"I'm at the Westin. 9:00, Monday morning. I'll tell the front desk to expect you. Have a good night." And with that, he walks away from us and out of the bar. Once he's gone, the four of us erupt into a chaotic conversation full of 'what the fucks’ and 'did that just fucking happens’ and other colorful exclamations. I sit back on my stool, my head spinning. Ten fucking years. This can't be real, can it?
Mayzie
Thump, thump, thump!!
What the hell is that? I blink, my eyes blurry from sleep. The pounding continues. I try to prop myself up on my elbows, but end up falling back on my pillows, rubbing my eyes. Thump, thump, thump! More pounding. As I come to, I realize it's still dark in my room and look over to see that my digital clock reads 2:54. I hear more pounding, and realize it's coming from the front of the house. Oh my God, there's a psycho trying to beat down my door! I grab my phone and tap in 9-1-1, not hitting 'send'. Penny snores from the end of my bed, making me think Ian may have been onto something about her. I grab the baseball bat that I keep by the bed and rest it on my shoulder as I take it and my phone to the living room, holding them at the ready. Then, like a total idiot, I call out to ask who it is.
"Maze, it's me," calls Jack’s voice from the other side of the front door.
"Oh my God,” I say to myself as I set down my weapon and go to open the door. A frazzled Jack charges past me as I quickly shut the door behind him, throwing the lock and bolt. I turn to see him pacing the living room and yanking his jacket off before tossing it on the couch. "Jack, you scared the shit out of me! What's going on?"
"Something unbelievable happened tonight after we finished playing,” he says, still pacing. I've never seen him so unhinged. It's kind of scary.
"Jack, calm down. What happened?"
He finally stops and gives me his attention. "We met a guy after the show. He's from a music label and he wants to have a meeting with us." Both my hands fly to my mouth.
"Oh my God,” I exclaim, from behind my fingers. "Jack, are you serious?"
"I'm completely serious. Although I'm not entirely sure I haven't lost my fucking mind. Maybe it was a dream, or maybe I'm insane,” he says, waving his hand around.
"Wait a minute, some guy came up to me during your set."
Jack looks up at me, "Really?"
"Yeah, he asked me if you guys had a demo. I told him you did, and then he disappeared."
"That had to have been him. Maybe this really did happen,” Jack says, shaking his head, apparently still in disbelief.
“Oh my God, Jack,” I say, bouncing on my toes, unable to contain my smile.
“We probably shouldn’t get too excited,” he says, “We could have this meeting with him and it could just end there.”
“Oh baby, I doubt that. But even if you’re right, so what? This is a serious thing happening for you guys. A record label heard about you, liked you, and sought you out. That’s a big deal.”
He takes a deep breath, nodding as he lets it out. “It’s pretty amazing,” he concedes.
“It is amazing, and holy shit, I am so happy for you!”
“It just feels too good to be true, especially after so much time. I guess it hasn’t sunk in. Or I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” He sits down on the couch, letting his head flop back on the pillows. He runs his hand through his hair. I head over to the kitchen and fill my electric kettle with water before flipping it on. I then pull two mugs out of the cupboard and put a chamomile tea bag in each.
“I get it,” I say, opening another cupboard and reaching for the honey before turning back to him. “It’s a lot to take in. What did he say anyway?” I ask, leaning forward on the island counter while the water heats up.
“Apparently, we’ve been blowing up on YouTube. I don’t get it. We’ve posted stuff before, but he said the last couple of weeks we’ve been popping up on threads a lot. There’s been more links, more posts, more views.”
“A couple of weeks ago was the show at Black Fire. That’s a bigger place, a bigger crowd, it’s a more prominent venue. Not to mention, it’s got a better stage. The show looked really good there. It makes sense.”
“You’re right, it does,” he says, staring at the ceiling. “And he said it’s gotten the label’s attention, so he came out to see us play, like a talent scout or something.”
I keep listening as the kettle whistles. I pour the water into the mugs and let them sit for a few minutes.
“He asked for the demo so Matt gave it to him, and then he told us to meet with him Monday morning at the Westin. And that was it, he left.”
I squeeze some honey into the mugs and then carry them over to the couch, setting them on the coffee table. I sit down next to Jack, tucking one leg underneath me and resting my elbow on the back of the couch so that I’m facing him. I hold my mug in my other hand, and we sit in silence for a few minutes, both of us processing.
“What are you feeling right now?” I finally ask him.
“I’m sure some other feelings will set in later, but right now I’m just stunned,” he says, shaking his head.
“I know. Like you said, it will come later.”
“And I’m afraid to get too excited about it. Not until we find out more.”
“I get that. It’s hard to get excited when you don’t have it hot in your hand yet. But you know, even if this doesn’t lead to anything, if one label noticed you, I’m sure that means that others can and will. In the meantime, I’ll just have to be excited for you.
He finally turns his head and looks at me, like he’s taking me for the first time since he arrived.
“What?” I ask.
“You’re just pretty incredible.”
“Aww, baby-,” I start, but I’m cut off.
“I mean it. You listened to me and helped me make sense of all this. I was a nervous wreck, and look what ten minutes with you did for me.”
