About us (or why DIY makes sense again):
Midwesthell Melodies exists to help facilitate the needs of independent DIY minded artists in central Indiana. We offer an online marketplace with a revolutionary approach for our bands to sell their goods and promote themselves, professional services such as band and tour management utilizing our extensive contact network, as well as recording and producti
on services using our (literally) in house facilities, or our growing network of studio partners. Midwesthell Melodies is the brain child of two independent artists and musicians committed to the notion that no artist in this digital age should have to rely on a major record label to reach their audience. Between us, we have over 40 years of experience writing, recording, producing, and publishing our own works, a major university degree in management, as well as experience promoting and managing bands and events throughout that time. We grew up in the height of the DIY era where the 'underground' truly lived and breathed and it was never about building a scene, that was just a byproduct. It was about challenging the attitude that independent music, and the culture that had grown up around it was inferior. Just about every artist in the modern world has access to all of the basics of the recording industry. It's really not all that difficult to find digital recording equipment, used microphones and gear, ultra cheap duplication, audio downloads, internet marketing and media distribution. Ask any local band with a page and a merch box at their show and they'll tell you that you don't need a 'record deal' to market and sell your art. Sure, a major record label can get your band on corporate FM radio, and your CD on the shelves at the major retailers, and that's a good argument for them indeed. Consider though, that a majority of artists that get 'signed' are never even released! On top of that, even if you had a recording contract, you would -still- end up paying for everything yourself. It's like taking out a high interest bank loan, but worse because someone else would be making the decisions about where and how YOU spend YOUR money, and they'll claim the rights for all your hard work and art in the process. How does that represent a good 'deal' for anyone except for the record label and their corporate cronies? In the 70's and 80's there arose a challenge to the corporate culture of the music industry. Instead of traditional means of bands reaching their audiences through large music labels, bands began recording, manufacturing albums and merchandise, booking their own shows, and creating opportunities for smaller bands to get wider recognition and gain cult status through repetitive low-cost DIY touring. DIY labels rose up out of artists garages and basements and the cassette culture grew as people passed unsigned music to each other through sharing and word of mouth. The scene grew up around these bands and after a time even the industry began to track 'Independent Artists'. Not to be left out, the corporate labels started dipping into the independent market with boutique and vanity labels eventually pushing the true DIY independents out of their own niche and distribution cartels. So why does DIY make sense now? In a word, the Internet. Even the corporate labels have been saying for years that the internet has changed the game in the music industry. There has never been a better time to be an independent artist. Social media, Twitter, Facebook, Reverbnation, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Deviantart, Internet Radio, and Podcasts are just a few of the many ways it has become easy for any artist willing to put in the effort to reach a global audience without a single penny of overhead cost. No more do you have to rely on mix tapes being passed around the scene, when with a click of a mouse button your fans can have instant access to your art, music, and opinions. Recording equipment and software is -cheap- or even free in some cases if you look hard enough for it. Sure it's probably not going to sound like Rick Rubin, Brian Eno, or Butch Vig recorded and produced your stuff, but on the other hand you maintain complete control over the process and the end product, and even better, all the rights to it are still yours at the end of the day! The independent artist today is truly limited not by bank accounts and a who's who of industry insiders, but by his or her own level of quality, motivation, and commitment. And that is where we sincerely hope the independent artist and music fan alike will take advantage of the various services that Midwesthell Melodies provides. We're here to help fill the expertise gaps and provide an outlet for our artists to use to creatively promote themselves and sell their merchandise to a global audience with the backing of Indiana's finest independent DIY label behind them. Welcome to Midwesthell
Aaron and Dan
