TOWER OF POWER

According to the company's founder and Managing Director Clive Hudson, the Round Tower philosophy is, quite simply: "To release good records by artists we respect and whom we feel merit a place in markets both at home and abroad. Obviously we hope that our efforts in turn lead to commercial success and reasonable profits".

But unlike other Irish-based record labels, Round Tower is not exclusively for Irish artists; as Hudson explains "We would ideally like to have a situation where between one-third and a half of our roster would be Irish". This means that in reality Round Tower is that rather unusual animal, an Irish label with a balanced catalogue of Irish and non-Irish artists, competing on the international market from a base in Ireland.

In recent times Hudson has noticed a shift, with more international than Irish acts beating a path to his door, particularly from America, with many such artists now having quality product in the Round Tower catalogue alongside Tom Pacheco, the Irish domiciled American singer-songwriter, and Irish performers llike Kieran Halpin. This, Hudson stresses, is accidental, and merely a reflection of the way things have developed.

Most of the artists in the Round Tower catalogue could be filed under 'singer/songwriter' but once again that's just by the way, as Hudson sees no reason to limit the spectrum of music, so long as it's good music, well played and performed. "The generic term 'roots' probably best describes where we're coming from at the moment, but I am wary of being pigeon-holed and want Round Tower to be free to release any good material by any artist in any genre", Hudson emphasises.

The fact that Round Tower inevitably started out as a very small company with scant resources meant that the initial thrust of releases has focused heavily on solo acts. As Hudson explains, "You have great flexibility with solo acts. You don't have a band committee delaying decisions, you don't need rehearsal facilities and touring abroad can be done at a minimum cost. Equally, solo artists rarely break up!" (laughs).

The label also has a preference for dealing with relatively unknown acts and building their careers from a 'clean-sheet' start, but ultimately each project has to be assessed on its own merits as a commercially viable proposition. Many artists take several years to develop and reach commercial maturity and that can only be achieved if the label has the confidence and stamina for the long haul and is willing to build a mutually-satisfying relationship with the artist. Tom Pacheco, for example with albums in the Round Tower catalogue, is finally beginning to build up sizeable sales figures in various territories, thus proving the wisdom of persistence and allowing the artist's fan-base to grow organically, rather than being forcefed, as seems to be the instant profit philosophy of many major labels.

Hudson would also admit that his international artists have given the label an added boost in its efforts to break into other markets, and that in turn benefits Round Tower's Irish artists. He is also acutely aware of the differences in dealing with Irish and international acts.

"Americans in particular seem to feel much more comfortable about the record company-artist relationship and they have very specific expectations of that relationship and those expectations are usually less than an Irish artist would have," he observes. "That is probably the most crucial single skill that American artists have over their competitors, in the way that they work with their record companies. But I have to deal with people as they are and adjust to the personal requirements and characteristics of each of the acts in our roster. Fortunately there has never been a simple formula for handling all this - and I hope there never will be."

Despite the obvious difference in scale between Ireland and the USA, the Irish-based company or artist has the advantage that all areas of the business are within easy reach. Conversely, the sheer size of the USA means that artists learn at an early stage to think in more practical terms, and those factors may explain the difference in attitudes. Clive Hudson argues that, for its size, Ireland achieves as much, if not more, internationally, than any other country, and suggests it is the efforts of labels such as Round Tower over the past 10 to 15 years which have moved Ireland from its traditional backwater base to the forefront of the international music scene, where it is now regarded as a significant talent source.

The comparatively small size of the Irish market means that you can rarely sell enough of a record in Ireland alone to cover the investment, so expansion into overseas markets is crucial in economic terms, but also more challenging artistically.

Deals with overseas companies can therefore be essential for the funding of a long term development plan, particularly when Irish corporate investors seem incapable of properly assessing the commercial potential of any music-related project. Ironically, 90% of Round Tower income is earned outside the state, and, apart from the invaluable support of Coras Trachtala, is achieved with little or no government assistance. Yet countries with healthy indigenous markets, and which are arguably lesser talent pools than Ireland, have governments that support their music industries with substantial sums of money.

The rise of labels like Round Tower in Ireland, has, curiously, occurred at a time when the major multi-national companies based in Ireland are collectively showing less interest than ever in developing Irish talent and have become, in most cases, mere sub-offices of their head-offices in Britain, Germany and the USA. Hudson points out, however, that this is not merely an Irish problem, and that the same situation probably applies in virtually every European country.

But if that's the case, then the existence of labels such as Round Tower is even more critical for the nurturing of new Irish talent and must be viewed in the light of the Irish Minister For The Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Michael D Higgins' well-publicised interest in "devising strategies for impeding cultural domination." If the majors are not prepared to put something of value back into the society from which they earn their profits, then the smaller independent labels are even more deserving of our support. Indeed, if there is any justice the next major artist to come out of Ireland will do so on a small independent label.

But a label like Round Tower has to operate in the full awareness that their successfully nurtured talents are almost certain to move to bigger labels in due course and only the most foolhardy indie boss is likely to be unprepared for or resentful of it happening. Meanwhile they still have to proceed with every release with their full reserve of optimistic enthusiasm.

Lately, the music world has seen the majors sign and drop artists with more ruthlessness than at any other period in recent history to the extent that being dropped is now regarded by some (e.g. The Pale, Something Happens, A House) almost as a cause for celebration, even more exalted than their actual signing. It seems that artists are finally beginning to appreciate the value of signing to labels where the staff are not in a permanent 9-5 mode.

