So I get sent an email saying ‘We’re considering using your music for our up and coming acts CD – please check over the license agreement, and then let us know if you can speak to our President/CEO/Whatever at 16.00 tomorrow’

First thought is: Great – someone likes a track and wants to use it.

Then I read the licensing agreement. I have to pay them 300 USD. And so too, presumably, do the other 19 acts who are going to feature on the 20-track CD. So that’s a cool 6,000 USD for these guys, and as far as I can tell, they only need to make a couple of hundred CDs to satisfy each act that the project is real.

Once you figure it out, the vagueness of the opening mail becomes clearer. It’s obviously being sent to every act under the sun, so whilst the mail merge is sophisticated enough to mention your act by name, it doesn’t go into details like which track they like, or why they like it.

Nice work if you can get it, eh?

I know a lot of people will be wise to this kind of thing, but I could certainly have used other artists being open about this a few years back – so here’s my 2p now.

Had a load of fun on Dave Charles’ show last night. Played ‘Catastrophic Sheep’ and ‘Are You Real’ live, with the Mark Wallis mixes of ‘Doctor Can,’ ‘Go Figure It Out,’ and ‘Go Find Somebody Else’ all going out off the EP (that’s the EP I have to plan a release for, I know…)

Dave’s an inspiring guy to meet, who’s really trying to help new acts – his show is on Sunday night from 19.00 to 22.00 – check it out if you’re in the area:

http://www.davecharlesshow.co.uk/

Steve Lamacq played ‘Symphony of Silence’ on his Wednesday evening show, and was also nice about ‘Doctor Can.’ Also explained the lengths he had gone to try and download the track without success … listen again here – about 20 minutes in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p2869

Verse 1
Doctor can you help me
I’m worried about my friend
She helps so many people
But she never helps herself
Have you seen it before?
Should I say any more?

Doctor she’s fantastic
She works so hard
She acts just like a grown up
But she wants to hide her heart
Would/will it hurt to be free?
Will she share it with me?

Chorus
No she won’t.
No, no, no She won’t.
No, no, no She won’t.
She don’t want sympathy

Verse 2
Doctor can you help me
I’m feeling low
I tried to help a good friend
But she didn’t want to know
She just smiled at me
And she don’t want to see

Chorus
No she don’t.
No, no, no She don’t.
No, no, no She don’t.
She don’t need help from me

Verse 4
Doctor can you see her
She’s sitting in this room
She’s checking on a patient
It’s funny but it’s true
Now she’s laughing at me
Can you get her to see?

Chorus
But/Oh she won’t?
No, no, no She won’t.
No, no, no She won’t.
She won’t take help from me

No she won’t.
No, no, no She won’t.
No, no, no She won’t.
She won’t take sympathy

From me