Oh Marlene! Music PR and Show Booking

About: Alex Southey is a musician and PR professional based in Toronto, Canada. His interest in PR sprang like a third arm from his music career: He never anticipated it, and it felt unnatural. However, thanks to a mix of trial and error, other PR companies, and networking, he learned. He helped peers with email suggestions, as well as posted to social media different methods he himself used to get the best results corresponding with someone.

 

Southey grew up reading as many artist biographies and autobiographies as he could get his hands on, thinking that if he ever did develop a music career, knowing these stories would help him. Well, that remains to be seen, but one thing he felt was missing from almost every book he read was the period in the artist/band's career where they had their music together, but hadn't got their first few gigs. If a book did include this period in the artist's history, it was either too brief, or too antiquated (most of the available autobiographies and regular biographies focus on bands/artists 1990s and prior). The Internet has changed everything.  

 

Oh Marlene! PR is meant for beginners and up and comers in the industry. Southey believes this is one of the hardest parts in a musician's career. There is no guideline. It's like fumbling around in a dark room, looking for the door. Each progressive room you enter is a little brighter, until you get a sense of where you are, where you've been, and where you're going. Think of this PR like training wheels. Not only will Southey first do the work for you, he will explain to you what he's doing on his end so that next time you have a project you are empowered to do it yourself (should you want to).

 

F.A.Q

 

Project Length: Two to three months. All assets (music, artwork, bio, photos) must be sent to/in the hands of Oh Marlene! PR at least two months prior to desired release date. Oh Marlene! PR will continue to work until one month after the release date.

 

Pricing: Pricing depends on the project: Song release or EP/Album release. A deposit of half the total amount must be sent to Oh Marlene! PR at least 1.5 months prior to release. The remainder must be paid to Oh Marlene! PR at least 24 hours before release date. 

 

Single Pricing: $300. This makes the deposit $150.

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Album Pricing: $600. This makes the deposit $300.

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Services Included for Each: 

• Composing client emails meant to be sent to: Music outlets, college radio stations, 

• Compose client bio

• Compose single or album write-up (like a bio but for the song / album instead of the artist)

• Send out client emails to Oh Marlene! PR contact list (based on contacts I, Alex Southey, have made throughout my career)

• Serve as go-between between client and email responders

• Release day send-outs, reminders, etc.

• Follow ups two weeks later and a month later. 

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Do Your Services Include Festivals? Unfortunately not.

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What's Up with the Name? Southey's grandmother's name is Marlene. Her voice mail recording on her home phone is a thing of legend amongst his family. At first, it sounds normal: "Hi you've reached Marlene at X phone number. I'm not in right now so leave..." She finishes, and attempts to end the recording. This is where trouble hits. She can't figure it out, and she complains to herself aloud, "Oh, Marlene..." Then the recording ends.

 

Oh Marlene! PR: For the hardest part.