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Industry Insider: Byron Fry Discusses His Career and Perception of the Music Industry

In a highly versatile musical career, Byron Fry has found opportunities to contribute his talents in many different ways.

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Byron Fry, photo by Joel St. Marie
Byron Fry, photo by Joel St. Marie

Over the course of decades, Byron Fry has proven himself to be one of the most talented and versatile professionals in the Los Angeles music scene. The list of projects he has contributed to and the wide range of roles he has assumed are far too long to list here. He has served as an arranger, composer, producer, and guitarist for several platinum-selling artists, as well as indie artists. Fry also has a history as a film scorer and in creating commercial soundtracks. He has scored dozens of hours of films and television series. He has even gotten involved in composing pieces for orchestras and large ensembles. Since his youth, Fry has been a highly talented guitarist and has played on many hit singles.

Fry has also found time to be a teacher and clinician. He has taught at schools and colleges as a contract artist for the State of California. He is a faculty member at California College of Music in Pasadena and taught at the elite-level Deep Springs College. But his expertise as an instrumentalist does not stop at guitar. Fry teaches all fretted instruments, keyboards, vocals, and even non-instrument-specific curricula like arranging, composing, and orchestration.

As part of our Interview & Feature column, “Industry Insider,” Byron Fry joins us for a thorough conversation on the music industry, his career, and where he sees things moving in the future. Discover more on Fry’s official website.

Do you think traditional artist development is a dying art, with labels more interested in viral potential than fostering long-term careers?

Byron Fry: “Let’s begin with the simple truth that I really, really don’t like the reality of what record labels tend to bring to artists’ lives. Hard experience conditioned me to feel that way long before the digital revolution. But if somebody reading this is hellbent on signing with a label, so be it. Here are my thoughts on that:

“First we should clarify that in a world where anyone can start an online label, we should distinguish between a larger operation with a proven track record and the wherewithal to launch a career long-term, as well as a realistic pipeline and resources for promo and distro, as opposed to a tiny online thing that just sets people up with streaming and downloading platforms. The latter will be interested in a high number of artists who create ‘content,’ not necessarily good music, and they won’t overthink who they sign.

“A label big enough to be interested in developing an artist long-term will care about the quality of the writing, arranging and production, and the likely lifespan of that talent. In today’s world, though, there are very few people who actually understand what good writing actually is. So there’s that and besides, the suits at any decently large label tend to be pretty far removed from the kind of sensibilities required to know great writing from a birdcage liner.”

Do you believe the responsibility for artist development now lies more with the artists themselves? Or should labels and managers still play a bigger role in shaping careers?

“Responsibility for the development of any artist’s career has always been with that artist, whether or not that artist is (or was) in a deal where those reins were surrendered to someone else. ‘Twas ever thus, much as the patient’s input is the most vital to any good medical team.

“There is such a thing as a great manager. The Eagles will show you this, as will Joe Bonamassa, but it’s a very rare thing. If you have one, then thank your lucky stars, hold on to that person and make it a partnership!”

What’s your advice to new artists considering whether to sign with a major label or stay independent?

“Indie all the way, baby. Unless you’ve already built yourself up to the point where a label is a necessary evil in order to take you to the next level (in which case you’ve got some bargaining power, assuming you have a good enough advocate to leverage it), just don’t sign. You can accomplish massive things with your own efforts, whereas a label will probably take all your work and either you’ll fall through the cracks or they’ll pull the rug out from under you entirely. Between projects I was involved in and all my friends here in the industry, I’ve personally seen this happen a hundred times. It’s been a worn-out cliche to me for a long time.

“Moreover, a label won’t sign you unless it’s a 360 (i.e. they own a piece of everything you do, your merch, your brand, your line of makeup, whatever). And they’ll typically put in a rider giving them the right to broker third-party deals with entities completely unknown to you, without your approval, and the funds generated from those deals are not likely to ever make their way to you. I have albums out on over half a dozen labels that I’m aware of, that is, and I’ve only ever signed with two.”

How do you see the role of live performances evolving in a post-pandemic world?

“Truly, I think live performance, and ticket sales, are the best areas of endeavour for any indie artist or working musician. The pandemic is fading into the distance, slowly but surely. Like every industry known to man, the live touring wing of our industry took a heavy hit from COVID, but it’s back up off the mat and dusting itself off in great form. I wouldn’t see the pandemic as a long-term problem (though there will be others), and live touring will never be undermined by things like the digital apocalypse. People will always pay for tickets to see a great live show. So go and build yours!”

What’s your take on the importance of artist documentaries and behind-the-scenes content for building a fanbase?

“It’s a great marketing tool for the merch table. A boxset of your latest work, say, or maybe an anthology, that comes with a thumb drive featuring videos of behind-the-scenes stuff, packaged in an attractive way (don’t skimp on the graphics), can fetch a pretty penny at your shows.”

