It might be a stretch to claim there was a record-label feeding frenzy over Boise singer and multi-instrumentalist Trevor Powers.
But it’s fair to say that when it came time to sign on the dotted line, Powers made the shark move.
The 22-year-old — who performs his delicate indie-pop using the pseudonym Youth Lagoon — recently agreed to a two-album deal with Fat Possum Records.
Powers quickly metamorphosed from a bedroom act to a buzz band this spring when bloggers began salivating over his self-released music. Tastemaking powerhouse Pitchfork.com, in particular, pumped up the hype volume.
So when record-label representatives began doing crazy things like flying to Boise to see him perform, Powers had to make a key decision about his debut album, which he finished months ago. He could release it on a small, independent label like Mississipi-based Fat Possum, which championed old blues singers before expanding its roster to indie bands in recent years. Or he could roll the dice on a larger label, with all the positives and negatives of operating in a more corporate environment.
“Some of the bigger labels were really interested,” Powers says. “Even Sub Pop (Records) was really interested. But those labels kind of work on a different wavelength — because they wouldn’t be able to put the record out until next year, like mid-next year. And so I would lose all the momentum.”
“Sub Pop would be rad,” Powers admits.
But seizing the moment is critical in the Internet age. Fat Possum and Powers appear to grasp that.
Youth Lagoon’s “The Year of Hibernation” will arrive in record stores worldwide Sept. 27 and be sold digitally, on CD and on vinyl. (In Europe, the album will be distributed through Lefse Records.)
Powers has quit his job at Urban Outfitters and put Boise State classes on hold.
“I’m seeing this as really pursuing this as my career,” he says. “Currently, it’s paying well enough and stuff. I’m just going to work as hard as I can. Get out on the road.”
Youth Lagoon will embark on a national tour in September and October. After that, Powers says, he might play some dates in Europe.
Making money is the biggest challenge for musicians nowadays. That’s one of the main reasons Powers signed to a record label, he says.
With its global distribution connections, Fat Possum will ensure that a fan in, say, New Zealand can walk into a record store and buy a Youth Lagoon album, he says. Plus, there’s a certain legitimacy that comes from being on the same roster as hip bands such as Yuck or Wavves.
Right now, Powers is home in Boise practicing with newly enlisted guitarist Logan Hyde and cherishing a little down time.
“It’s pretty unreal,” Powers says. “All I can say is I’m just thrilled.”
ENTERTAINMENT NOTES
* Billboard.com recently ranked the Knitting Factory Concert House at No. 9 among “The 25 Hottest Clubs in North America.”
Boise? With a Top 10 hottest club?
Yep. The rankings were based on “box-office data reported to Billboard Boxscore by concert promoters or venue representatives” — in other words, self-reported attendance numbers for concerts during the first five months of 2011.
The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas came in first place. No wonder: It has a capacity of 4,000.
Boise’s Knit only holds 999, making its finish pretty impressive. The Knitting Factory in Spokane (1,500 capacity) was No. 11 on the list. The Reno location (1,275 capacity) came in at No. 13.
Greg Marchant, COO of Knitting Factory Entertainment, says attendance has been solid for the clubs for the past couple of years.
“Since the economic downturn, we took our dip like everybody else,” Marchant says, “but have consistently enjoyed increased business since 2008.”
* Is Boise a metal town? You tell me. The Rockstar Mayhem Festival was attended by about 8,800 fans July 13 at the Idaho Center Amphitheater, according to the promoter.
* If you remember the bizarre stage shows of ’80s/’90s alt-rockers the Butthole Surfers, it’s kind of hard to imagine them performing at the Egyptian Theatre. But that’s where they’ll be Sept. 7.
Michael Deeds co-hosts “The Other Studio” at 9 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM “The River”; he appears Thursdays on Channel 6 News. Twitter: @IDS_Deeds
