ, we’re setting up shows at the New Museum. It will be the premier of an experimental short film for Emanuel and the Fear, which will be displayed on two projectors with the band in the middle playing live to it.  When we’re able to connect our artists in that realm of not just music than I think it becomes a lot more impactful.
Paper Garden has grown significantly recently. Tell me about that.

Yes! In the last few months, we’ve seen more and more bands coming to us.

We’ve gone from three active bands to closer to 10-12 active projects. I don’t want the roster to get out of hand, which is always a risk….if one of our artists gets really big, we have to have room to grow with them!

Visit Paper Garden Records at http://www.papergardenrecords.com.

Win Tickets to Jeffrey Lewis at Highline; Emanuel and the Fear, Dinosaur Feathers at The Knitting Factory!

We’ve got two sets of tickets for two awesome shows coming up, courtesy of Brooklyn’s Paper Garden Records. And we’re giving them away! Here’s the deal:

First, NYC singer/songwriter/comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis plays the Highline Ballroom this Sunday (6/20) with Jimmy Lloyd & Friends, featuring Peasant & Dorie Colangelo, and Laura Warshauer. You and a friend could be there free.

Enter to win via Facebook or Twitter, by doing the following by midnight tonight! (6/18):

- If you’re not already, follow us on Twitter @sonicscoop and Re-Tweet this message to be automatically entered to win:

RT @SonicScoop: Win 2 tix to see 6/20 @papergardenrecs presents @jefflewisband, @peasantpeasant at @HLBallroom: http://bit.ly/dlnY2u

- Fan/Like us on Facebook HERE and post a comment up on our “Win Tickets” post to be entered. In this case, post “Jeffrey Lewis” or “Peasant”

Doors at 8PM!

Now then, our favorite Brooklyn 11-piece Emanuel and the Fear will be playing The Knitting Factory Monday night (6/21) and we have a couple tickets to this show as well! It’s The Onion / AV Club showcase, featuring E and the Fear, Dinosaur Feathers and The Silent League. (Oh, and read our piece on Emanuel and the Fear in the studio.)

Enter to win via Facebook or Twitter, by doing the following by Monday (6/21) at Noon:

- Follow us on Twitter @sonicscoop and Re-Tweet this message to be automatically entered to win:

- RT @SonicScoop: Win 2 tix to see 6/21 @EandtheFear, @dinosaurfeather @knittingfactory courtesy of @papergardenrecs: http://bit.ly/dlnY2u

-  Fan/Like us on Facebook HERE and post a comment up on our “Win Tickets” post to be entered. In this case, post “Emanuel” or “Dinosaur”

Doors at 7, Show at 8PM!

Venue Details:

The Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th Street
(212) 414-5994
http://www.highlineballroom.com

The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Ave
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
http://bk.knittingfactory.com/

Emanuel and the Fear: Out of ishlab, Onto the World Stage

DUMBO, BROOKLYN: It’s such an exciting time in music. Challenging too, yes. But “exciting” because we live and work in a time when bands like Emanuel and the Fear will start as an idea in the studio and become real because there’s nothing standing in their way. An 11-piece indie-pop orchestra led by singer/songwriter Emanuel Ayvas, Emanuel and the Fear has produced its 19-track debut LP through a unique collaboration with DJ/producer Jamin Gilbert of Brooklyn’s ishlab Music™.

A songwriter and film score composer, Ayvas writes pop songs and arranges them for an orchestra of rock, classical and electronic musicians. Gilbert brings a DJ and electronic music aesthetic to Emanuel’s epic-pop sound. The two have been working together since Ayvas came to ishlab in DUMBO as an intern in ’05.

“After college, I wanted to be immersed in the music business and learn production,” Ayvas explains. “I interned at ishlab for about 9 months and had another band project I was working on in the off-hours. I left to tour with that band, and afterwards, I decided to go out to LA for a while. Right before I left, Jamin had heard some of the new music I was working on and liked it. We talked about doing a record when I returned.”

Out in LA, Ayvas worked briefly as a copyist for film score composer Chris Caliendo. “We were working on these two really big remakes of John Ford films and I got the chance to watch him work,” Ayvas notes.

“We spent a few days at Capitol Records doing orchestral sessions. And that’s what gave me the idea to do an orchestral band. Musically, I loved the idea that I’d be able to be more expressive, more complex and symphonic, but also it was a way I could always control the way things sounded, and I wouldn’t have to worry about replacing players or finding fill-ins. I could just have other and even additional players come, read the score and sit in with us.”

Returning to Brooklyn, Ayvas and Gilbert got right to work on a demo, and Ayvas gradually assembled a band. The first Emanuel & the Fear show with full band happened in January of ’08. In the two-and-a-half years since, Emanuel and the Fear produced a critically-acclaimed EP, which came out in January of ’09, and then the forthcoming LP, Listen, which comes out March 9 on Brooklyn’s Paper Garden Records.