“I’m just so glad I could do that for you,” I say.
“And,” he continues,” it’s adorable that I can tell by your hair what side you were sleeping on,” he grins.
“Gee whiz,” I say, rolling my eyes as he chuckles and takes my tea out of my hand to set it down. “I didn’t think to freshen up when there was someone pounding on my door at 3:00 am like a psychopath.” He laughs harder, pulling me to sit across his lap.
“When all this went down,” he says, his expression sobering, “I could think of nothing else but telling you. You are the first person I wanted to tell and I could not wait until morning. I couldn’t wait another minute. That is why I raced over here and pounded on your door like a lunatic.”
“Jack…” I say, smiling. I seem to lack the ability to come up with an actual good response to that as I look at him. He doesn’t seem to care as he smiles into my eyes.
Jack
Mayzie took care of me last night. No, being told a record label is interested in the band you’ve been working hard in isn’t a hardship, but it threw me for a loop and got my mind racing, and one of the places it went was straight to the end where it doesn’t work out after all. I was shocked, excited, and freaked out. The one good thing that comes from playing for ten years with no one giving you a second glance is that there’s no pressure. Meeting Ron changed that a little bit and I worked myself into a frenzy. I had to get to Mayzie. I had to tell her, to share it with her immediately. I wanted us to experience this epic news together, but also, I think maybe in the back of my brain, I knew she might calm me.
She listened while I got out all the crazy that was going through my head. She was killing me, sitting there in nothing but my t-shirt, hair a mess because I’d just woken her up, but not complaining. She didn’t say she was tired, that she wanted to go back to bed, or suggest we talk about it in the morning. She was there for me right in that moment. She helped me talk through all the thoughts swirling around in my head. We talked for a long time about the different scenarios that could come from this, until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.
16
Jack
After checking in at the front desk of the Westin, we’re directed up to one of the presidential suites on the top floor. Matt knocks, and only a few seconds pass before we hear footsteps on the other side, followed by the door being swung open by Ron.
"Fellas, glad you could make it. Come in,” he says, turning and leading us into his expansive suite. It has its own kitchen, a TV with couch off in one corner, and from what I can see, the bedroom is separated by another door. In the middle is a large sitting area with two maroon couches facing each other, a glass coffee table between them, as well as two grey chairs on either side of that. "Come, have a seat gentlemen," Ron says as he makes his way to one of the chairs, sitting with the floor to ceiling windows behind him. He gestures to the couches. Matt and I have a seat on one, putting us on Ron's left, while Chris and Josh take the other. After making sure none of us want anything, he gets right into it, sitting straight back in his chair, arms resting on either side with one ankle crossed over his knee. The rest of us can't seem to bring ourselves to get that comfortable. In fact, we are all literally at the edge of our seats, chomping at the bit to hear what he has to say.
"So, I'm going to start by telling you about the division I'm from. At ECHO, we do things a little different than most labels. What most of them do is, they see an act, they see potential, and then they dive in and invest, throw all the necessary funds into helping that act succeed. Three times out of four, that act will not succeed and therefore not turn a profit putting the label in debt. And then the one act out of the four that does succeed is the cash cow that gets them out of the red, and back into lucrative territory. What we have done, is designated what we call the "Silver" division, specifically for acts that we think have potential. Our "Gold" acts that have signed with us, are the ones that have already been out there for a while with a couple of albums and tours under their belts, and are bringing in a steady income for both themselves and us. We allocate a small percentage from our share of the earnings they bring in, to fund the "Silver" division. It's kind of like having a slush fund that we can put towards acts that we aren't sure of yet to see if they can become one of our Gold earners. You with me so far?" We all nod, and murmur for him to continue. "So, for the time period a musical act is in our Silver program, we enter into short-term contracts to get the ball rolling, like recording one song and putting it out on the radio. If it does well, we will take the next step and put them on tour as an opening act for a Gold band or singer for one leg. If that goes well, they can go on to the next leg. Do you see where this is going?" We all confirm with more nods and 'yes's that we do. It actually makes a lot of sense to invest in musical talent this way. I'm impressed.
Ron continues, "So, while there is still a risk we take when signing bands with the Silver division, it's not as big of a blow to ECHO’s bank account like the hits the other labels take. Now, let's get into what brings you guys into this." Yes, finally. I've been dying over here on this couch. I can tell the rest of us have too, especially when I look over to see Chris and Josh taking sharp inhales and leaning in closer. "At ECHO, we do have a staff delegated for patrolling sites like YouTube and Spotify and all the rest, looking for artists that are trending, and you guys have been making a lot of noise on YouTube and social media. You ended up on my desk, so I came here to check you out." He pauses and looks around at all of us.
"Well what did you think? Did you listen to the demo?" Chris pipes up, unable to control his yearning to find out why we're here. He's always been the hyper one, which is partly why he does drums and is damn good at it. It's the perfect channel for his energy and gives him a sense of control.
