Icon for Hire - New Label

Interesting video posted by Icon for Hire. I have a feeling I will not be supporting this band in the future. I was hyped about them in the beginning, but they are starting to make me think they they are going to make a big shift away from their "christian" roots, and probably do something stupid in the act of distancing themselves. It's a shame. I get tired of the old, "we were dumb and signed a bad contract." as well as the "even tho we signed to a christian label, we weren't really a christian band." Only time will tell.

I saw this video and am getting more and more disinterested in this band. I enjoyed their first album, the second was a total sell out.

I definitely wont be buying their next album unless it gets better lyrically.

I personally never considered them a Christian band to begin with, although everyone said they were.

But I don't understand what problem you have with what they said.

Does it surprise you that a "Christian" label would be overly controlling and greedy?

It shouldn't.

They have a right to be able to write from their hearts without some label nitpicking it for fear of some overly sensitive Christian somewhere might be offended.

They also have a right to make a living.

They also aren't the first ones to feel this way about that label.

I say more power to them.

Here's the real problem as I see it...

Tooth and Nail records has a history of taking young bands that are hungry for a record deal and making them pass themselves off as a Christian band to get signed with them, even though the band isn't really a Christian band.

It doesn't surprise me, it's a (bad) part of the business. What might be the problem, is if what they wanted to say was way out of bounds, and the label was trying to reel them in. These things always end up a "he said/she said" problem, that most fans just agree with what the artist says. Artists always rail against the big bad label and/or producers like little children upset they can't get what they want. But there are some good things to have accountability or some one to help push you in the right direction.

I don't have an exact problem with what they said, but with some things I have seen before, that usually leads down a bad road. That is why I said "time will tell".

NoOneIsHere wrote: ...although everyone said they were.

Some people like the label so they can feel better about what they are listening too.

....also, in the modern Church we've gotten used to " selling low " and " buying high " with a lot of things.

Understood..but it's crap that the band isn't making any money.

I've heard a lot of bad stuff about T&N over the years, so I am prone to believe the comments

And I agree with you 100% about the people liking the "Christian band" label to justify them listening to it.

If the music in the background is any indication of the direction they are going in, then I probably won't be interested in anything new by them.  I liked the first album.  I can't stand the 2nd.  It was horrid.

With the way they did the video with the background music, it reminds me of those commercials for dog adoption.

I always preferred Flyleaf over IFH. Never really got into them, I didn't like their songs. They just sounded like the typical loud rock band that were meant for youth who think high school is the end of the world, lol. I enjoy Flyleaf because Lacey is pretty passionate about her faith and she shows passion through her singing. 

ParaNormaN wrote:I always preferred Flyleaf over IFH. Never really got into them, I didn't like their songs. They just sounded like the typical loud rock band that were meant for youth who think high school is the end of the world, lol. I enjoy Flyleaf because Lacey is pretty passionate about her faith and she shows passion through her singing. 

Always loved Flyleaf, until they got the new singer. Lacey had something unique about her, that made it work.

Interesting (and intentionally emotion-filled) video that looks as if it is going to be a plea for crowd-funding.  Wish them the best, but I gotta ask why did they sign such a horrible contract to begin with?

DiG wrote:Always loved Flyleaf, until they got the new singer. Lacey had something unique about her, that made it work.

I completely agree.  I don't hate the new singer, but Lacey is what kept the band from sounding generic.  Unless she comes back I seriously doubt I will have any interest in anything else the band does.

Staybrite wrote:Interesting (and intentionally emotion-filled) video that looks as if it is going to be a plea for crowd-funding.  Wish them the best, but I gotta ask why did they sign such a horrible contract to begin with?

DiG wrote:Always loved Flyleaf, until they got the new singer. Lacey had something unique about her, that made it work.

I completely agree.  I don't hate the new singer, but Lacey is what kept the band from sounding generic.  Unless she comes back I seriously doubt I will have any interest in anything else the band does.

True Lacy is the best

now The Letter Black is a different story

Im totally excited for this

https://www.facebook.com/theletterblack/videos/10152717646793004/

and this

https://www.facebook.com/theletterblack/videos/10152854676288004/

ParaNormaN wrote:I always preferred Flyleaf over IFH. Never really got into them, I didn't like their songs. They just sounded like the typical loud rock band that were meant for youth who think high school is the end of the world, lol. I enjoy Flyleaf because Lacey is pretty passionate about her faith and she shows passion through her singing. 

+1

Never understood the furor associated with IFH.

Staybrite,

To answer your one question..,about why they signed that contract in the first place..a couple of things to remember.