There is also what Clive Hudson describes as 'The Fire Factor', meaning the tendency for new appointees to senior posts in major record labels to adopt a "new-broom" approach to their existing roster and a torrent of P45's go hurtling through the post. That tendency is less prevalent in smaller outfits where there is often nobody to fire anyway and the company survives on a combination of will power, sweat and 80 hour weeks.

Of course, Round Tower is not just a record label, for it also has a sister publishing company, Beann Eadair Music, and it is Hudson's firm belief that the publishing arm of the company is very important. "The publishing area is substantially different because a song by its nature has a long life. Even successful megastars can fade into obscurity but a song can be sung, re-recorded and re-interpreted forever. A great song will always be a great song. At Round Tower we like to inter-link the two whenever we get involved with an artist who is also a creative songwriter."

On the world-wide distribution front, Round Tower prefer to establish links with one reliable distributor in each country. Naturally such arrangements achieve varying degrees of success, particularly since the preference is for establishing a long-term working relationship with companies who show some real commitment to working the label's catalogue on a consistent basis. In that regard, Hudson would rather deal with companies buying regular quantities, and smaller if necessary, that with someone who takes a pile of stock and then virtually abandons the catalogue to look after itself.

This policy has paid off particularly well in Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the Benelux territories, and there is considerable optimism that the UK will score heavily as well.

Despite being in existence for only years, the Round Tower organisation has already notched up several notable achievements. Pressed to specify the most significant, Hudson names the Mick Hanly song 'Past The Point of Rescue' recorded by Hal Ketchum hitting the No. 2 spot in the US country charts and racking up combined single and album sales of nigh on one million.

Beann Eadair also has the publishing on the recent No. 1 album in Scandinavia by Steinar Albrigtsen and, although Hudson laments the loss of A Woman's Heart star Dolores Keane, he points proudly to the two albums she released on Round Tower ahead of that success, and which continue to sell healthily.

Currently the best selling album in the Round Tower Catalogue is Big Storm Comin' by Steinar Albrigtsen and Tom Pacheco which hit the number one spot in the Norwegian charts and has notched up over 100,000 sales there.

As many an Irish artist will readily testify, Hudson believes that finding the right management is a major difficulty. "But," he argues, "unfortunately there's no simple answer to that problem. You just have to forge ahead and do the best you can in whatever circumstances you find yourself in. The situation is worsened by the fact that almost every manager works with the possibility that when the artist reaches a certain stage the first thing they do is fire the manager who worked so hard to help them reach that point in the first place, unless you're Paul McGuinness, of course, and I've admired the work Nicky Ryan has done with Enya, and Mattie Fox with Christy Moore".

In fact, with a comparatively small label like Round Tower the label itself performs several managerial functions to the extent that it operates on a family basis, enjoying a constant day-to-day relationship with each artist.

One of the perks (or chores) associated with running a record company is the number of demo tapes one receives. Part of the excitement of the job can be that the next tape you listen to could, literally, charge your life and the life of those around you. But if you want to join the illustrious roster of artists on the Round Tower label, is it just a simple matter of sticking an old demo in the post? Not according to Clive Hudson.

"I am totally turned off artists who send in shoddy-looking tapes. They give me the impression that they themselves have no respect for their own artistic endeavours, and if they don't why should I bother? This business is so competitive that only artists with real drive and a real commitment to what they are doing are likely to survive."

So maybe that explains the success of Round Tower's artists - that passion for music which drives them to make it a full-time, lifelong commitment, a passion which causes them to see music as an art-form and a means of exploring the world and communicating their deeply-felt responses, and not simply as the easy road to fame and fortune.

Test Your Round Tower Knowledge

Questions

1. Which artist is descended form Portuguese ancestors?

2. Who used to record with her husband Ian?

3. Who wrote the song Past the Point Of Rescue?

4. Steinar Albrigtsen is from Finland. True or False?

5. What is the initial in John Spencer's name?

6. What is the title of Kieran Halpin's latest album?

7. Complete the album title 'The Greatest Show On ........?

8. Who issued an album called Family Album?

9. From which city does Peter O'Malley come?

10. Who did Rick Danko describe as the best vocalist he ever heard?

11. Which two artists recorded an album called Hillbilly Voodoo?

12 Who duetted with Mick Hanly on the hit single My Love Is In America?

13 What was Jim Fitzpatrick's concept album called?

14 Which Round Tower artist shares a surname with a Texas town?

15 Who duetted with Arty McGlynn on the album Lead The Knave?

16. Who has an album dated 1979-92?

17 What is the title of Gary Hall's first Round Tower album?

18 Who runs the London office of Round Tower?

19 Home Town is the title of album by what "family" band?

20 What is the name of Round Tower's publishing arm?

Answers

1. Tom Pacheco. 2. Sylvia Tyson. 3. Mick Hanly 4. False. He's from Norway. 5. B. 6. The Rite Hand. 7 Earth. 8 Johnny Duhan 9. Limerick. 10. Josie Kuhn. 11. Tom Russell and Barrence Whitfield. 12 Dolores Keane. 13 Erinsaga. 14 Penelope Houston. 15 Nollaig Casey. 16 Tom Russell. 17. What Goes Around Comes Around. 18. Claire Hudson. 19. Nelson Brothers. 20 Beann Eadair Music.