We had a quick chat with Justin from VEOBA the other day. VEOBA plays middle man for bands who need merch, distro, download cards, posters, publicity….just about everything a label would provide. It’s a pretty grand idea. So here you go…
Give us the backstory on Veoba (and you possibly). How’d it come about? Who all works with you on this?
Jay Parkin (my partner in VEOBA) and I met in May of 2009 through a mutual friend. Jay has a 10 year career in the music industry with Fiddler Records, IHeartcomix, Sony Red Distribution, and Southern Records, as well as tour managing experience with everyone from Green Day, Blink 182, and Ben Folds. I, on the other hand, have been a musician for the last 10 years and took my old band from 10 shows a year in Chicago to 50 shows a year in the Midwest. While our experiences are both incredibly different, after a few conversations, we both realized that we were just sick of all the nonsense companies out there making promises to bands that they can’t keep, or even worse, the companies that blatantly take advantage of artists. So we decided to build a company that is just a no bullshit, no frills, provider of services that musicians, managers, and record labels need. We spent a year forging partnerships with vendors on both coasts that believe in what we’re doing and therefore, are able to offer us prices and price breaks that we can pass onto our customers.
It looks like you’ve got your hands in a lot of places i.e. Distro, Merch, Download Cards…what are the most popular?
Yeah, we’ve definitely got a ton of services going on, and we’re actually getting ready to roll out a few more as well. The way we look at though, you don’t necessarily need a record label anymore, but you need stuff…and we want to provide you with that stuff! Right now, Merch is a huge seller for us, but we also have a killer Digital Distribution offering as well. As for everything else we currently offer (Download Cards, CD&Vinyl, Guerrilla Marketing, etc), our quality and prices are unmatched and we are talking with and helping out more bands, labels, and managers everyday.
You all have been sponsoring a lot of stuff this summer. How’s the response been?
The response has been pretty amazing actually which was the hope and the goal for us when we took on our summer programming. We’re a new company that plays in the music/entertainment/consumer space, so for us it was a no-brainer to get behind these events. Also, we really can’t say enough about the people behind JellyNYC, and all the opportunities we’ve had to work with them. From last year’s Carniville in Austin, to the Pool Parties in Brooklyn, as well as the MadDecent Block Parties and the Brooklyn RockYard series, it’s just been one successful event after another.
Where does VEOBA fit in today’s landscape? Bands can do so much for themselves, why should they use you?
The goal of VEOBA has always been to either be a one-stop-shop for artists, labels, and managers, or to simply fit in where you need us. If you’ve got a great merch connection, that’s cool, who’s doing your CD’s and Vinyl? Have you thought about Download Cards? what about your Marketing? Again, our M.O. is let’s be practical. If we think you’re sticker or poster design is whack, or is lacking essential information like a url to your bands website, we’ll tell you first, before we take your money. I’m not interested in just getting paid. I’m interested in getting paid for quality work that progresses the goals of our customers as well as establishing relationships with artists, labels, and managers and watching them grow.
In short, we’re a company made up of musicians and music industry veterans, not a bunch of dudes in shirts and ties trying to sell shit to a crowd we don’t really have anything in common with, ya know? Bands can do a ton for themselves these days and we’re here to help them do just that.
Future plans? What’s next for VEOBA and will I be able to buy a sword with my band’s name on it?
Oooooooooh, the future! Well, we’re rolling out some new services in September and also gearing up for an action packed 2011, filled with more parties, new partnerships, and some new features…stay tuned! And yes….if your band has a strong Tolkien/Dungeons&Dragons/MagicTheGathering crowd, we can probably find you a sword. But probably not with a straight face. If you’re band is ‘The Sword’ however, please contact us immediately, we’re ready to take care of all your novelty sword needs. Thanks for the interview dudes!
