How Cuesta Loeb Signed To Fierce Panda Records

Hailing from NYC, multi-instrumentalist Cuesta Loeb comes from a family of musicians. Inspired by popular ’90s artists like Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, Fiona Apple, and (early) Sheryl Crow, she found her home in Dream pop with dark, haunting melodies, and ethereal instrumentation and vocals.

It’s that unique blend that caught the attention of Fierce Panda, who she signed to after submitting to one of our opportunities.

“We had no idea what we were actually looking for until we found ‘it’ and that ‘it’ was Cuesta Loeb. Fundamentally it was the quality of their ‘Dive’ track which stood out from the pack – the fabulous shoegazey sonics were essentially familiar, but the combination of ethereal melodies and low-slung guitars was something we’d never quite heard before.”

Check out this interview with Cuesta Loeb, where she shares how to be strategic in promoting your music, why it’s important to have a plan, and what’s up next for her.

RebeccaHow Cuesta Loeb Signed To Fierce Panda Records
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The Importance Of Building Up Hype: Meet The Cheap Thrills

The Cheap Thrills are a garage/psych pop band from Liverpool, UK. Their sound is a combination of garage bands from the sixties and a resurgence of bands from the 2000s.

It’s that same sound that caught the attention of End Of The Trail Records, who they signed to after submitting to one of our opportunities. According to the label, what attracted them to the band were their songs.

“Pop psych at it’s best we think. At the time of writing they have just had their new single played on BBC Radio 6 by the mighty Steve Lamacq. Which is a great thing for any band in the UK!!!”

Check out this interview with The Cheap Thrills where they share the secret to getting promoters to book you, how to build up hype around your band, and what’s up next for them.

RebeccaThe Importance Of Building Up Hype: Meet The Cheap Thrills
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I Am Nice: Sammy Brue’s Debut Album & Interview

He’s been described as a “15-year-old folk hero of the future,” a “wunderkind,” and an “Americana prodigy,” while simultaneously holding on to his teenager-ness; hanging with friends, playing video games, and skateboarding different spots. Sammy Brue just released his debut album, I Am Nice, on Friday, June 16th, and the Portland, Oregon native is undoubtedly about to become a household name. We spent some time with him, asking questions about life as a young artist, musical inspiration, and the grabbing inside scoop on that infamous hat of his.

RebeccaI Am Nice: Sammy Brue’s Debut Album & Interview
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From Cutting Grass to Apple Commercial: Meet Distartica

Distartica has been involved in the Houston, TX metal scene since 2008. With influences like Havok, Warbringer, Slayer and Iron Maiden, their sound is an old-school metal vibe with a touch of modern thrash metal.

Recently they found themselves being contacted by Apple and featured in a commercial. Their drummer, Carlos, is blind and uses assistive technology with Apple products, which led him to become apart of their Global Accessibility Awareness Project.

We chatted with them about how they formed, the challenges of getting your music heard, how they came to be featured in an Apple commercial and their advice for new artists.

RebeccaFrom Cutting Grass to Apple Commercial: Meet Distartica
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When Band Meets Label: How LuxDeluxe Got Signed By Old Flame Records

Quick thought experiment – you’re a DIY rock ‘n’ roll band from the same area of Massachusetts that produced The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. and you’re trying to pique the interest of indie labels. You’ve released an album, done a bit of regional touring, got a strong fan base going and some press attention. Ok, what do you do now? Blast pitches all over the place to a bunch of “info@” email addresses? Tag every indie label in the known universe in your album cover art Instagram pics? Now put yourself on the other side of the equation – you’re an indie label constantly on the hunt for fresh talent. You have a rock solid reputation but limited budget and resources. How do you navigate the crowded waters of new music while still developing your current artists? The answer for both sides – queue the self-promotional back-patting for a quick moment – is ReverbNation. This is the story of LuxDeluxe and Old Flame Records, as told by them, with inspiration for any musicians out there looking to make the next big move.

RebeccaWhen Band Meets Label: How LuxDeluxe Got Signed By Old Flame Records
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Interview With Bay Area Band Exhausted Pipes

Exhausted Pipes is Hunter “Razzle Dazzle” Steers, David “Crockett” Mayman, and Andy “Sanford” Landgraf. We’re three guys living in the SF bay that have been playing music together for the past 9 years. Hunter hails from Seattle and plays guitar and sings. David hails from the San Fernando Valley in LA, and plays drums and sings backups with the occasional tiny piano. Andy hails from Chino Hills near LA, and plays bass and sings backups. Hunter’s a craftsman (woodworking specialist), Andy’s in the retail lumber game, and David’s a user experience designer (that also makes wooden things). We all met in college in Stockton, CA, and after playing in a few bands started this version of Exhausted Pipes in 2010. The band technically got started a couple years earlier with Hunter and our buddy Ian playing White Stripes covers as an opening act to another band all four of us were in. We didn’t have a lot of options in Stockton…

RebeccaInterview With Bay Area Band Exhausted Pipes
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Two Million Views & Counting: Meet Lyon Hart

“One of the most challenging aspects will always be ‘where do I fit in this music landscape?’ It’s easy to chase after the newest trend or the latest Hype Machine genre hybrid. Finding a sound and a perspective that is true to YOU is the real challenge.”

Meet singer/songwriter Lyon Hart, who’s been in the music game for over a decade as a member of several bands, writing toplines for DJs, lending his vocals as a featured artist, and finally coming into his own as a solo artist. Most recently, he’s been making heads turn with his candid lyrics, sultry vocals, and stunning visuals.

We caught up with Lyon to learn about his journey as an artist, the inspiration behind his brand new video “Delusional,”  the advantages of collaborating with artists outside your comfort zone, and how powerful visual design can lead to over 2 million YouTube views.

RebeccaTwo Million Views & Counting: Meet Lyon Hart
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Good Things Come to Those Who Hustle: The 5 AM Tell Their DIY Story

From being featured in the Discover app to landing radio airplay in the U.S. to being asked to join the soundtrack of a feature Hollywood film to getting on the eligibility list for an Oscar nom for “Best Original Song,” this is the story of a little-known band who hustled their way to DIY success. “You got me hooked, you got me dancing…you got me!” <— That right there is the quintessential reaction a fan has after experiencing a live show care of the boys from Belgium, The 5 AM. A couple months ago we received a crazy email from these dudes completely out of the blue, raining down props on ReverbNation’s tools and services. Seriously, we couldn’t have scripted this story any better, but it all came from these guys. Cause apparently some really cool (and unexpected) stuff happened to them recently.  It all starts with a concert 2,000 feet above the ground…

RebeccaGood Things Come to Those Who Hustle: The 5 AM Tell Their DIY Story
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