"Of course I listened to the demo," Ron says, trying to pacify Chris. "I liked what I heard, and after conferencing with a couple of Silver producers at ECHO, we want to buy 'See Her'." We all collapse in a variety of emotions. Josh drops his head back to the back of the couch he and Chris are sitting on, while Chris's mouth drops open. Matt puts his face in his hands, and I run my hand through my hair.
"Are you serious?" I ask, unable to believe what I just heard.
"Dead serious," Ron says, shrugging like this shouldn't be a surprise. "We want to get it on the airwaves and see what kind of response we get. That's step one. And like I said, if it gets a good response, we will go to the next step. If not, then no hard feelings, you go back to your lives, and who knows, maybe down the road there will be a 'next time.' So, what do you guys think of making a real, professional recording of 'See Her'?” This time, Chris and Josh both erupt.
"YES! Yes! We have to! Right, guys? We're doing this right?" Chris is getting hyped again, and
Josh puts a hand on his shoulder, actually holding him down as he starts flailing in his seat. Matt and I look at each other, both laughing in disbelief.
"Assuming everything is fair in a contract and what not, it's a go for me," Matt says.
"Yeah, me too,” I say nodding, unable to wipe the smile off my face. "Thank you, Ron, for this chance."
"Yeah, man," agrees Josh. "We've been at this a long time and it means the world, you giving us this shot."
”No need to thank me," Ron answers with a shake of his head, his expression neutral. ”You have the talent; you've been doing the work. Now, it’s time to get into some details.” He uncrosses his legs and scooches forward in this seat. We all sit still and lean forward, putting our game faces back on and giving him our attention. “In the Silver division, one thing we don’t have to waste, is time. We kick things off pretty quickly, sit back a minute to see where they go, and jump right back on the fast track if it’s making headway. In other words, hold on to your butts and try not to get whiplash, because we’re jumping right in with this.”
“We are based in L.A., however, we do have a studio in New York. I’m going to need you to come out there first thing Monday morning and plan on being there for the day. We will put you up in a hotel, you’ll work on the song, we’ll meet briefly on Tuesday morning, and then you’re free to come home.” Ron leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Now, the single will be released two weeks from the Friday following the recording. It’s always a good idea to have a video to go with a new song. I doubt I have to tell you that it helps the fans connect with who the band really is, what they look like, how they play, who’s who etc. We already have a concept in mind at a fairly decent budget.”
“I don’t mean to sound skeptical,” Josh says, tilting his head, “but I’m just curious how you got as far as a video concept when you just met us Thursday.” I stiffen, worried that Ron will think we’re looking a gift horse in the mouth, but I’m curious too.
“I’ll be frank with you, it’s sort of a generalized video concept we’ve had in our back pocket for the next band that came along. It fits the genre you guys play. Over the weekend we corresponded and tailored it to what we think will fit your band persona. The only hard part was contacting local venues on the weekend to use their space.”
“That all sounds legit to me. We’re with you so far. Go on,” Matt concedes.
“We will set you guys up playing in a couple of different vignettes that we will be going between,” Ron continues with his pitch. “One will be on the stage at the St. Michelle. We were able to rent that out for an afternoon.” The St. Michelle is an old school opera house that has been continually restored over the years, and is still used for plays and musicals. “The other will be in the abandoned warehouse on 10th. The city has already granted us access to it for four hours so we will begin shooting there the morning of. What do you guys think so far?”
“So far it sounds great, straightforward,” I say. “At
this point, it’s important just to get some attention on the song, and I like how you’ve kept the concept simple.”
“Yeah,” agrees Matt. “I think it’s better to give prospective fans a true idea of who we are if we don’t do anything too crazy or dramatic straight out of the gate.”
“Perfect.” Ron claps his hands together. “I just want to include one more component. ‘See Her’ is unmistakably about a woman, and I think it would be good to feature a female character. Not to overpower the video, but to make noticeable appearances throughout it so that it really brings the lyrics home, reminding listeners what the song is about. Now, I have a few contacts in mind that I’m sure would love to audition…”
“It’s gotta be Mayzie,” I blurt out. Oh shit, I just cut him off. This guy is opening a huge door for us, so I feel like I should be minding my ‘p’s and ‘q’s. I shut up and look down at the floor, resting my chin on my hands.
“Mayzie? Who’s that?” Ron asks, looking around at the others.
“Mayzie is his… girlfriend,” Matt says, trying to tread lightly. I nod, still saying nothing. I’m a little embarrassed. I just took the wheel out of this guy’s hands. But Mayzie is the essence of this song, and if he wants people to realize what it’s truly about, then we need her in the video.
“Okay, you have a girlfriend,” Ron acknowledges, “Tell me why she should be in the video.”
I sit up straighter. “She inspired the lyrics. All of them. The song is about her. Plus, she’s one hell of a dancer.”
Ron’s eyebrows go up at that. “Well, that can certainly add some artistry to the video.” He nods to himself, considering it for a minute before saying, “I’d have to meet her, see her dance.”
I mentally flip through Mayzie’s schedule before I say, “Have you heard of Dance It Out? It’s a studio in midtown. If you can come by tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure she’s there.”
See Her (Turn it Up Book 1) Page 15