Citizen Cope on Major Labels vs. Independence, Audience Connection and Having a Seat at the Table

Order THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business here: https://book.aristake.comCitizen Cope, a.k.a Clarence Greenwood, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and performer. His music is commonly described as a mix of blues, soul, folk, and rock. Cope's compositions have been recorded by artists such as Carlos Santana, Dido, Pharoahe Monch, and Richie Havens. In his solo career, "Let the Drummer Kick" from his 2002 album, Citizen Cope, went RIAA-Certified Gold. In 2004, he produced and released The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, followed by Every Waking Moment in 2006.In 2010, Cope founded his own record label, Rainwater Recordings, allowing him to exert full creative control. Free from the marketing entreaties of the major record labels, he released The Rainwater LP later that year. One Lovely Day followed in 2012. After taking a hiatus from his own record releases, Cope came back stronger than ever, releasing Heroin and Helicopters in 2019 and The Pull of Niagara Falls in 2021. He is currently slated to release another album in 2023.05:45 Welcome07:24 Communication with an audience performing solo vs. with a band11:09 Post-pandemic reflection, music festival line-up experiences, career sustainability16:55 Album achieving gold status, having a timeless sound19:36 Breaking down Citizen Cope's new album’s sonic landscape29:41 Releasing records independently with Rainwater Recordings33:20 New artists establishing themselves before getting signed36:51 Biggest difference working independently vs. with a major label43:04 Is it worthwhile making records because of streaming?48:02 Publishing deals, Sony licensing with Peloton, TikTok and Facebook53:40 New album 'Victory March' release date55:45 What it means to make it in the New Music Business57:58 Artists having a seat at the tableSubscribe to The New Music Business: https://aristake.com/nmbAri’s Take Academy (use code NMB for 10% off!): https://aristakeacademy.comWatch more discussions like this: https://bit.ly/3LavMpaConnect with Ari’s Take:Website: https://aristake.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/aristake_TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@aris.takeTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArisTakeYouTube: https://youtube.com/user/aristake1Connect with Ari Herstand:Website: https://ariherstand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/ariherstandTwitter: https://twitter.com/ariherstandYouTube: https://youtube.com/ariherstandConnect with Citizen CopeWebsite: https://citizencope.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/citizencopeTwitter: https://twitter.com/citizencopeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@citizencopeEdited and mixed by Maxton HunterMusic by Brassroots DistrictProduced by the team at Ari’s Take Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.