Who Is Scott Austin?

I’m in my time machine heading back to 10 years ago when Franz Ferdinand was but a twinkle in the founding members’ eyes. A time when dreams of rock ‘n roll fame and fortune overpowered every sensibility to just make music for the sake of creative art. Oh wait, I just got transported back to 2010 and I’m hearing about the ruckus these Scots are making about their record label licensing a song to McDonald’s without their “approval.”

First of all, let’s get real here… The 80’s… AND the 90’s are over! You can bag the indie-shmindie attitude at the door. The second you signed a contract with any company who was willing to take the great financial risk (and at unknown reward) of working with your self-indulgent, guitar-noodling band, you made a deal to trade your “artistic credo” for some cold hard cash and a shot at becoming a bona fide rock star.

To say now, in hindsight, and after millions of dollars invested (and, let’s not forget, MILLIONS EARNED by the band) that you are appalled by a decision to place your music alongside McDonald’s, a brand that is one of the world’s most recognized brands, in a spot that will no doubt earn you not only millions of new “non-hipster” fans but a boatload of cash via not only licensing and PRO revenue but additional touring and merchandise revenue courtesy of these new fans makes me sick. To add insult to injury, you spit right in the faces of every “indie” band looking for a break in the industry who would gladly trade places with you in a nanosecond.

What’s the motto here, “We made our money, now we have to look cool for our fans”??? Give me a break. Your band is no more special than the thousands of other young bands trying to survive in an industry plagued by piracy and diminished value for content, and your belief that you are is disrespectful to all of the fans that helped get you to where you are in the first place.

You are ungrateful and two-faced. If you mind the spot so much, a spot by the way that is only happening because you allowed both your label AND publisher the rights to enter into such a placement without your prior approval then perhaps YOU are to blame.

You can’t have it both ways. You can have the “cred” and take the hard road, or the money and keep your mouth shut. There is no in-between.

And if you’re so concerned that the brand affiliation with McDonald’s is “bad” for the FF brand, then why don’t you cleanse the FF brand and donate all of the revenue associated with the spot (PRO included) to the Haitian relief effort? Or any other cause of your choosing for that matter, just stop blaming “the man” for your “problems.” I’ve known and talk to 30 independent artists a week that have to actually work “real jobs” for a living and who would feel blessed to be in your “situation.”

It’s 2010 and world events dictate that even an “at one time self-important A&R prick” like me knows now is not the time for millionaire rockstars to cry woe is me now.

Gratefully yours,

Scott Austin

CEO / Authentik Artists

Love/Hate mail welcome through the contact form at AuthentikArtists.com