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Beginnings
When THIS SINGER/SONGWRITER/KEYBOARDIST was signed to RCA in early 2001, there was every reason to believe that she was on the fast track to success. Concurrent with her signing, Martin was in the studio recording an album with producer and Bongload Records President, Tom Rothrock. The record, titled One Girl Army, was set to be a “one off” release as part of a progressive joint-venture between House of Blues, Bongload and BMG Distribution.
At the time, HOB was interested in making Martin the first artist on an HOB-brand record label. Under terms of the proposed deal, the concert conglomerate would not only release One Girl Army, but also fund a nationwide Charlotte Martin tour at HOB-owned venues. BMG, the parent company of RCA Records, would handle nationwide distribution for One Girl Army. “RCA liked this plan because it was artist development,” asserts Martin. “It didn’t cost [RCA] a penny and House of Blues was going to put me on tour. After a year I would come back with an indie release and be developed at someone else’s cost.”
Those familiar with Martin and/or RCA agree that this proposed venture was an attractive prospect for both the young artist and the label. “We figured if we had an opportunity to tour Charlotte for a year and got good response, we would have a great story building for the future,” notes DreamWorks Publishing A&R rep, Molly Kaye, Martin’s song publisher. “So when [RCA] was ready to do her first record, we would already be in a good position with the label.”
But, by the time the project was to achieve fruition, HOB was starting to feel the financial effect of their foundering content division, which was expected to support the record label. According to Martin’s former co-manager Tony George, “When the record was finished, we started the process of putting a tour together and getting everything ready. But there were some axes falling at HOB at that time, and it all started to slowly fade away.”
As the House of Blues deal was dissolving, Martin’s managerial team decided to start shopping the completed One Girl Army to independent labels. But because RCA already owned the rights to Martin’s subsequent albums, finding a home for One Girl Army became an unlikely prospect. “An orphaned record is not very attractive to many labels,” reveals Tony George. “It is hard for an indie to pick up a record and not get an option for a second or third after they have spent a lot of money trying to break and develop the artist.”
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Musical Chairs
Nearly a year after they signed Martin, RCA was forced to decide whether they wanted to purchase the masters of One Girl Army and release it as her debut record. As this idea was being courted, RCA was in the midst of re-examining their business model and making top-level changes. Jack Rovner, the RCA President who signed Martin, exited the label shortly thereafter, allowing Bob Jamieson to take the reins. Without the support of Rovner, the new regime decided to pass on One Girl Army, feeling the record lacked the “undeniable” hit to make it viable. “The label, Charlotte, and myself met and all agreed that [One Girl Army] wasn’t the right statement for her major label debut,” recalls Martin’s former A&R rep at RCA, Bruce Flohr. “We felt that she had a better record in her and decided to move on and explore who she was musically.”
Molly Kaye agrees and feels it was the right decision from both a business and artist development standpoint. “Although the record was amazingly spirited and creative, [RCA] did not feel there was a hit single, and they didn’t want to burn the company out on Charlotte. They didn’t want to waste energy on radio people, publicity people, marketing people and all the others that make records happen,” she says. “No one wanted to risk expending energy on something that may not come to fruition. If that had happened, there wouldn’t be the same enthusiasm and support for the next album.”
Detoured
While the masters of One Girl Army will eventually revert back to Martin, the incident posed a detour in her young career. “You just don’t think your record is not going to come out,” explains Martin. “You don’t spend two years writing an album and nine months recording it just to have it shelved. I never thought it was possible.” Despite the lack of support for One Girl Army, RCA believed in Martin’s potential and allowed her to develop while still under a label contract.
With the amount of turmoil in major label land in 2002, it is somewhat of a miracle that Martin was kept under contract and allowed to develop organically. “I think it was too scary for them to let me go,” speculates Martin. “There was so much going on at RCA at the time, people were getting fired, acts were being dropped and everybody was unsure and uncertain of what move to make next.” Tony George offers a less complicated reason as to why Martin was allowed to develop, “With all the personal changes and chaos at the label, Charlotte fell under the radar.”
Being under the radar allowed Martin to quietly develop her songwriting and experiment with various different styles, structures and rhythms. In an effort to focus these musical ideas, Bruce Flohr bought Martin a ProTools program so she could produce music without a studio. “It has taken Charlotte and her team two years to fully define who she is as an artist,” explains Flohr. “Her music has gone through many phases and in different musical avenues for the last two years. My fear was spending $500,000 recording her during a ‘phase’ and realize six months down the road it was a mistake.”
While pre-producing tracks and waiting for her major label debut, Martin took a DIY approach to her career. “I didn’t want to feel like a victim of circumstance,” she says. “I could turn around and wait for the regime stuff to pan out or I could just put out my own music, flyer my own shows and sell my own stuff.” Martin was also allowed to take eight songs she produced herself and compile an EP called Test Drive Songs that are sold at live shows and on CD Baby.com.
Armed with a product and merchandise, Charlotte Martin soon began to develop a devoted fan base while playing live at local venues. “Even if I only sell 200 records, it is 200 more people that will know my music. It is making a dent. A label is only a vehicle, and if it doesn’t take you to where you want, you do it yourself.”
In September 2002, BMG bought control of J Records and merged it with RCA. As part of the deal, Clive Davis was named head of the new RCA Music Group, which contained both RCA and J Records. Under the leadership of Davis, Martin was given the go-ahead to record her debut record for RCA. Executive VP of A&R, Ashley Newton, is her current A&R rep. “She has been through a couple of big changes with RCA,” notes DreamWorks’ Kaye. “The interesting thing about Charlotte is that through her talent, perseverance, and smarts she has survived three very different regimes at one record company.”
And as Martin gears up to record her major label debut she is quick to offer advice to any artist, signed or unsigned, who falls into a state of limbo. “Do as much independent marketing as you can, make your own merchandise, get it to independent radio and get it to ‘zines,” says Martin. “I feel very lucky to have a deal and have cool people to work with. But even if I didn’t have anything, I would keep trying to get my music out to people. If I connect with one person then I’ve done it. Good music is good music, you just have to find a way to get it out there.”
––Scott Dudelson
