In 2015, Icon For Hire made an incredibly difficult decision and decided to venture on the path less travelled in music – without a record label.
The band that created a substantial following in the pop-punk scene with their debut record, Scripted and renowned tracks such as “Make a Move” and “Get Well,” realized that their survival in the music industry looked bleak as long as they remained contracted to a record label.
“We held out as long as we could, trying to make it work. Finally, it became increasingly clear that we would not survive if we stayed with the label-as in, we would have had to quit music altogether and get grown up jobs. We begged them to leave, since they were letting a lot of other bands go at the time, but they refused. In Spring of 2015, we filed bankruptcy and were finally able to gain our independence. It was an excruciating, scary process, but we felt like we had to pick our pain: We could stay with them and slowly bleed to death, or embrace the fear and strike out on our own.”
No matter the situation, the decision to break a contract with a record label is difficult for any party. Most bands, struggle to survive without the benefits that the label provides – support, money, connections. However, Icon For Hire isn’t part of that “most bands” category.
The Illinois natives may have lost the monetary support that a record label provides, but they didn’t lose the musical support from their beloved fan base.
“We are incredibly grateful for them, and we’re fully aware that if we had a more “normal” fanbase, we wouldn’t have been able to succeed as an independent band. It’s been their passion, belief in us, and support that has allowed us this privilege. We are motivated by their stories-when we see our music making an impact, it’s a powerful incentive to keep creating it.”
Nearly a year after deciding to go independent, in March, Icon Fire Hire announced a Kickstarter campaign for their new album, You Can’t Kill Us. The duo decided to release the album throughout the year, with three new songs released to campaign backers every three months.
Icon For Hire raised $127,200, exceeding their initial goal of $2,016.
Since, the band has released nine songs, with the final three set to release mid December. The campaign allowed Icon For Hire to connect with fans on a more personal level, deeper than before – all while fulfilling numerous awards for their contributors which included the chance to appear in a music video.
“It was fun, but also a lot of long, labor filled hours! Anytime we’d get overwhelmed by the volume of work at hand, we’d step back and feel the gratitude for so many people wanting to be a part of this. We’re not finished yet-in the coming weeks we’ll be signing and shipping out thousands of albums, so ask us again how we feel after that!”
With Icon Fire Hire’s trajectory aimed in a much more positive direction than before, the band is currently out on what they feel is a “victory celebration.” Their independent 16-show tour featuring Stitched Up Heart has been an unquestioned success up to this point, but most importantly, they’ve trail blazed an overgrown path for future bands.
“The rooms are filled to capacity with people singing every word at the top of their lungs, and we’re doing meet and greets that last over an hour after each show. We’re really excited about how many newcomers are showing up-over half the crowd has never been to an Icon For Hire show before. It’s amazing to know we’re still growing, especially since it’s all word-of-mouth marketing. Our fans are our marketing plan.”
Icon For Hire, along with Stitched Up Heart, perform at The Rabbit Hole in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show can be purchased HERE. For more information on Icon For Hire and additional tour dates, click HERE. To read more about the band’s Kickstarter campaign, click HERE.
No comments