The culmination of many days and nights in ishlab’s Music Lab — equipped with a vintage MCI console, Pro Tools, Logic and loads of analog processors and vintage synths — Listen is a sprawling orchestral pop record that, at its peaks, feels about-to-burst it’s so densely layered, but also goes introspective in quiet, sparser moments. The dynamic arrangements blend rock, orchestral and electronic elements to the point where it’s really almost equal parts of each. When it’s big and anthemic, you hear the Polyphonic Spree and Arcade Fire influences while other tracks run on more minimalist electronic sounds and often build to blends of classical and eastern European instrumentation, 80s synths, and/or epic rock.

At the center is Ayvas’ vocal, the most dulcet and reliable of all the tones, a narrative, sometimes-conversational voice always telling a story you want to hear.

ORCH-POP SONGWRITING, ELECTRO PRODUCTION
Ayvas and Gilbert explore a variety of musical and sonic ideas and styles on Listen. The upbeat single, “Dear Friend” cues some of what’s in store on the record — sunny melodies, full orchestration to film score proportions, Ayvas’ grounding vocal, with the occasional electro sheen perfecting its omniscient storyteller tone. Listen to the album single, “Dear Friend”:

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Throughout Listen, Ayvas’ voice balances warmth and objectivity, and it’s always up front, as so many other voices and sounds join in and retreat. The vocal is the tying line throughout the record’s various musical exploits, as Emanuel bounces stylistically from orchestral rock to introspective electronic, to synth-driven dancey-pop. Given the current conflux of indie-rock and classical, electronic and folk, the record sounds very modern, a quality Ayvas acknowledges in crediting Gilbert.

“As a composer my influences are pretty classical but I’ve definitely been influenced by rock and electronic artists as well, probably more so, in my songwriting. So, I approach my orchestration from a classical perspective, but there’s always that strong influence and desire to make things sound like ‘now.’ And that’s something I developed in the last few years, working with Jamin at ishlab.”

Jamin Gilbert’s electronic influence can be heard in both subtle flourishes and driving passages throughout Listen. “My approach is more DJ style — loops, beats and synths, drum machines. But growing up I listened to all kinds of music — rock and jazz, classical, soul and funk so that’s in me, but the way I approach the production is more from a DJ point-of-view. And, with Emanuel, they’re all blending together so it’s been a really interesting collaboration, an interesting balance of skill sets.”

This balance is especially potent in tracks like “Jimme’s Song” and “Trucker Lovesong,” where a tripping beat and synthetic percussion underscores a sparse piano part. “’Trucker’ began as a song on piano and I also wrote a score for it,” says Ayvas. “At first, it was two minutes of just piano and voice, and it was pretty, but started to get boring. Jamin had some ideas: let’s put some beats on it. I was totally resistant at first, but he encouraged me to try it and it really ended up coming together and taking on this Kid A kind of feeling. It actually fit very nicely with the song.”

Pointing around ishlab, Emanuel describes a kind of kitchen sink approach to production on both “Trucker Lovesong” and “Jimme’s Song.” “We laid down the scratch track and we’d sit in here and try all kinds of sounds,” says Ayvas, of “Trucker.” “Jamin would go into the live room and beat-box and I’d be recording my feet shuffling on the floor of the control room, and playing around with some of the synths. It was a long process of sound selection that happened afterwards.”

MIXING LISTEN WITH PATRICK DILLETT
By the time Listen was ready to be mixed, Ayvas and Gilbert felt way too immersed in the project to mix it themselves at ishlab. “We really needed distance from it,” says Gilbert. Ayvas adds, “Plus, it’s so dense — there’s so much going on; if it wasn’t done right, it could sound cacophonous. The dynamics are very fragile. Everything’s kind of swelling, the way it blends between these electronic sounds right up-front and then the acoustic instruments in the room. We wanted someone who could do it justice.”

NYC-based engineer/producer Patrick Dillett came highly recommended via Bryce Dessner of The National. “We heard that Patrick was amazing, and that if he liked the project, he’d do it,” says Ayvas. “I was especially excited about him because he mixed the David Byrne and Brian Eno record, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, which layers acoustic and electronic elements really well.”

Dillett heard the EP and signed on to mix the record. “As soon as I heard some of the new material, I knew they were on the right track,” says Dillett. “The songs were incredibly dense and sophisticated, but still simple and clear enough to maintain immediacy.”

Keeping the immediacy of Ayvas’ vocal, in particular, in a sea of swelling instrumentation and electronics would seem the biggest challenge. Says Dillett: “On the one hand, this was an easy record to mix. There are tons of elements but the arrangements are sensible in that the instruments stay out of each others’ way.

“But, on the other hand, this was a very difficult record to mix. The balance of acoustic and electronic instruments involved required some extreme measures to allow for the full impact of the songs to be realized. Specifically, more compression on overall mixes than usual, sometimes more radical panning and EQ’ing to open up the sound field and allow parts to breathe while still having a big punchy rhythm section.

“Keeping Emanuel’s vocal completely in control of the story on top of all this was crucial. His lyrics are amazing, and it was vital to me to give people a chance to hear everything and still feel the power of these songs’ productions. Doug Van Sloun, of Focus Mastering in Nebraska, did a great job getting the most out of some pretty radical files. I think the result is a perfect balance of pushing the limits of limiting.”

