Broken Melody (Graffiti On Tour Series)

by Jennifer Miller

  Now, with Leslie sitting beside me, I feel more confident and prepared than I would have if I had ventured into this alone.

  “Thank you for doing this for me.”

  “How many times are you going to thank me?” She asks with a bright smile coupled with exasperation. “I said I’m happy to help and I mean it. Besides, any friend of Britt’s is a friend of mine.” Britt says Leslie loves her because she’s the only hairdresser she’s ever had that can get her hair the exact shade of blonde she prefers. Britt said Leslie happily agreed to attend the meeting and to look over the contract to make sure there’s nothing unexpected in it, pro bono, on one condition. She asked if we could procure her concert tickets at some point, and I happily agreed. I’m sure that shouldn’t be a problem – I’ll even buy them myself.

  When Rick finally breezes into the room, his assistant Bethany is at his side, and he’s sporting a big smile. “Sailor, it’s wonderful to see you again,” he says and walks over to me as I stand to greet him. Holding my hand out to shake his, he shakes his head and pulls me into a hug instead. I hesitate for a moment, but then give him a quick hug in return. Looking into his eyes, there’s nothing but kindness there, and seeing it makes the knots in my stomach loosen. “No handshakes for an amazing singer that’s about to become part of my family,” he tells me with a smile that I find myself easily returning.

  “Hi Rick.” Turning to Leslie, I introduce them. “This is my attorney, Leslie. She’s here to look over the contract with me and help with any questions or concerns.”

  “Great!” He holds his hand out and shakes Leslie’s as they each say hello. “Now, some people use their attorneys as their agents. Will that be the case here too?” Rick asks.

  Unprepared for the question and feeling just a tad less confident than I did a few minutes prior, I answer truthfully. “We’ve not actually explored that. Leslie will assist me with this discussion and we will go from here.” I’m feeling a bit proud to have mustered that response – one that I think saved face and showed respect for Leslie.

  “Actually,” Leslie offers, giving me a slight wink, “should Sailor elect to sign with you – meaning she either finds your offer and the written contract to her satisfaction or we are able to reach a mutually agreeable agreement– I would likely recommend an agent friend of mine, Daniel Austin. I think you’ve probably heard of him. He’s an expert in this industry and I’m sure he’d be happy to represent her. I’ll just serve in any needed legal capacity.”

  I’m momentarily stunned and silently thanking both Leslie and Britt. Daniel Austin is one of the biggest agent names in the music industry. I had no idea Leslie knew him. He has his own reputation; one that Rick may or may not find appealing. We had not discussed this but she can obviously think quite well on her feet – this is obviously not her first rodeo.

  “Oh, okay.” Rick sort of mumbles.

  I don’t know Rick, of course, but I’m guessing he was prepared to handle an amateur this morning. Not that I’m anticipating he has any intention of being dishonest or would offer me any less than what I could be entitled, but now I’m even more confident that this negotiation will be handled expertly. I find myself exhaling air that I had not realized I was holding, as I add, “Though, if the offer is satisfactory, I could always consider using Jace though he and I have not discussed it, just to keep things simple. But again, we’ll figure that out after today.” Rick nods in acknowledgement. I’m not entirely certain where that came from, but Leslie offers a smile, letting me know she’s pleased with this early part of the discussion. The fact that there is a business to this as well, and it’s not merely about singing and touring, once again impresses me. I make a mental note and promise myself that I will have the right people at the table to represent me and support me in all facets of this business if I sign this contract.

  Once he’s sitting across from me, Bethany slides two manila envelopes to him. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” he begins and I nod as slight worry once again makes me clench my hands together in my lap. “I said it before and I’ll say it again, I think you’re a phenomenal singer. The band picked you immediately after meeting you, and I’ll be honest, I tried to get them to pick someone else instead.”

  His words contradict themselves and I’m confused, “Why?”

  He smiles, “Because I’d prefer to sign you as a solo artist.” My mouth drops open in surprise and his smile widens, “There was no way, regardless of what they chose, that I was going to let talent like you walk away if I could help it.”

