Backstage Pass

Releasing and Promoting your Music

Advice from Rise AgainstRise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore, Rise Against's music emphasizes melody, catchy hooks, an aggressive sound and playstyle, and rapid tempos. Lyrically, the band is known for their outspoken social commentary, covering a wide range of topics such as political injustice, animal rights, humanitarianism, and environmentalism. The band spent its first four years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which they released two studio albums, The Unraveling (2001) and Revolutions per Minute (2003). Both the albums were met with underground success, and in 2003 the band signed with the major label Dreamworks, which was absorbed by Geffen. Rise Against's major label debut Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004) brought the band mainstream success, largely in part to the popularity of the singles "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away". The band's next album, The Sufferer & the Witness (2006), peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and was Rise Against's first album to chart in countries outside of North America. With the release of Appeal to Reason (2008), Rise Against's music shifted toward a more accessible and radio-friendly sound, with greater emphasis on production value. The album's third single, "Savior", broke the record for the most consecutive weeks spent on both the Hot Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts. Rise Against's popularity grew with the release of Endgame (2011), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, and charted highly worldwide. The band's 7th and 8th albums, The Black Market (2014) and Wolves (2017) continued the trend of commercial success, and both peaked with the top ten on the Billboard 200.

Taking Your own Artist and Press Shots

Photography for MusiciansTommy Reynolds is a highly renowned international photographer based near London, specialising in commercial portraits. Tommy’s recent clientelle has included: Syco Entertainment, The National Lottery, Ben Sherman, Eurovision Song Contest, Universal Music, The Metro, Panasonic & Lecia. “If ever there was a photographer with energy to match the Duracell bunny, then Tommy Reynolds is it, mix that up with a sophistication of styling and an accomplished lighting pro, and you've got the elements of the great image maker.”

Carving Your own Path in Music

Pursuing what You LoveLeslie Gaston-Bird (AMPS, M.P.S.E.) is author of the book "Women in Audio", part of the AES Presents series and published by Focal Press (Routledge). She is a voting member of the Recording Academy. Currently, Leslie is a freelance re-recording mixer and sound editor and owner of Mix Messiah Productions.

Music Licensing for DJs

Songs and CopyrightsDr. Hayleigh Bosher is an internationally published legal academic, speaker and legal consultant specialising in intellectual property, media and entertainment law. She is a Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at Brunel University London, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Intellectual Property, Policy and Management, blogger for the specialist IP blog The IPKat, Deputy Editor of the European Trade Mark Reports, and founder of the World IP Women (WIPW) network. She also holds a PhD in Copyright Law from Bournemouth University, under the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Award.

Reasons to Record Analog

For the Love of AnalogLenise is a groundbreaker. She has worked as a recording engineer working on many iconic records including “Aja” by Steely Dan, “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp and “Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac. She was also the first woman to receive a platinum album for engineering on Blondie’s AutoAmerican. Since then Lenise has moved into post-production audio, beginning with creating the foreign music and effects tracks for the entire Disney cartoon catalog, and eventually specializing in recording and editing Foley. She has worked on several films and animated series, such as “Robo Cop,” “Street Sharks,” and “Extreme Ghostbusters.” She has traveled the world for Dreamworks supervising and producing the foreign dialogue and vocals for “Shrek,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” and “Shrek 2”. This rekindled her love of recording music, and she is now engineering and producing up and coming musicians as well as seasoned artists. Currently, one of her projects, a blues/rock band called the Primal Kings, is all-analog, recording and mixing to tape and cutting vinyl.