Have there been moments where you felt like the industry’s demands compromised your artistic vision? How did you handle that?

“Moments, no. Decades, yes. I think we all feel the pressure to do what somebody up the food chain thinks the world wants to hear. In a lifetime of rendering musical services for film, TV, records, and the ears of an audience live, the vast majority of the time I’ve been required to make the right noises to placate the demands of Hollywood’s surreal and misguided pathos, with the objective of generating the almighty dollar.

“But on the occasions where I deliberately set out to please nobody but myself, the happy result was my most well-received work. So don’t let your artistic vision get quashed by pressure to fit some mould or grab the tail of the elephant in front. Create your truth, do it as well and as honestly as you can, and the world will sit up and listen.”

What’s the most valuable long-term professional relationship you’ve built over your career, and how did you maintain it? What advice would you give for cultivating lasting relationships in the industry?

“Like anyone, my entire career has resulted from relationships. As Dick Grove once said, ‘Money doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Relationships do.’ With every year’s gained experiences, that quote becomes more golden.

“I guarantee there will come a moment when you’re faced with the decision of burning a relationship for a gig or passing on the gig to save the relationship. Always, ALWAYS go with the relationship. First off, it’s always the right thing, the human thing, to do. Secondly, gigs come and go. Relationships are for life.”

How important do you think it is for artists to take a stance on social or political issues?

“Civic responsibility isn’t an abstract, peripheral concern. We live in a time when democracy itself is facing a very clear threat to its very existence, and the whole world literally hangs in the balance. It’s always, always been the duty of artists to be society’s weathervanes and oracles… more so now than ever.”

What’s the biggest challenge in breaking through the noise of today’s saturated music market?

“The challenge IS breaking through the noise. And the best way to do that is to NOT sound like everybody else. If you think it’s about having sounds on your productions that match this week’s trend, you’re grabbing the tail in front of you and missing your opportunity to shine. The less trendy and more timeless your sounds are, the more staying power your music will have, and the more it will be about the writing.

“Write the most brilliant stuff you can, and don’t worry about conforming. It’s actually better if you don’t conform at all. Lyrically (if your stuff has lyrics), don’t pull your punches worrying about people whose sensibilities might get butt-hurt. Find that thing in your creative voice that’s uniquely your own and develop it.”

How has your definition of success changed over the years? Is it still about fame and financial rewards, or have other aspects become more important?

“Great question! My definition of success has steadily matured over the years. It started out as fame, fortune, musical prowess, you know, that foamy froth of the young-at-heart. Now, I measure my success by how high-quality a human I can be, not only as a musician and the quality of the music I bring into the world, but as a father, a husband, a teacher, an author, and (of course) the best human I can be for our dog Jesse.”

The music industry is known for its relentless pace. How do you personally deal with burnout, and what advice would you give to younger artists struggling with it?

“In terms of pace, learn to sleep on a plane and on a bus. I can sleep on a tour bus, but not a plane, even though I love to fly.

“That said, it’s not just the pace that can burn you out. If you’re involved with music that’s good according to who you are creatively, the pace isn’t an issue. My first time getting body-slammed to the mat by burnout was when I was 30. I took the wrong gig, playing the wrong music with the wrong people, and was contractually stuck with it for five sets a night, six nights a week, for three months. Afterward, I had to put down the axe and not think a single musical thought until I felt myself return. That wound up taking nine weeks.

“Music is not something we do with our bodies. Not to sound like some rainbow unicorn glitter-fart stuff, but it really is something that we do with an emotional, spiritual part of ourselves. And if we’re any good at it at all, we’re in a pretty vulnerable state while we’re performing. So be careful what nature of music you agree to make, or music can become to you what sex is probably like to a hooker.”

In retrospect, how much of your success do you attribute to hard work, and how much to being in the right place at the right time? Can artists manufacture their own luck, or is it mostly out of their control?

“The hard work is just a prerequisite. If you don’t put in the years of work getting really good and having something real to offer the world, then being in the right place at the right time won’t matter. As far as timing goes, it’s more a matter of being on people’s minds than being some ‘where’ at some ‘time.’ And that means cultivating your relationships and forging new ones constantly.

“Go to the best jam night hangs you can network at whatever local scenes are going down, and try to always be surrounded by people who are better than you. Get your face out there so you’re on people’s minds. It’s basically like throwing chum in the water, like a numbers game. You want to be the one who gets thought of when there’s a slot to be filled.”

What’s the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned in your career?

“There have been two: One is that fatherhood is the best thing that ever happened to me professionally. And the other is that it’s my most uncompromising music that has been the most well-received.”

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