Older, established artists like Alabama can go onstage and do a two-hour show of their hits. For a new artist to build that kind of catalog these days seems daunting. I asked Thomas if he had ever felt that he was taking a chance by adding a new tune by an unknown artist. I am convinced that our audience is ready to love a new song. I must say that over the past 20 years, I haven't found a nonmajor label artist whose song did that for me.
Record companies exist to sell music.
An executive wants to find music that will excite people enough that they will buy it. If, as an artist, you have a sound that will do this, you've got the power. The record executive is ready to be excited about you if you have the right stuff. People who really deserve a major label deal usually end up there. The music business is odd because it can't be quantified.