Sometimes, you get your point through in a humorous and accurate manner. This time, you’re so far off the mark it’s a little sad.

I manage the Arcade Fire. They are the most inspiring, unique group of people I have ever been fortunate enough to work with. Everyone who works with this band feel exactly the same way about them.
There is no hype machine behind this band. We spend on average, 40 – 50% less marketing and promoting Arcade Fire than that average major release.

The band will see a royalty check at the end of every accounting cycle. We have set up unique label and distribution arrangements globally. I guarantee that no other artist in the current market place has as much control and ownership over every single aspect of their career than what the Arcade Fire have.

In the declining sales of the global market, we are aiming to be profitable selling the relatively small global numbers that we do. No-one cares about the chart positions, the radio adds or any of the standard issues that make up the daily life at a record company. We want to create awareness for Arcade Fire music. We do that from the live shows, press and an incredibly active online community that supports the band. Anything on top of that is welcome and is a bonus. If we wanted to push or “hype” this project, it could have easily been done. We said no to 9 out of 10 proposals to support the launch of this campaign. I guarantee we would have sold through 25 – 30% more if the band wanted to play the game. It’s just not them, it not what they’re about.

Pitchfork did not break Arcade Fire. They were a contributing factor, but to give one web site the credit for breaking a band, it’s just not possible.

The first interview of this campaign was with Pitchfork. Online world is aware of everything going on in Arcade Fire world. It would be great to think that this is enough to support what we do. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Doing a piece for the New York Times exposes this band to many people who simply don’t know who they are. As with any press that the band do, and they don’t do a lot, we try to keep it in balance and not have it all weighted in the NY Times, New Yorker field. There will be more pieces coming out in the months ahead that would be perceived as being more disposable.

Driving to the show in London on Friday evening, Win Butler said to me that “We are the biggest band in the world and no-one knows who we are.”
I think that sums it all up. They don’t care to play the game. They will have a career as long as they care to have one as they have the autonomy and the luxury of being able to self fund every aspect of their career without having to rely on the purse strings of a record company.

Come and see one of the shows on the forthcoming US Tour. You’ll see for yourself that this is the real deal. Not an impostor in sight.

Regards,

Scott Rodger
Quest Management

Certainly not Bob Lefsetz who takes issue with their use of mainstream promotional channels for their latest release Neon Bible.
Read his opinion via the link above and check out some mainstream and online reviews and interviews below.
Testing Faith i…