Pop Artist Geoff Byrd Takes Back His Music Career

Press release
Source: Rhonda Boudreaux

For Geoff Byrd music is comfort, a stimulus that helps to vitalize his spirit. After months of legal battles to leave his manager and label, Byrd has recharged and it shows on his a new album, Featurette, that he will release exclusively through his website www.geoffbyrd.com. Byrd recorded, produced, mixed, played all the instruments and wrote all the songs on Featurette. This new CD shows that Byrd is more in tune with his surroundings, as if a weight has been lifted, allowing the illumination of his true self and music genius to show through. Featurette will be released March 11, 2007, and Byrd will personally autograph every CD with a request email to artist@geoffbyrd.com. He is declaring that traditional effort is dead and making a statement to help pave the way for other indie artists.

Just three years ago Geoff Byrd became known nationally for his unconventional indie marketing when he became the number one most listened to artist on the Internet for his release of Candy Shell. His single “Silver Plated” hit # 1 and became the most added song above U2, Greenday and Maroon 5 on Internet radio. The audience feedback played the most important role in the programmers’ decision to continue playing “Silver Plated” with ratings so astonishing that Byrd made national news. Byrd was even a case study by Microsoft becoming the first unsigned artist to be featured on MSN Music’s home page. "Silver Plated" hit commercial radio going to # 1 on KRZK/Portland and was the most requested song on KPLZ/Seattle. "Silver Plated" continued in the top 20 on Hot AC stations for many weeks, all without label support.

Billboard and Radio & Records magazines took notice of Byrd, featuring him in a two-part series interview and cover stories. CNET and CNN news touted Byrd as the first artist to truly break via the Internet. Through all the media attention and airplay Byrd was on his way.

Although Byrd was doing very well, selling thousands of CDs through his website, garageband.com and CD Baby and getting a lot of airplay and media attention on his own, he was ready to take the next step to help further his career. He signs with a manager, who starts up an indie label, who gets distribution through Fontana, a Universal Music Group. His hope was to connect with millions of fans instead of the thousands who found him through self-promotion. All set to release his CD, Shrinking Violets, nationally, everything seemed to be going very well. His second single "Before Kings" quickly rose to # 3 Hot AC new and active (Radio & Records) and he was signed to CAA. After a seven-week radio tour Byrd was asked to be the opening act for Hall & Oates on their American and Canadian tour. For Byrd this was a dream come true.

Byrd had already established himself as an accomplished songwriter drawing the attention of many television music supervisors. He co-wrote the theme songs for Lifetime Network’s Cheerleader Nation and ESPN’s Wanna Go Fishing with Josh Millman, song placed in America’s Top Model, MTV’s Next, Road Rules, Real World and The Hills.

This past year Byrd was nominated on the Grammy ballot in four categories and # 3 on Hot AC radio. Recently, Byrd recorded with Jim Brickman as the featured vocals on Brickman’s latest release “When It Snows” that hit #3 on the charts. He is also writing with John Oates, Jed Leiber and Billy Morrison.

Byrd thought he was staying true to his indie roots by signing with this manager and start up indie label. Professionally, he felt he had made the right decision but tried to remain true to his own personal philosophies. Soon it was apparent that Byrd had made the wrong decision. Their relationship had stagnated. Management and label had lost their funding and distribution leaving him with no options. Feeling isolated and un-represented Byrd decided to part company with management and their label to once again pursue all that matters to him, his music.

Geoff Byrd would like to thank all those who continue to support him and the new direction he is taking. Please visit www.geoffbyrd.com for samples of Featurette.

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