Getting Real
The industry is in flux. Everyone has an idea about it, but everyone’s neglecting that it starts with the creator. I’d been so worried about the business aspect of how we can keep up with the trends. We’re like, “Let’s start with making the most excellent music possible.” So we created Weirdo Workshop to house Louis York first and artists we felt were the real deal—not just the look or politically shocking, but really had the punch, live presentation and were about something more than being trendy. And we provided them this experience in the studio where they could get all that out.
It’s become a family, a heartfelt situation. There’s no paint-by-numbers to our music. There’s no formula everyone goes through. It’s what’s the best for each act. There’s no determined number of songs on an album or what has to be the first single. It’s putting the artist first and making decisions based on the artist.
Not a Label
Weirdo Workshop is a collective. I hate to call it a label, because that has such a connotation. We’ve met amazing artists. Masha’s from Latvian and Russian descent, grew up in New York and New Jersey and now lives in Nashville. We have a band called Kes from Trinidad, which is international and different. They’re not just put-together acts. They’re passionate, their albums are a lot to digest, but still commercial. We’ve also built a clever marketing team, an ad agency from New York, so we have built-in creative and promo ideas to help jumpstart and be ahead of the curve. So it’s a collective of passionate people who want to push pop culture and art forward without having to be bound by red tape.
Letting Fate Do Its Thing
[Finding artists has] been a little bit left up to fate. Masha, for example, is an artist I’d been working with for several years. I met her through other producers when she was a teenager. I never let her go. I felt like there’s something here and it may not be ready yet. When Chuck and I stumbled upon this burst of creativity, she was the first person I thought, “Well, let’s try this on her.” She was down for it and in a place creatively where it blossomed for her. I wish we all, as music people, trusted that more often, because all the stories we hear about people we respect, it was never so much of a calculated cattle call. There’s always some story about stumbling upon someone in the hallway or a club or church or street.
Authenticity
We’re looking for artists who are interested not in following trends but in being courageous and bold about what they believe. The reason we called it Weirdo Workshop is we’re taking the negative word “weirdo” and turning it into a positive. Being unafraid to speak your mind and capitalize on things that make you different. We’re looking for artists who don’t sound like the radio and are unafraid to be emotional or vulnerable.
What works is if you have conviction and you’re believable. I’m not interested in working with carbon copies. I’m looking for people who are going to fill in the gaps and talk about things that are happening now—social unrest, racial tension, feminism, that kind of stuff.
It Comes Down To Talent
The one commonality with all artists who are successful is they’re excellent at their craft. There’s no faking it. There’s no skipping steps. No matter how much technology advances, there’s nothing that replaces the fact you’ve got to be great. Everyone’s trying to figure out how to save the industry. The industry will be saved when you find people who take their craft seriously. It’s that simple.
Universal Truths Make Timeless Hits
I always try to find a universal truth, no matter whom I’m working with. And I lean toward the underdog. When I got to Britney Spears, it was right after her public breakdown and everyone wanted to write her off and say she was done. It was a perfect time for someone like me to be interested. Every song I’ve written has been about overcoming in some way.
Also, I’m honest about an artist and where they are. “Circus” is about her. That’s where she was. Her life was mayhem and she was taking back control. It’s a clever pop theme, but it’s also a testimonial. If you’re telling the truth, it always resonates. Songwriters are often too clever—they come up with a cool word or hip phrase they think will get some attention. People don’t latch onto trends. They latch onto truth. We look to songs to comfort us, no matter whether it’s to celebrate or cry. And a clever word usually doesn’t do that. It’s got to be something about an actual storyline and the truth that makes people stick around.
Years with Company: Over 1 year
Address: New York, NY
Web: weirdoworkshop.com
Clients: The Shindellas, Kes the Band, Masha, Louis York