BEYOND THE STUDIO: iSHLAB iD
Emanuel and the Fear’s relationship with ishlab extends beyond the studio, as the music company also positions the band for opportunities in sync licensing and original composition. ishlab’s music licensing and background music styling divisions operate under ishlab iD, which harnesses the talents of a team of DJs, artists and software developers.

The ishlab iD team comprises music supervisors and stylists, custom-creating playlists for businesses, and designing background and foreground music for restaurants, retail and hospitality environments. Essentially, they create unique soundtracks for brands and commercial environments.

“We’ve developed the ishtech™ proprietary application to allow searches through our catalog, and being involved in producing new music allows us to grow that catalog,” Gilbert points out.  “So, the DJing ties in with the production, which ties in with the studio, which ties in with sync licensing and finally, music styling. So, there are many moving parts that all work together in ishlab.”

Gilbert describes music styling as, “remote DJing, for clients from hotels to fashion shows to bars. We are DJs — who knows how to choose music for people better than a DJ? So, there’s are two parts to our magic: the human element of our team being DJs that gives us an edge, as well as our technology side. We can build and deliver custom playlists to businesses using an online platform.”

On the sync licensing side, ishlab represents several artists including Emanuel and the Fear, Betty Black and Leo Coltrane, for opportunities in television, commercials, film and video games. Ayvas sees the connection to these alternative revenue streams as critical to sustaining the band project.

“Our music lends itself very well to picture because it’s so cinematic, so I’m absolutely looking at licensing and original composition as a great opportunity for independent artists like us,” Ayvas shares.

“It’s really important, as people in the music business, to be thinking about how we’re going to keep ourselves going, especially when there are so many people involved. The bottom line is, there has to be money coming in. But I’m also looking forward to licensing and original composition opportunities because I think it will enhance Emanuel and the Fear from an artistic perspective as well. It’s another form of expression and another method of exposing us to a new audience. Plus, I personally really enjoy working with picture — I like working with directors and meeting their vision with the music that’s in my head.”

TOURING: MAKING FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD
Emanuel and the Fear’s record release show will be at Gramercy Theater on March 10, and will feature members of the NYU Symphony Orchestra. While Emanuel is officially an 11-piece band, it will expand and contract to suit occasion and venue.

“The good thing about this band is that we can do it with six people and it sounds great,” says Ayvas. “So, when we tour Europe in April, we’ll hire orchestra players from the Universities in each city. Take them on and make friends all over the world!”

For the record release show, Emanuel and the Fear will be composed of 25 people on stage, playing Listen as well as an orchestral piece Ayvas has written especially for the event. In March, Emanuel will also play Maxwell’s in Hoboken, World Café Live in Philadelphia, and a bunch of dates at SXSW.

Listen to Emanuel and the Fear at http://www.myspace.com/emanuelandthefear, and see them live at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 2/27/10 or Gramercy Theater on 3/10/10. For more on ishlab Music, visit http://www.ishlab.com; for more on Paper Garden Records, visit http://www.papergardenrecords.com.

Boy Crisis, Emanuel and the Fear, Das Racist To Play Music + Art Party at 3rd Ward On Saturday

NYC’s Paper Garden Records will present the multimedia extravaganza, Multiverse Playground, at Brooklyn’s 3rd Ward on Saturday, November 7. Paper Garden bands Emanuel and the Fear, Peasant and Darla Farmer will be performing as part of this event, also featuring performances by Das Racist and Boy Crisis.

Conceived to “shine a new light (literally) on our everyday perception of music and art,” Multiverse Playground will be a unique live music experience, designed to “heighten the viewer’s awareness of the space, lighting and their relationship with the constructed environment and the music.”

An idea spawned by conceptual art visionary Larry Mayorga, the light display for the event will be dependent on the music and exclusively designed for the bands.

According to Paper Garden President Bryan Vaughan, “This event came together back in the Spring and was initially just a collaborative idea between Larry Mayorga and myself to incorporate his light installations into a music show. Ideas snowballed from there, and with the help of Paper Garden’s newest representative, Heidi Greenwood, we began developing and implementing a slew of additional ideas into the event and ultimately deciding that this event can really break out of the traditional record label idea and into many more non-traditional arts and cultures scenes.”

Accompanying the art of Mayorga, Paper Garden will also be showcasing photography exhibition by Greenwood and a live conceptual art performance by NYC art collective, Art Battles. Comedy Central’s Kurt Metzger will perform stand-up between Art Battles and Paper Garden’s acts and then Brooklyn’s Boy Crisis will headline the event with a guest appearance by Das Racist! Dance Party.

Also, it has to be said: there will be free Colt 45 from 6-7pm. Party!

“Paper Garden will be using this first event as a milestone for a quarterly series and eventually taking it on the road as an entire tour,” adds Vaughan. So, come out this Saturday — you can say you were there at the first!

Space is limited and tickets are selling fast, so pre-order your tickets for $5 off here.

And check out some of Paper Garden’s artists:

Download Emanuel and the Fear’s “The Rain Becomes the Clouds” mp3.

Download Darla Farmer’s “

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” mp3.

Download Peasant’s “The End” Daytrotter Session mp3: