Record deal?

LOL I was just doing case notes for work and as I'm writing I realized I was writting... Worker questioned mom regarding how Matt has been behaving since we last met. What do you think girls or boys if there are any here? Has he been being a good boy? Geesh do I have Matt on the mind or what?

OvenMitt wrote:

Let me just interject this one small thing. Kara, as much as I love to hate her, is VP of A&R at Warner Music. Which, by the way, is the company that oversees Atlantic, Jason Castro's label. Perhaps Matt will be able to move on to greener pastures over there? Let's face it: Kara loves Matt, believes in his talent, and will probably be legitimately interested in helping him in his career. She may not have given him the best critiques on AI, but she has alot of power in her own right and could be a huge help for him. Just sayin'.

Yes.. Kara is our only hope! I could really tell she saw potential in Matt. I hope she arranges some meetings with him.
And I do think Kara was trying to help Matt with her critiques although we did not agree with all of what she said. But you have to admit she knows a lot about the music business and was trying to get Matt to focus on one direction.

As much as I love Matt doing all types of genres I am starting to think that the lack of commitment to one style may give him some trouble in getting a record deal. But I hope I am wrong.
I think right now he is settling on doing piano rock soul thing and I am thrilled with that. Plus.. That style is very "in" right now.

Jenna wrote:

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So my point it that while you can say 19E is evil they sure promote the heck out of the artists they want. See (Carrie Underwood, Daughtry,Pickler, David Cook) and that helps tons.

Want is the imperative word here. The ones they don't necessairly want are left to the wayside and thrown under the bus and are left looking like failures.

But wouldn't they want him if they signed him? The ones they don't necessarily want are people who finish in 1st or 2nd and they're obligated to sign, if Matt gets signed by them, it's because they want him and see his potential.... Here's the last post I'm gonna put in here because I'm giving myself an ulcer thinking about this too much (unless of course I get another conspiracy in my head!):

Matt's got the talent and wherewithall to get a record deal somewhere; major or indie. Just because the 3 of them have record deals doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be successful. Matt could outsell all of them, who knows. I think having a hit song or hit record is like catching lightning in a bottle. There is no fullproof formula for doing so, or they’d all be hits. A lot of people release music each year. Some of it, we never hear. Some becomes popular. Everyone once in a while, someone comes along to create a career with longevity. Those people are few and far between. The odds are more in favor against success than for it. Matt's a big fate guy; things happen for a reason. He was on the show for a reason. He was saved for a reason. He made the top 5 for a reason. If he's meant to be this huge superstar, he'll be it. If he's meant to go back to K-ZOO and play at piano bars, he'll do that. I'm not that religious or anything but I wholeheartedly believe that God's got a plan for us all that's already written. The journey to where we're meant to go is the best part about living.... we've got to trust that whatever happens is for the best!!

ok, now I'm done with the speculation on the record deals... : )

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As much as I love Matt doing all types of genres I am starting to think that the lack of commitment to one style may give him some trouble in getting a record deal. But I hope I am wrong.
I think right now he is settling on doing piano rock soul thing and I am thrilled with that. Plus.. That style is very "in" right now.

I agree this could potentially be a problem for Matt. It's very important to know who you are as an artist but I truly believe Matt has finally discovered that and I think we have American Idol to thank for that. They gave him a chance to explore what direction he wants to go in and at the same time gave him an avenue to be seen and be heard by millions upon millions of people. I am very excited with his choice. I love piano rock! He definitely has moved very far away from his first CD musically but IMO I believe he is going in the right direction now.

One of the things I love most about Matt is that he is able to incorporate so many different sounds into his performances yet at the same time infuse the same soulful quality into every thing he sings allowing the songs to become Mattified so we know who is singing it. I love listening to his itunes recordings. Even though they are all vastly different they seem to fit together. Kris, Allison's, Anoops, etc all sound the same just with different lyrics. I am so excited for his CD because I know we won't get the same 10-14 songs. Each song will be different but purely Matt at the same time.

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But wouldn't they want him if they signed him? The ones they don't necessarily want are people who finish in 1st or 2nd and they're obligated to sign, if Matt gets signed by them, it's because they want him and see his potential.... Here's the last post I'm gonna put in here because I'm giving myself an ulcer thinking about this too much (unless of course I get another conspiracy in my head!):

I ask myself this question all the time yet there is clearly some artists that labels work harder promoting than others same goes with 19E. That is what I meant by want. I guess there are just different degrees of want.

Jenna wrote:

Quote :

As much as I love Matt doing all types of genres I am starting to think that the lack of commitment to one style may give him some trouble in getting a record deal. But I hope I am wrong.
I think right now he is settling on doing piano rock soul thing and I am thrilled with that. Plus.. That style is very "in" right now.

I agree this could potentially be a problem for Matt. It's very important to know who you are as an artist but I truly believe Matt has finally discovered that and I think we have American Idol to thank for that. They gave him a chance to explore what direction he wants to go in and at the same time gave him an avenue to be seen and be heard by millions upon millions of people. I am very excited with his choice. I love piano rock! He definitely has moved very far away from his first CD musically but IMO I believe he is going in the right direction now.

One of the things I love most about Matt is that he is able to incorporate so many different sounds into his performances yet at the same time infuse the same soulful quality into every thing he sings allowing the songs to become Mattified so we know who is singing it. I love listening to his itunes recordings. Even though they are all vastly different they seem to fit together. Kris, Allison's, Anoops, etc all sound the same just with different lyrics. I am so excited for his CD because I know we won't get the same 10-14 songs. Each song will be different but purely Matt at the same time.

You hit the nail on the head! This is what makes me so, so, so excited for his album and upcoming concerts! I really enjoy an eclectic musician who can sing many different styles and keeps reinventing themself. And I think this is totally Matt! I mean, even looking back on Idol, we can see how much he grew as an artist from week to week while still providing different and veryyy enjoyable sounds. This is also while I can see him appealing to lots of different populations. He can sing a soulful bluesy ballad or hit an uptempo smooth song. Ahh, all of this talk makes me even more excited for tour! I hope AI allows him to choose all of his own songs (however many he gets) and doesn't get thrown into just random duets!

I just found another confirmation on Allison getting a record deal.
You guys know Slezak from Idolatry right? Who can forget Matt's hilarious interview. Well.. he just did one with Kris which was pretty good by the way and he basically said that Michael should not worry about him, Adam and Allison that all three of them were set.
Man.. wish they would have mention Matt too. So yeap , now I am pretty sure 19 signed all three of them and I don't think they will sign anyone else.

Going back to knowing who you are as an artist, that's what Matt learned through Idol and is still learning. Matt has this amazing raw talent, incredible voice and incredible piano skills but what gave him a hard time is that he did not know and still doesn't know who he is as an artist and what he is best at.
You have to admit that even if we think is boring just doing one type of thing, if you already have a strong identity when you get on Idol you have more of a chance to succeed during the show. See (Kris, Adam, Allison).
You have to have a solid identity when you enter the music industry that's what I learned.

I know Matt learned about that too the hard way but he will get there.

Once in LA, Kara will help him. Now I understand why she said he had to choose a style for them to see what record he was going to make.
Successful artists like John Mayer, The Fray, Carrie, Kelly, Daughtry they all know who they are their records show that. So I pray Matt stick to his piano rock soul thing and someone is willing to give him a chance.

You know, I can't claim to know much about the industry...but I wouldn't be surprised if 19 has Matt on some kind of watch, for the duration of the tour. I think if they were jumping right on board with signing him right away, we would be hearing leakings and gossip right now. But I don't think that means they want nothing to do with him. TPTB seemed to be very much on Matt's side for a large part of the competition, from the amount of exposure he got in the audition rounds, to the wildcard, the save, etc. I think they know there's major potential there, but they're not yet convinced that he's hit that potential or is ready to at the moment. I do think that his less than perfect run on the show now has them unsure, and I would not be surprised if he's signed after a kickass run on the tour (which I totally think he's going to have).

I also think the best thing we can do for him as fans...is just that - be fans. I don't think it's best to push him on anyone, whether its directly emailing record companies, celebrities, or television shows, etc. We don't want anyone to associate Matt with that persistent group of people that keep filling up their inboxes. To me, that's kind of the equivalent of mom calling in to make sure you get the job. Done out of love, but not always helpful. The best way to show that there's interest for Matt, IMO? Keep the websites and forums for him busy. Give him tons of plays on myspace. Constant searches on google and youtube. Keep his twitter following active. Just keep doing what we're doing and don't let the fanbase die out.

I have total faith that no matter what happens, Matt is ready to work hard to get what he wants. The fact that he, out of all the other contestants, mentions first and foremost the WORK that is ahead of him and not record label talk (seriously, has he even even used that word once?) makes me think he's got his head on his shoulders and isn't going to take this exposure for granted.

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I also think the best thing we can do for him as fans...is just that - be fans. I don't think it's best to push him on anyone, whether its directly emailing record companies, celebrities, or television shows, etc. We don't want anyone to associate Matt with that persistent group of people that keep filling up their inboxes. To me, that's kind of the equivalent of mom calling in to make sure you get the job. Done out of love, but not always helpful. The best way to show that there's interest for Matt, IMO? Keep the websites and forums for him busy. Give him tons of plays on myspace. Constant searches on google and youtube. Keep his twitter following active. Just keep doing what we're doing and don't let the fanbase die out.

I agree with most of this. I think it is pointless to write into record labels, celebrities, or TV shows requesting Matt. I think when requesting to hear Matt on the radio it is important to only do it in your area. DJ's hate spamming and aggressive fanbases...just ask the Claymates. I agree with trying to keep his internet fanbase alive, busy, and growing. I search google daily for news on Matt several times. I check other Matt websites to see what is going on but I only post here for the most part. I think it is important that there is at least one site with a lot of traffic and conversation going on but I noticed there has definitely been a decrease on all of his sites. His AI folder has definitely slowed down drastically, as has idol forums, and here has as well. Although we are getting pretty good traffic. For the last seven days we have had on average 640 visitors and 3000 page loads daily. However our post count has dropped significantly. Initially we were onaverage getting 130 to 150 posts a day with an average of at least 3 new members daily. Now we probably have a post count of 40-60 daily while gaining 1 to 2 new members weekly. Of course this is going to happen when there is no news to discuss but I have to admit to feeling very nervous with how quickly this has happened.

I do think there is however things we fans can do to help keep Matt's name out there. For instance 2kids3dogs idea to hand out CD's with a few of his itunes recordings on it during the tour is IMO a great idea. It's not like we would be hindering his sales because the songs should be coming off itunes very soon now. We don't need to be aggressive about it but who doesn't like to receive free music? IMO people are going to be extremely impressed with Matt after seeing him perform live and giving out these CD's can only impress them more because he sounds so damn amazing recorded. We can also put in an insert with the different websites so people can find more info. about him on the internet. I have already made a flyer with this info. I also think having cellcerts can help keep the fandom going but so far there seems to be little response for this in the poll I posted here in the So Small thread. We need people to source the cellcert and so far only 4 people including myself have agreed to do this. It really is easy. All the sourcer needs to do is to call the broadcaster from the venue on their cellphone when Matt is performing. This will give people who can't go to the shows something to look forward to and it will help the fanbase stay interested. Then of course if you are able take video at the concerts and upload them so people who couldn't go can watch his performances and people who were not initially fans can become fans by watching these videos of him performing. I'm sure there are other things we can do but I need to end this post sometime. If you have any ideas post them in the street teaming thread.

