Date Signed: March 18, 2022
Label: Fantasy Records
Type of Music: Rock
Management: N/A
Booking: Matt Galle
Legal: Stacy Fass
Publicity: Atom Splitter PR, Amy Sciarretto & Tim Tatulli
Web: lsdunes.com - @lsdunes
A&R: Matt Marshall
Meet L.S. Dunes, a band composed of members from My Chemical Romance, Coheed & Cambria, Thursday and Circa Survive. When you hear that pedigree, it’s not far fetched to assume they’d have the pick of the record label litter. Once the group of musicians had some songs arranged, they showed them to industry manager and close friend Paul Clegg. Encouraged by Clegg, the dudes continued passing the tracks around. “Soon everybody in my life whose opinion I cared about had heard it,” explains guitarist Frank Iero. Included in that list was My Chem attorney Stacy Fass.
“She started to play it for people and before we knew it, we had ears on the recordings who wanted to do something with us.” Fortunately for Dunes, that included friends at Fantasy Records / Concord Music Group. “Tom Whalley [CLO, Concord] used to be at Warner Brothers. He was a proponent of My Chem way back in the day—somebody we looked to for advice and for guidance. Tom liked the recording, as did [Fantasy Records President] Margie [Cheske] and [Concord SVP A&R] Matt [Marshall].”
When preparing to sign on the dotted line, all members agreed that their primary stipulation was full creative control. “Every musician in this band has been around this block, “Confides Iero. “We've seen a lot of the pitfalls. So we wanted to go somewhere that loved the band for the band and not just the members involved.”
For up-and-coming labels and artists alike, Iero provided some insight on creating, and signing, successful art. “I think what bands have to understand is that there is a large cycle of fear involved in this. Music isn't selling the way it used to. So people are scared to take risks but don't always realize that the only time music is selling is when people are taking risks and doing something different. So you have this thing of, ‘I don't know if I wanna put money into something that isn't proven because music isn't selling’ and you're like, ‘well, music isn't selling because you're not taking a risk on something that isn't proven.’ … I think as an artist you have to know they’re as scared as you are. Sometimes the label's even more terrified than you (laughs).”
L.S. Dunes' debut record Past Lives is available now.
