FAQ

 

Q: What exactly is this Sukey Rose Project, and who is Sukey Rose?
A: Hello. The Sukey Rose Project is a grassroots online collaboration that was created as a method of getting fans and supporters involved in the production of my [Mia Kim's] second album. Sukey Rose is a fictional character, the center of my next album entitled “Who Is Sukey Rose?” You’ll have to get the album to find out exactly who she is.

 

Q: I’m sorry, but who is Mia?
A: That’s me. I’m an unsigned, acoustic/folk/rock indie musician planning to record a high-quality second album. You can check out my myspace here if you like, or visit the HEAR THE MUSIC page to, you guessed it, hear the demo songs for the next album.

 

Q: Is your stuff good?
A: Yes.

 

Q: Ok, so what exactly do you need help with?
A: Well, to work with a quality producer in Los Angeles, it’s costly. I could use some help raising funds. You can really help by participating in the presale . You can also support me by leaving your feedback, comments and suggestions on the blog entries. Knowing that there are people out there rooting for indie musicians is a TRUE encouragement. Lastly, you can help by spreading the word about this project.

 

Q: So how much moolah do you need to get this album done?
A: The budget for this album is $15,000. This will cover costs for recording, studio time, mixing, mastering, studio musicians, and cd duplication.

 

Q: Is that all this is really about, you need money?
A: No, not at all. It’s also a forum for supporting indie music and tracking the progress of an indie musician from humble beginnings to a successful end. We want you to chime in on the HAVE YOUR SAY page by voicing your opinions on things like album art, track order, the progress of this album, etc.

 

Q: Right. You’ve mentioned the phrases ‘indie musician’ and ‘indie music’ several times now. What exactly does that mean?
A: Well, ‘Indie Music’ is actually a genre of music. It comes in many styles like rock, folk, pop, and emo. Basically it’s a genre of music that’s out of the box and is not played on Top 40 mainstream radio. Being an ‘indie musician’ does not necessarily mean you play ‘indie music’. It’s complicated I know…bear with me. Being a true ‘indie musician’ means that you do your music without the support of a record label, agent or manager, usually funding and directing everything yourself. It’s a do-it-yourself approach and allows you to keep control of your art. A true ‘indie’ musician, in the purest sense of the word, is not signed to a label. I’m not signed to a label, and hence, I’m an indie musician.

 

Q: What exactly does being signed to a label mean?
A: Being signed means you are contracted to create a certain amount of albums for the record company. They pay mostly for everything, all of which the signed artist must pay back out of album royalties (usually 9-12% of album sales after various deductions). The label usually fronts the signed artist tons of money to pay for recording an album, the producer fee, mixing, mastering, duplication, marketing and promotion. The label also ends up owning the master copy of the CD, which means that the artists do not own the music. Artists usually have to buy copies of their album (at discounted prices) to sell at shows. Being signed means you gain a lot, but you also give up much for the gain. The buzz nowadays is that the major label system is broken as artists get signed and dropped after making the label no money. There is a new way of music to be done — the ‘indie music revolution’ — attempting to create and flourish as a musician without the major label system. But what I’m finding out is that going the indie route doesn’t mean going at it alone. Not at all! Being a successful indie artist means you DO need support, in my case, of friends, fans and people like you!

 

Q: So you’re trying to do it this ‘independent way’ huh? Is that really possible?
A: All things are possible. Jill Sobule raised over $80,000 to fund her next album. Check out her website, which was quite the inspiration for the Sukey Rose Project, (thanks Jill for being an inspiration!) Though the SR Project is on a smaller scale, it also focuses on starting conversations about indie music and getting people’s opinions as I share the experience of producing this album.

 

Q: You know I’ve heard of this different ‘indie thing’ like Radiohead giving their music away online, or Trent Reznor selling presale copies of his album directly to his fans. Is this like that?
A: Sort of, but no. As a promotional effort, Radiohead allowed their fans to download “In Rainbows” for whatever amount they specified or felt like paying. Rumor is that most people paid nothing. But don’t worry, Radiohead and Trent are not doing too bad in the financial department. Trent made 1.6 million distributing his music directly to his fans digitally and through special order package sets through his Web site. Hanson is another act that is completely independent. They finance and direct their career through their own label. But for them, all these different ways of creating and distributing music works because they are big stars with a huge following. I am a little star (though a big star to my fans of course!), a true indie musician with no huge industry connections, with a small but dedicated following.

 

Q: Ok, I’m willing to support you. Where do I donate?
A: Thanks! Head over to the PRESALE. Participating in the presale means you can buy a copy of the album before it’s made, get an immediate download of all the demo mp3’s so you can hear music NOW, and get the actual CD mailed to you when it’s complete.

 

Q: Is my presale donation tax deductible?
A: Sorry! We don’t have the infrastructure set up for that. All presales are considered sales and gifts from the heart.

 

Q: I’ve got a good one. If you already have all the songs recorded as demos, why do you have to record them again with a producer in a studio?
A: Have you heard the demos? j/k.. actually the best way to think of it is that the demos are pencil sketches of the song, and I’ll be going into the studio to make them complete, full and finished paintings. The demos were done on the fly, so the sonic quality is extremely uneven. Going into the studio with an experienced producer will make every song sound like [put your favorite famous musician's name here]’s cd, ie. AMAZING.

 

Q: Hey I think what you’re doing is pretty cool. Can I interview you for my magazine/blog/publication/website?
A: Of course! That would be a great help and support in getting the word out. Please head over to the contact page and I (Mia) will get right back to you!

 

Q: I read through all the FAQ questions but I still have a question I’d like answered, how can I contact someone?
A: Fill out the form on the contact page and I (Mia) will get right back to you!

 

This site is graciously hosted by FIRETREE MEDIA. Thank you FIRETREE!

 

PRIVACY POLICY
Thank you for visiting sukeyrose.com. Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy, please read the following notes on privacy of personal information. At sukeyrose.com, you can order products, sign up as a contributor, leave comments, and participate in a poll. The types of personally identifiable information that may be collected on these pages include: name, address, e-mail address. On certain parts of this site, only persons who provide us with the requested personally identifiable information will be able to order products and services or otherwise participate in the site’s activities and offerings. This information will not be used for any other purposes other than for which you consented.