Merch sales is one of, if not the primary, revenue generator for artists at certain levels of their careers. Tie this into the fact that merch proudly worn or displayed by their fans helps spread the word about their music, and it becomes all too essential for today’s artists to have a strong merch strategy. This important need is what led Vanessa Ferrer to found Merch Cat, a POS & inventory management tool that helps artists track what merch they sell each night on tour, easily identify what merch items & types of products are most popular among their fans, and unify sales across the merch table and a fan-centric shopping app. We spoke with Ferrer about Merch Cat’s story, the importance of using sales metrics to understand your fanbase, why every artist should have a holistic approach to merch sales, and beyond!

Episode #228 — Holistic Strategies For Selling Music Merch with Merch Cat’s Vanessa Ferrer

"Go Home" is from the Summer Cannibals album 'Full Of It', available May 27th, 2016.

Pre-order at www.killrockstars.com/fullofit

Kill Rock Stars is excited to announce the latest addition to their roster: Portland’s own Summer Cannibals. The brilliant rock band is set to release their third full ­length album Full of It on May 2016.
Led by guitarist/vocalist Jessica Boudreaux, the Cannibals initially cut their teeth on the local circuit, sharing the stage and receiving encouragement from peers such as The Thermals. Along the way, they released a pair of fantastic full­lengths ­­ 2013’s No Makeup and 2015’s Show Us Your Mind — on their own label, New Moss Records. Show Us Your Mind was recorded by legendary NW engineer Larry Crane and was recently named one of the best of 2015 by Sound Opinions co­-host Jim DeRogatis. The band has since spent an unhealthy amount of time on the road, earning accolades and adding plenty of fresh converts to their highly­ charged, no frills attack.
It seems only logical that when the band decided to sign to a label, they chose a label like Kill Rock Stars, which has a long history of putting out fearless, female­ fronted bands like Bikini Kill and Sleater­Kinney. “Summer Cannibals take us back to our roots,” says KRS President Portia Sabin. “Jessica is a great songwriter and the band is super exciting live, it’s a perfect fit.”
The new album Full Of It is the band’s defining statement to date. Recorded at the amazing analog recording studio The Dock with producer Chris Woodhouse (Thee Oh Sees, Wild Flag), the LP is one of those massive leaps forward that every band hopes to achieve at least once in their career. Aided by a new powerhouse rhythm section of drummer Devon Shirley and bassist Jenny Logan and guitarist Marc Swart, the 11 songs spark with that perfect mix of snotty attitude, unbounded energy, and window rattling volume.
For their part, the four musicians keep their collective foot on the gas pedal, roaring through tunes like the jagged, screaming title track and the shouting, fist pumping drive of “Just A Little Bit.” But they’re savvy and talented enough to ease up when it counts. Just listen for those sweet melodies carrying “Say My Name” along or the pair of simmering tunes that close out the album: “Fall In” and “Simple Life.” The whole thing is done and dusted in about 35 minutes. Just enough time to catch your breath and drop the needle on side A again

Summer Cannibals - Go Home

"Best Kept Secret" by case/lang/veirs from the self-titled album, available June 17.  'case/lang/veirs' is a one a of a kind album from Neko Case, k.d. lang, and Laura Veirs.
Pre-order at http://www.caselangveirs.com

case/lang/veirs - Best Kept Secret

"Young People's debut album wallows in backwoods ambience, a fetishization of rural life with a kernel of the blues somewhere at its heart. But the music they cut from this atmosphere is intriguing, and inventively realized." - Pitchfork

"The greatest moments in mysteries are the seconds just before all the disparate plot strands are pulled taut. There exists in those seconds the vague taste of meaning, but it's still clouded. There is the nervous butterfly buildup to the revelation, and it's the implication that often trumps the solution itself. Young People exist in those seconds before epiphany." - Philadelphia Weekly

"Singer Katie Eastburn's hauntingly beautiful and country-tinged vocals lent an exciting uniqueness to offbeat, eccentric folk-rock tunes. It was one of the most exciting debut albums of 2002, as well as one of the best all around recordings." - Dusted

Young People's short, minimal, brutally beautiful songs draw their inspiration from ancient hymnals and confessionals and blues numbers, taken with a strong dose of Broadway. The L.A. trio played stark and aloof and downright frightening music: by equal measure inspiring, comforting, chilling.

Originally released in 2002 on KRS subsidiary 5 Rue Christine, Young People's self-titled album is now available on audio cassette.

Young People - Collection

Red Cabin - Willow Tree

From the Kill Rock Stars album 'Mating Surfaces,' available at http://lithics.bandcamp.com

Mating Surfaces is the second full length from Portland, Oregon's Lithics. Twelve tightly wound fragments of brittle abstract twin guitar, impellent rhythm, and absurd, imagistic lyricism. 

"A stern danceable sound that summons cut up snapshots of Su Tissue and Mark E Smith, an imagined landscape where Captain Beefheart hits that 99 Records “Too Many Creeps” beat."
-Layla Gibbon (Maximum Rocknroll, Skinned Teen).

PRESS/LABEL: ben@killrocksatrs.com
US BOOKING: joe@groundcontroltouring.com
UK/EURO BOOKING: peter@puschen.net

Mating Surfaces

Excuse Generator

Lithics - Excuse Generator

In Part Two of Girl Germs, Erin, Molly, and Allison reflect on how they got into music, riot grrrl's roots, grunge, and what brought Bratmobile together as a band.

Featuring (in order of appearance):
Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile, Cold Cold Hearts, Sex Stains)
Erin Smith (Bratmobile, Cold Cold Hearts)
Molly Neuman (Bratmobile, The PeeChees, The Frumpies)

Transcript: bit.ly/girlgerms2

Produced by Will Watts and Anna McClain. Engineered by Brent Asbury at Beta Petrol.

Part Two

In Part Three of Girl Germs, hear how Bratmobile's "Girl Germs" single catalyzed the making of 'Pottymouth,' the story behind the album's 24-hour recording, and why it took almost a full year to release.

Featuring (in order of appearance):
Slim Moon (Kill Rock Stars)
Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile, Cold Cold Hearts, Sex Stains)
Erin Smith (Bratmobile, Cold Cold Hearts)
Tim Green (Nation of Ulysses)
Molly Neuman (Bratmobile, The PeeChees, The Frumpies)

Transcript: bit.ly/girlgerms3

Produced by Will Watts and Anna McClain. Engineered by Brent Asbury at Beta Petrol.

Part Three

A weekly podcast & radio show about the music industry hosted by Music Business Association president, Portia Sabin. Listen to new episodes here, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Episode #228 — Holistic Strategies For Selling Music Merch with Merch Cat’s Vanessa Ferrer

The Future of What

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