Interview With Chantal Claret of Morningwood

December 23rd, 2009 by Robert Ham

We talk a lot on this site about the difficulties bands face trying to traverse the unsteady ground that is the current music industry but it’s high time we actually talked to someone actually in the trenches. Someone like Chantal Claret.

Claret’s band Morningwood has maintained an appreciable level of success, thanks to a decent major label deal with Capitol Records and the wise decision to license a number of their songs for high profile TV shows and movies, including the Sex & The City feature film and having their song “Best Of Me” used as the theme song for VH1’s Daisy Of Love.

Recently though Claret and her band were shoved back a few steps, waiting nearly two years through a huge shakeup at Capitol – a period which the group used to write and record their latest album but – before finally being released from their contract. Rather than shop around for another major label or well-established indie to push the band forward, Morningwood are aligning themselves with VH1. The cable TV giant helped release their new full-length Diamonds & Studs this past October on their newly branded VH1 Records. I spoke with Claret recently from her home in Los Angeles about this new deal with VH1 and the struggles she and her band are facing trying to be a success in the over-saturated music marketplace.

How did this deal with VH1 come about?
They’ve always been keeping an eye on us and enjoyed our music since we were on Capitol. As soon as things went south with Capitol, they were one of the first people we contacted. And as soon as we did, they said, “We really want to be involved with you guys and make this happen.”

What happened with Capitol?
It’s such a cliché, it’s happened over a million times. You’re signed to a label and they crunch the number and at a certain point, they realize they can’t afford you and they can’t support anything. They had dropped about 90% of their roster about a year before and for some reason we weren’t really a part of that. I guess because we’d had so much success with licensing. So they asked us to go into the studio and make our full-length. We were ready to go with it, but then I guess somebody in accounting finally crunched the numbers and went, “Oh, no.” We were in the studio making the record when it happened, but I wasn’t terribly surprised by it. I was expecting it to happen at some point. I’m surprised it hadn’t happened before.

It took three years for the record to finally come out – was that just because of the Capitol deal going south?
It was being on Capitol. They fired their whole entire staff and hired a brand new staff. We had to sit through that, while they worked out what their company was doing. That took about nine months to a year. Then figuring out what our new contract with them was took another 6 -7 months and then recording the record. Right there, that’s two years. Then getting dropped by them and then putting together this deal with VH1, that was 9 months. It makes sense where all the time goes in retrospect but when you’re in it it’s like, “What the fuck is going on?”

What were you doing during this transition? Touring or playing shows?
Waiting. Everything was hurry up and wait. That’s what this whole industry is. They were like, “It could happen tomorrow. You could be on tour tomorrow.” But you really count on anything happening until it’s already happened. I couldn’t really commit myself to anything else serious because basically you’re a doctor on call for three years.

So does this deal with VH1 extend beyond just putting your record in stores? Are they planning on putting your music in all of their shows or have other ideas for you?
They’re doing the best that they can. They’re sort of learning as they go. This is the first time they’ve ever done anything like this. It’s baby steps, which is hard when you’re in it but they’re really learning as they go along. It’s not easy to put a record label together from scratch regardless of whether you’re one of the biggest media companies in the world or the smallest. Each one takes just as much effort.

I ask because it seems like every band and label out there is trying most anything to get their music heard…
Everyone wants to be the new model! That ’s the word that is thrown about so much: new model. “Can you be the person that’s the new model?” People love talking about it, but a lot of is talking about it and not doing it. We are guinea pigs in a way, which is exciting and scary. We are guinea pigs because everyone is trying a new model. I mean Red Bull does has a record label! Anybody that has “money” or the opportunity to give you exposure is really what you’re going to lean towards. Because labels don’t have control over either of those things anymore. They don’t have any money and they’re going to want more control. Also, they don’t necessarily have the means to expose you because everybody is now on the same playing field. What are they going to do, put you up on YouTube and hope for the best?

Do you think it is then harder for any new bands trying to make a name for themselves?
100% harder just because the playing field is gigantic. It’s the world. There’s no microcosm. There’s no tastemaker. The labels used to be tastemakers but now everybody has a blog everybody can put their music out there to get noticed. For stuff to work it has to literally be the perfect storm of everything working or a fluke or like lightening in a bottle both of which things are so rare and don’t happen. And neither one is really good for longevity or conducive toward having a long career.

One of the ways that you have survived is through licensing your songs to movies and TV shows.
That’s our strong suit. That’s what pays my bills. That’s always what has. I don’t know how we came to be that way but you know people like to hear girls singing kind of pop rock-y songs. We’re really, really lucky because that is one of the few ways that an artist can succeed and make money in this industry.

Did you ever consider shrugging off signing with another label and just doing it all on your own?
What’s the point? Who’s going to be able to hear it? To be honest I don’t have the energy or the time to do that. That is so time consuming. That’s basically like starting your own label. Or what, putting it up on Rhapsody or what not. It will just sit there. You need a machine. You need some sort of machine working for you in your favor. You just put your music on iTunes or whatever, to be honest, nothing’s really gonna happen unless you magically think of some way to promote it. I wish I had some really creative marketing scheme to get people to listen but I don’t. I’m not a marketing guru or genius by any means.

What is next for the band?
We want to tour a lot, but it’s really bad climate for touring right now. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of great tours going out and it’s hard for everybody. Music was hit really hard before with mp3s and everything it’s been reeling and the major labels are trying to figure out what’s happening. But touring has taken a turn for the worst. I go out to see friends’ shows and stuff and there’re like playing to a half-full house. Or huge people are playing tiny venues which is great for someone going to see a show but for an artist trying to support themselves – that normally support themselves by touring – it sucks for them. It’s a totally different landscape so we’re just having to figure out how to walk around in it.