ShellBen wrote:

You know, I can't claim to know much about the industry...but I wouldn't be surprised if 19 has Matt on some kind of watch, for the duration of the tour. I think if they were jumping right on board with signing him right away, we would be hearing leakings and gossip right now. But I don't think that means they want nothing to do with him. TPTB seemed to be very much on Matt's side for a large part of the competition, from the amount of exposure he got in the audition rounds, to the wildcard, the save, etc. I think they know there's major potential there, but they're not yet convinced that he's hit that potential or is ready to at the moment. I do think that his less than perfect run on the show now has them unsure, and I would not be surprised if he's signed after a kickass run on the tour (which I totally think he's going to have).

I also think the best thing we can do for him as fans...is just that - be fans. I don't think it's best to push him on anyone, whether its directly emailing record companies, celebrities, or television shows, etc. We don't want anyone to associate Matt with that persistent group of people that keep filling up their inboxes. To me, that's kind of the equivalent of mom calling in to make sure you get the job. Done out of love, but not always helpful. The best way to show that there's interest for Matt, IMO? Keep the websites and forums for him busy. Give him tons of plays on myspace. Constant searches on google and youtube. Keep his twitter following active. Just keep doing what we're doing and don't let the fanbase die out.

I have total faith that no matter what happens, Matt is ready to work hard to get what he wants. The fact that he, out of all the other contestants, mentions first and foremost the WORK that is ahead of him and not record label talk (seriously, has he even even used that word once?) makes me think he's got his head on his shoulders and isn't going to take this exposure for granted.

You have some really good points there.
I hope you are right about 19 having him under watch after the tour, but I doubt they will sign him. If they are interested they usually sign them before the tour, and apparently besides Kris and Adam, Allison is already signed with Jive too.
Sooo. As I said, I hope the tour helps Matt develop more as an artist and choose the road to take after that. I also hope some scouts see him on tour and the buzz comes alive with his incredible live performances.

I was so bummed about his cut performance during the finale. That would have been such great exposure to get more people interested in him. It was so unfair to him as a 5th place finisher.

I also agree that we as fans must try to spread the word but not bother e-mailing executives, radio stations, etc. That just has the opposite effect. Let Matt's talent speak for itself. Hoping Kara and Randy hook him up with some potential people.

Okay, so after reading these posts…my mind is all over the place. Ugh, on one hand I am so nervous about Matt not getting record deal. But, I am also seeing how calm he is now, and he seems so happy and excited for the future. I really think he knows something that we don’t. And I am hoping he knows that there is a record deal in the works. I just can’t imagine life w/out any more Matt music. That sounds a little extreme I know, but I have never been this invested in an artist, and he deserves the success more than anyone. So, here’s to hoping Matt has a plan and a surprise for us in the near future.

brandy1 wrote:

Okay, so after reading these posts…my mind is all over the place. Ugh, on one hand I am so nervous about Matt not getting record deal. But, I am also seeing how calm he is now, and he seems so happy and excited for the future. I really think he knows something that we don’t. And I am hoping he knows that there is a record deal in the works. I just can’t imagine life w/out any more Matt music. That sounds a little extreme I know, but I have never been this invested in an artist, and he deserves the success more than anyone. So, here’s to hoping Matt has a plan and a surprise for us in the near future.

YAY

brandy1 wrote:

Okay, so after reading these posts…my mind is all over the place. Ugh, on one hand I am so nervous about Matt not getting record deal. But, I am also seeing how calm he is now, and he seems so happy and excited for the future. I really think he knows something that we don’t. And I am hoping he knows that there is a record deal in the works. I just can’t imagine life w/out any more Matt music. That sounds a little extreme I know, but I have never been this invested in an artist, and he deserves the success more than anyone. So, here’s to hoping Matt has a plan and a surprise for us in the near future.

i completely agree. like i dont even kno what to think about all this stuff. Like I need Matty G music, idk what im going to do if he wont get a record deal.He sounds really calm with everything right now and hopefully this shows that he knows whats going on and that, i hope, hes going to get a deal.