  “Wow. I-I don’t know what to say,” I tell him genuinely surprised, and stumbling over my words. I feel Leslie’s hand touch mine and apply a bit of pressure and I take that as a sign not to be too eager. So I again try to sit back in my chair and listen.

  “Well, I’ve decided the best thing to do is to give you a choice. But, I want to make my intentions very clear as well,” he pauses and I nod. “You can either join the band like we discussed. Or you can sign a contract for a solo career.” Despite the secret language from Leslie, I feel my eyes widen and my heart skipping a beat. This isn’t at all what I expected.

  “I want to give you full disclosure here. Truth is, I think there are pro’s and con’s to both decisions. And I’m sure Leslie or any agent would agree. I want you to choose the one that makes you the most comfortable, and the one you think will allow you to be the most successful.” He opens a folder and fidgets with the paperwork, shuffling the pages, “Now, as I’m sure you’ve seen, the band has gotten some publicity lately that has been less than desirable,” he says blandly and I nod. “My objective is to add a woman to the band to give them a fresh sound, a different direction, and to add some positivity to a great band. They’ve had some hits already, have gathered their own following and bottom line, Sailor, they have potential in spades - they just need to get back on the right track. Truth is, with the latest antics, their sales have taken a dive – nothing that can’t be fixed by any means – but before the negative trajectory continued or it got to the point of no return, I decided it was time to make a change.” He pauses and looks at Leslie and I – likely wondering if we have any questions. We both simply nod, so he continues. “We really need someone that aside from a dynamic voice, has the drive to succeed, will be willing to put in the work to do so, and frankly, has zero drama. So, please, tell me now if you’ve ever murdered someone or have some horrible skeleton in your closet that could be exposed, because god knows, that’s the last thing we need.”

  He laughs at his lame attempt at a joke and I give him a courtesy laugh, my stomach souring. “No, don’t worry, I’ve never murdered anyone.”

  “Thank god,” he says and wipes his brow as a joke to display his relief.

  “So tell me,” I begin, “how does the band feel about adding someone?” I ask boldly. I’ve heard from them a little bit about how they feel about it. After our lunch, I felt that we all got along great and maybe their feelings had changed, but I figure it doesn’t hurt to ask and hear Rick’s opinion on the matter. And perhaps it’s a bit of an integrity test. I want to know if he’ll tell me the truth.

  He sits back and scratches his head, looking at the table before he returns my gaze.

  “Well, as you can imagine, they have mixed feelings. It’s only been the four of them from the beginning and they are very protective and possessive of what they’ve accomplished so far.”

  “As they should be,” I reply thankful for his honesty.

  “However, from the moment they heard you, doubt and disagreement while not completely nullified suddenly turned into excitement and potential. So, I want to make it clear, while I may be forcing them to add someone for the time being, they are now on board much more than they were before.”

  “Okay…” I say hesitantly not sure what he means by the words ‘time being’ and simultaneously noticing that Leslie has also captured that phrase on a notepad in front of her.

  “The deal, as far as the
band goes is this. The contract is a temporary one. Limited in inception. A probationary period, if you will. The contract states you will join the band for rehearsals, a new album recording, and the planned or revised summer tour. Currently it is scheduled to be a six-city tour. While I don’t expect that to change, we always leave some flexibility. Something unforeseeable could arise to alter the specificity. I think you understand. Regardless, the contract expires one month after your final tour date – after that, we will all decide the next step. Either stay with the band and make it a permanent thing, or not. The band would all have to agree to keep you on – then of course you decide yes or no. Of course, I have controlling authority – final decision-making authority if you will, but if you have been a success and accomplished our goals, and are in agreement, I can’t imagine not wanting to go along.”

  “Okay,” I respond listening intently. I see that Leslie is writing a few more notes.