One, a young band searching for their big break gets offered a contract by a known label. Would be kind of hard for them to pass it up because who knows in this day and age when another deal will come around.

Second, I am sure T&N didn't give off the impression in the beginning that they were going to be this controlling with what the band writes.

IFH is definitely not the only band to get screwed by their first big deal.

Just about every 80s metal band did too.

Well, after reading their latest post for lyrics to one of their songs, it's going like I thought. Dropping a bunch of cuss words*. Sad, because the subject she talks about is a good one, and she even mentions how little girls look up to her. 


* Disclaimer: I'm not a prude. I've dropped a few choice words in my time, and do at times of frustration. That doesn't make it right. I have not one issue with that, but putting it in a "concrete" format, I disagree with. It serves no purpose, except to shock.

deathisgain wrote:Well, after reading their latest post for lyrics to one of their songs, it's going like I thought. Dropping a bunch of cuss words*. Sad, because the subject she talks about is a good one, and she even mentions how little girls look up to her. 


* Disclaimer: I'm not a prude. I've dropped a few choice words in my time, and do at times of frustration. That doesn't make it right. I have not one issue with that, but putting it in a "concrete" format, I disagree with. It serves no purpose, except to shock.

I agree

I'll go back to what I said originally...

They were NEVER a Christian band...

They were a band that T&N marketed as Christian.....but they NEVER were truly a Christian band.

Blame T&N for trying to deceive people about what they are pedaling..they are the true problem

Also..I look at it this way..

I think Ariel is acting the same way any person who was controlled acts once they get freedom....they go out and do everything they were never allowed to.

Just like a kid left at home by themselves for the first time..lol



I'm more concerned about the music style...

bleah....

Official ‪#‎NowYouKnow‬ lyrics:
Chorus:
Seem like everywhere I go, everybody wanna know
What’s it like to be a girl, in the music world
Wanna make it disappear, tell 'em what they wanna hear,
If truth aint pretty will you all stay with me
Will you love me, love me ugly
V1
The scene is so sexist, believe me I get it, we’d probably sell more records if I flaunted my a*s and chest but
forget it
I work like one of the boys, and I’m as true as they get
but I’m a lady through and through, like give me some credit
I knew I’d regret it if I tried to blend in and pretend
Be something other than I am
like have you noticed I’m a woman
Didn’t come to downplay it, or to play it up either
and I’m not trying pick a fight or be nobody's leader
But it feels like everybody’s just a little too interested
In the fact that females can indeed make music
Our interviews, our bios, --they all make it a point
“Female Fronted Band, from Decatur, Illinois"
And just once, I’d like to see some other band’s resume go out of their way to say they’re fronted by a male, ok?
And while we’re on it, let me say
Women don’t all sound the same
Who gave us the idea that "Female Fronted” is a genre anyway?
V2
And I know it’s not fair, and I can’t complain,
Cuz with girl in our band, people don’t look away
But you know what, it feels like they look just a little too long
stare me up and down, forget to listen to the song
I take the stage
and before I even open my mouth, the audience assumes that they got us all figured out
"Oh your band’s got a chick, must be some kinda trick,
there’s no way she got this far without sucking somebody's"
Did you really think that’s how it works, I’m not smurfin\' eye candy
I’m here to do my job, I’ll be the last man standing
Boys in crowd asking, for me to flash them, well here you go, news flash:
You’re ignorant and that’s that
I bet you’d never say that to your little sister
The media’s got you all jacked up, little mister
Cuz girls in my position can perpetuate the cycle
walking a tightrope, don’t know which way to go
Hypersexualize, or downplay your femininity
Dress like the dudes, or pray to God that you’re pretty
Are you kidding me? And I don’t even know who’s to blame
Beauty sells, I buy it too, I’m trying to sell it back it you.
V3
So tell me, what’s a woman to do-no, scratch that
Tell me what’s a human being to with the fact that
What gets us ahead just holds us back more
Is a level playing field too much to ask for?
And I know that by saying it, I'm bringing attention
To an issue that might be better left unmentioned -
but someone's gotta say it, gotta call out the scene
the scene is obscene, my sanity's split at the seams
So to all of ya’ll making this just about a*s and tits
here to set the record straight, it don’t gotta be this way
We can change the game, rearrange the way to fame
And make a bigger deal about the talent than the face
See I got little girls watching me, wanting to be like me,
And i wanna show them that they don’t gotta be like me
They can do their own thing, they can rewrite the rules
They can get respect without acting like fools
So lets not make it harder than it has to be
I’ll keep making music, you stop asking me
What’s it like to be a girl in the entertainment world,
Cuz now you know