Josh Freese: How to Promote Yourself, And Other Insights

This article originally ran in the December 2009 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.

1. Think marketing. I made my latest record [Since 1972] on my own dime. So I thought, How can I do something cool and interesting to make people aware of it? My last record sold so few copies I thought I should call everyone who bought it and thank them personally. So I wanted to do something different in today’s rapidly changing music climate and do it in a way where I could get a lot of free publicity. TV stations have responded, as well as bloggers, The New Yorker, NPR. I don’t expect anyone to buy the highest-priced option, but I’ve grabbed folks’ attention. Before I developed this campaign, it was just another dude putting out a record, but now there’s a whole story that people have really picked up on.

2. If it sounds good and everyone is playing well, there’s no reason not to go with a guerrilla recording approach. Even though I’d already recorded The Notorious One Man Orgy, Since 1972 was still like flying by the seat of my pants. These are songs that I messed around with over the course of seven years and recorded on a small digital recorder with a couple mics or at a couple of pro studios. Both records were recorded in a pretty disjointed way, and it worked because it had to. As things were shaping up, I thought, Ya know, I can use that song I recorded with two microphones!

3. When working with a new band in the studio, it’s important to adapt, musically and personally. I don’t want to come in and act like some hotshot or intimidate them. I say, “We’re all here to play music together.” I’m not in there looking down at them just because I’m there for the day or because I’ve got so much experience…

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