Could you explain why you have joined sellaband? Is it just the opportunity to record a professional album or is there more behind it, like a long-term plan?

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Sellaband is very unique. The concept and platform is very one of a kind. Music makers and music lovers join as a team to make music a reality. You ever want to make an album but just lack the fund of making a real one? Or maybe your just dont know anyone that could help you? This was me a year ago. I had ideas and i had songs and i never intended them to be heard outside my circle of friends. Of course i later posted my music online just to have people listen. It was cool to see that people started listening and commenting on my work. Usually i wouldn’t know who these people where, These people just became numbers on my play list and my myspace became a show and tell. This doesn’t apply to everyone as we are seeing more these days with bands i really like, example:(Colbie Caillat, Sherwood, Arctic Monkeys…). When i joined sellaband though the very next day i had just over 100 USD invested in my future. I was amazed. This doesn’t happen for everyone and for my garageband recordings i was really taken back. People started commenting and reacting to my music. The dutch audience really took me under their wing and supported me. The US and the Netherlands are my two top country supporters and i love it. I have since January been to Amsterdam 3 times. The people there are very nice and i have to say that i am very impressed by the talent there. Music is taken very serious there and I love the drive to try new things there as well, example: things like www.sellaband.com

Sellaband for me is long term. I am rooted there and very excited to see where this journey takes me. The music industry is rapidly changing with tons of different ways to market music and i really think sellaband is very unique and genius. I have nothing but confidence that SAB has great things in store for the future. Presently they are discussing more options for promotion in the US and Globally as well as global distribution. I don’t think I’m going any where for a while unless that is that Brush Fire Records gives me a call :). For now though i am a SAB artist to the fullest.

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How does the sellaband deal live up to your expectations so far? Is it already opening doors for you and your music in ways you hoped for?

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Well me and expectations is a funny thing. “Plan for the best, expect the worst.” I’m not a negative person at all but reality is reality and things are moving but are moving slow at the moment. Remember though that good things take time and SAB is still pretty new and NEW. Downloads are slowly moving online, CDs are moving as well. Future plans are being put in place so I’m thinking we will see more action soon. My big stress and joy is just getting out and gigging and letting more and more people know about the album and about SAB. A PR company in NYC will be working very soon on letting major magazines and TV shows know about SAB so we should start to see a lot of people turning their heads our way and hopefully allow me and other SAB artists to see more windows of opportunity. On the same note, while i was in Amsterdam last month i got to meet with AT Productions http://www.atproductions.com and we talked about putting me on their brochures to promote my music in the Netherlands so you might be able to catch a cubworld show next concert year so keep close my friends.

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How does the effort you put into the sellaband project compare to the effort you put into earlier projects you set up? Projects like releasing a record or any project similar to what the sellaband deal is giving you, maybe with the whole promotion thing.

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Well with me i really never intended for my little album (the one i produced myself) to be heard globally. I recorded it on garageband as a school project to go along with my senior art show. I pressed 100 CDs. And made a little money selling those to friends and family. After that I thought it was a good time to set a bigger goal and that goal was to get my music on itunes. Seriously last year around this time that was my biggest goal. I thought it would be awesome to just have my music where you could also get Coldplay or Damien Rice… So i connected with CDbaby,com and with the help of a lot of people on sellaband we all requested my music and shortly there after i reached my final music goal. I could retire from music at this point LOL. shortly after this goal was reached though i started to realize that sellaband might actually not take 50 years 🙂 I think it was somewhere around 8,000 USD that i started thinking this might happen a lot sooner. So back the answer though, i did a lot of my own promotions and things but never really desired more then to just be heard. With sellaband i have not just been heard but i have been supported and have been able to play shows, travel, make an album…So the the efforts i put into my projects pre sellaband was nice because i reached my goals but with sellaband i have lived a dream.

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Have you ever been in contact with other labels or have you done some research on other labels? If yes, how does the sellaband deal compares to those you think?

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I haven’t done much label searching cause most people i go to about this kind of advice discourage it. Unless your the next Jay-Z or Justin, being a part of a label wont pay off and most likely you will end up owing them for a very long time. Being a family man i cant really take these kinds of risks. The deal needs to fit my style. Sellaband has been very supportive of this. Being able to record a top sounding album and not having it come out of your own pocket or being chained to a label is priceless. Of course sellaband and my believers own into the album but this is NOT a problem for me. We (Sellaband Artist Believers) did this together so i feel like its only right that we share it all anyways. A label i have been interested in for a couple years has been Brush Fire Records and most of my thoughts on this has nothing to do with me knowing how the label does their deals but rather on just Jack Johnson as a person. This is probably real naive of me but i grew up on the North Shore of Oahu and went to the same high school Jack did. I am years younger but have talked to really good friends of his and to make a long story short, i feel there is no way someone like Jack could be involved in a label that would screw anyone. But that just might be me in my realistic positive world 🙂 I would like to look into that though. BFR hit me up cubworld@gmail.com

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Are there any terms and conditions you would rather change in the sellaband deal or things you find a little strange, but you took for granted?

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Not really. The concept is changing and i think with the Internet and things it kind of has too. To stay alive in the industry we are defiantly seeing that you need to adapt in some ways to whats going on in the industry. I have no problems with any of the changes that are being made nor did i have any. I know the SAB team pretty well and i know i am in good hands. Changes may happen but the mission is always the same: Anyone that has a passion for music can be involved. Listeners and Artists alike,

Aloha

cubworld