  “Now, I want you to understand what this probationary period means. It’s not only for them - it’s for you as well. Immerse yourself in the business, get your toes wet, get to know the guys, determine if you work well together – we already know you sound great – but there’s more to a successful band than just that. Then, like I said, at the end of the contract term we’ll meet and make a decision. And know that if they decide they’d like you to stay on, it’s okay if you determine that is not in your best interest. This probationary period, if you will, is for the benefit of all, not just them. You are under no obligation once the contract has been fulfilled to do anything further should you choose. Understand so far?”

  “Yes,” I nod.

  He smiles, “Good. Any questions?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I’ll wait until the end of your presentation,” Leslie expresses.

  “Okay, now, before you decide let’s discuss the solo career contract which I’m prepared for you to sign should you choose.” Moving my hands, I now sit on them in order to remain still. “Sailor, I think you’re great. When I heard you sing for the first time, you blew me away. You have a lot of potential and with some practice and polish I believe you can have a sensational career. Your sound is fresh, your tone bold and rich, and I think you would be a hit. The deal here is that you would record no less than two albums with me over the course of two years as well as a tour for both should record sales indicate a desire for such. To be clear, since you haven’t done this, our agency will provide the experts you need. You wouldn’t be required to write your own songs at this time, but if you should, we’ll consider them for the albums. You would also not be required to develop your own back up – band or vocalists, lyrist, writers, arrangers, or even choreographers. Again, we have an abundance of creative individuals that would fit the bill. You would be enabled to provide input on what you choose to sing and you would have input into those chosen to support you. We want your voice, your stage presence. You would not be the headliner for the tour initially, but rather an opening act. We would go from there.” He proceeds to tell me more things about the contract making my head spin. “Ultimately, the choice is yours.”

  “So you’re saying I can sign with the band on a temporary basis for at least a few months, or I can sign a contract as a solo artist for two years?”

  “Yes,” he states plainly. Clearly he is doing this on purpose – making the solo contract more desirable because it’s what he would also prefer – it has to be with an offer like that. I can tell by the excitement in his voice as he talks about it and the gleam in his eye is a dead giveaway.

  “What’s the catch?” I ask.

  “The catch?”

  “It sounds too good to be true. Like this can’t even be real.”

  “Oh, it’s real. And of course, you will be paid well for either choice,” and when he goes over with me what I can expect to receive – the first payment, a sign-on bonus, immediately – I almost faint. It must show on my face because Rick chuckles. “I’ll give you some time to discuss this with your attorney, and put together any questions you may have for me.” He stands and passes the contracts across the table to me and I hold them reverently. Looking down at all the words before me, it astounds me that a few papers could represent such a life-changing opportunity. It makes the weight of them seem heavy. “If you need some extra time to consider the offer, that’s fine. However, time is of the essence for the band, as they will potentially need to find someone else, so I’ll be honest, the sooner you give me a decision, the better.” I nod and he smiles, “Knock on the door when you’re ready and Bethany will grab me.”

  “Okay, thank you.” Once they exit, I exhale and rub my temples, “Oh my god,” I say.

  “Well, you have quite the decision to make. Anything he said that wasn’t clear?”

  “No. I understand the offers.”

  “Okay, let me read them so we can discuss anything I think we can negotiate, or that you may have questions about.” She begins to read the documents through, all the while discussing each point with me. She also asks me some additional questions regarding working for this agency and even about becoming a professional singer. She asks if I have considered how being a part of the band – given their bad PR at this time and potential for continuation – could affect my future or lack thereof if they tarnish me during the summer. I voice appreciation for her perspective on all of the items we review, especially her reassurance about signing with this particular label. In the end, while a few various items of interest and question exist that need resolution and a few passages need revision to garner maximum clarity or equity, surprisingly enough, the contracts are pretty straight forward, laying out exactly what he said as well as other legal formalities. While Leslie is quiet and writing down a few items and rereading a couple things, I pull out my phone and place a call to Britt.

  “Hey! Is this a call to tell me to put on my best dress so we can go celebrate?”

  “No, not yet. This is an I need advice to figure out what I should do, call.”

