Complex sentence: As Prism's principal songwriter, Vallance was afraid that if the album failed and his real name was associated with it, he would never land another recording contract--but by using the pseudonym, Vallance could get around that problem.
Split into simpler sentences: As Prism's principal songwriter, Vallance was afraid that if the album failed and his real name was associated with it, he would never land another recording contract. By using the pseudonym, Vallance could get around that problem.