Our music editor explains the quite simple process
I write about local music for The Pulse, and I love doing it. I love supporting the scene, I love that there is a scene to support (there wasn’t always, I assure you).
Sometimes, though, I run into a “feast or famine” dilemma in which six bands all send me something one week (time-sensitive, of course) and then no one sends me anything the following week.
In an attempt to alleviate that, here are some guidelines:
1. I can’t write about you if I don’t know about you. I have bands accuse me of nasty things because they feel overlooked, but then they hadn’t actually bothered to reach out to me. Do so! Anything you send to me via The Pulse gets to me ASAP. All of it. info@chattanoogapulse.com is your email friend. Use it.
2. This may seem funny, but I need to hear you. I like hard copies because it means I can add it to my collection of homegrown artists, but digital files work just fine.
What doesn’t work is insisting I come to your live show. I do this when I can, which is rarely, because I have a whole bunch of other jobs and a family I like to spend time with. I also have an office in my home and typically I sequester myself here with your music, lock all the doors, and don’t come out until I’m done.
I like being able to hear a track three, four or ten times if I need to. If the only way to hear you right now is live, then I can’t help you yet, but know that even an open-air recording is doable. I once wrote a review on a very hot band based on an open-air cassette recording of a practice session. It doesn’t need to be perfect for me; I’ve been a musician long enough to hear what you’re doing.
3. Photos. If your pics were taken by a local artist or photographer, include their name (due to space considerations, watermarks often get cropped out). Don’t send me cropped photos and say, “Here you go,” without giving credit to the artist. They don’t like that and they blame me (or my editor), even though you’re the guitar monkeys who failed to mention it.
4. Press kits are fine if you have one, but a 10-minute phone call will give me all I need. We can arrange that after the initial contact.
I love music; I love local music and love supporting you guys. Please consider me a resource for promoting who you are and what you do. Best of all, it doesn’t cost you anything beyond the time it takes to reach out to me. So c’mon kids, keep those submissions coming and I’ll do my best to let the world know how damn great you are!