With excitement spreading over their recent reunion, Finch didn’t have to search hard to get signed. This suited the band, who preferred letting their longtime manager, Andy Harris, helm the task. “Over the last year, I’ve had my head buried in the sand writing music,” imparts guitarist Alex Linares. “I trust Andrew to take care of the business stuff.”
During the mid-to late-‘90s, Harris, too, was in a band and his former manager has since passed through New York label Razor & Tie’s doors. Harris naturally granted the Sony-distributed label first dibs. Happily, A&R rep Mike Gitter was a fan of the post-hardcore noise bringers. After soaking up one demo, the deal was a go.
Besides good songs, Gitter recognized Finch’s solid work ethic. Linares appreciated Razor & Tie’s quirky back story and roster. The band had but one request––that they retain their European press officer.
“We weren’t expecting a
truckload of money to be dropped
at our doorsteps.”
Having experienced life on a major, the group’s expectations were realistic. “In some ways, we were starting over,” reflects Linares. “It had been about nine years since our last release and it didn’t exactly go multiplatinum.” Still, they received a reasonable advance and avoided a 360 scenario. “We knew the industry had changed since our last deal, so we weren’t expecting a truckload of money to be dropped at our doorsteps.” They secured a royalty rate similar to or slightly better than that which they received in their first deal.
Linares credits finding a home with luck and serendipity; it’s all about meeting the right person at the right time. One way to accelerate the process, he suggests, is by creating an unavoidable Internet meme via video. While he has considered that route, he confesses, “We’re way too ugly for that.” – Andy Kaufmann
