band (signed to) Universal. The label would come down and take over:
`No, this is what we want you to do; get `em all grey suits, get `em all
haircuts and the lot.' They looked so wrong it was untrue. These kids are
standing there...they just looked like a loaf of bread � we don't like that
packaging. They let `em go into the studio with three half finished songs
and the producer will fix everything. There won't be a second album, but
these kids don't know it. It's about what the label can use right now. These
poor guys' dreams are shattered."
"Going back to the positives," Petter says, genially, having found the
whole major label story hilarious, "The good thing now, is there's a lot of
indie labels coming out and there's a lot of bands who don't even have
to sign to labels. They work hard to get their music out. We've seen lots
of bands release their own records. The majors might continue doing pop
stuff, but I think a lot of good things will be happening."
"Universal shed 50% of their staff, apparently. Well, good," adds Terry
mischievously. "They just need to get rid of the other 50% now. I'm sure
the good people working there will find somewhere better to go anyway."
"They get the opportunity to go for their dreams," agrees Petter. "They
got laid off but now they've got their own label and a band they're so
passionate about that they'd never have been able to work with before."
The point of this conversation is not to lambast the old guard or some kind
of bitter tirade. Instead it's to show that out of experience comes a wiser
and better approach, driven by energy and ambition. More and more bands
are working harder to make a living and enjoying it.
The spirit of independence is rising, and Alberta Cross more than fit the
bill as a band determined to do things on their own terms now. You can
hear it in Broken Side of Time, their refusal to subscribe to a sound forged
under duress. As a result it's more open, more panoramic and exhilarating.
"This is all we do and all we want to do. You can't be more ambitious
than that," says Petter. Terry agrees. "When people say to us that for the
next two years we're gonna be touring constantly, well, that's the best
news we can get." PM
ALBERTA CROSS ARE TOURING THE UK
DURING NOVEMBER. CHECK THE DATES
BELOW AND CONTACT YOUR LOCAL VENUE
FOR MORE DETAILS.
11/11/2009 Bristol The Cooler
11/12/2009 Leeds Cockpit 3
11/13/2009 Glasgow Captain's Rest
11/15/2009 Manchester Ruby's Lounge
11/16/2009 Birmingham Birmingham Bar Academy
11/17/2009 London Bush Hall
Log on to www.myspace.com/albertacross for details.
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