  “Okay, spill,” she tells me and I do. I tell her everything Rick said, as well as what I’m feeling and thinking. “Part of me wants to jump at the opportunity to have a solo career right now, I mean people dream of this, Britt. I’ve never dared to dream about any of this. I just… is this even real life?”

  “It sure is, and you deserve it.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “I sure as hell do.”

  “But, what if I don’t end up liking Rick? What if I don’t end up enjoying a singing career at all? What if I fail? The contract spells out things like press, tour, practices, interviews, I mean, my life is at the beck and call of what they need me to do. There’s something appealing about starting with an established band, trying it out first, testing the waters, making sure this is what I want to do with my life. Not that rehearsal and touring and all of that won’t be just as busy, but maybe the band would be the perfect stepping stone to a solo career. Why isn’t that an option? To try one before I jump into the other?”

  “How do you know it isn’t?”

  Her comment gives me pause. “That’s true,” I finally say. “I guess it’s worth a shot.”

  “Sounds to me like you answered your own question. You know what you want,” Britt says.

  “Yeah…yeah I think I do. Thanks for listening, Britt. I guess I just needed to say it out loud – talk it out.”

  “Always. Now, go get ‘em girl.”

  When we hang up I turn to Leslie who’s looking at me curiously, “Here’s what I’m thinking.”

  She grabs a pen and notepad from her briefcase, and smiles, “Tell me.”

  Together, we work out a deal I’d like to counter offer to Rick and when we’re done, I’m finally smiling, feeling good about what we developed as well as feeling confident he’ll go for it. Walking to the door, I knock.

  A couple hours later I’m smiling widely as we step into the elevator and head down to the main lobby. Part of me feels like I’m walking on air. “
I don’t know how to thank you,” I tell Leslie.

  “Yeah you do, get me tickets to one of your concerts.”

  “That, I will do. Count on it.” I feel like there’s a small buzzing in my brain, I still can’t believe any of this. “I can’t believe he went for it.”

  “Why not? You weren’t asking for anything crazy and I’m quite surprised he didn’t offer this himself to begin with. I have a feeling if you’d decided to sign with the band he would have offered it as an option.”

  “You think so?”

  “I do. He doesn’t want to lose the future potential he sees in you.”

  “Maybe so,” I smile. “All I know is that this is definitely the best of both worlds.” And it is. We agreed that I’ll start out my career with Graffiti. I’ll learn the new songs for the album, tour with them, give having a singing career a try. At the end of the tour, once my contract is fulfilled and the band and I decide if they want me to stay on – and if I want to – I become a permanent member like he said and a new contract will be drawn up accordingly. But, if they choose not to keep me, or I decide not to stay, then I begin my career as a solo artist. The solo contract term is one year, and in that year I will record an album and tour. We will evaluate how successful I’ve been after that year and go from there. Rick seemed happy with the deal as well, agreeing it’s a great chance for me to get my feet wet before I go all in. Rick was very agile, so easy to work with - at least so far. How he will feel if I decide to stay on, and he prefers I don’t I’m not sure. But for now at least, he was all smiles.

  The legal team for Black Lamb Records immediately had a new contract sent over with the deal we agreed to, and once Leslie looked it through and acknowledged that it was in order, I signed. While waiting for the contract to arrive, with Leslie’s coaching and advice, I placed a call to Jace who quickly agreed to represent me agent-wise during the summer. Leslie is reviewing an agreement with him today and I will likely sign it within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. It’s fairly simple and basically entitles me to his representation and most of the same services and benefits the rest of the band receives. I was a bit confused why I might even need an agent, but Leslie helped me to see the merits. He was also a straight arrow to work with which made the discussion and final choice so easy. It also saved me from placing another individual in the mix at this time. Moreover, it allowed me to scratch one of items from my to-do list. When the contract with BLR was ready for signature, Rick even had a photographer arrive to take photos. It was…strange. So, now, I’m a new official member of Graffiti, a professional singer. I don’t even know if the band knows I signed yet, but Rick said I begin practice with them tomorrow. We have time booked in the studio I guess. They aren’t messing around. Talk about a whirlwind.