From the Dallas Morning News, February 3rd, 1990
A Matter of Course: Band Signs Record Deal
by Tom Maurstad
So, let's say you own a local record label with the intention of signing and
producing undiscovered local musicians and unleashing their music on the world
(or at least the world of college radio programmers). All you lack to do this
is the band. Of course, not just any band will do. You want the right band,
the band that you think is going to make it into the national market to become
something more than just another local hero, thereby raising the prestige
level of your label and, not inconsequentially, making you bunches of money.
Who would you pick?
A lot of names may come to mind, but if you settled on Course of Empire you
are echoing the sentiments of more than one producer in town. They were
approached by two local labels - Allen Restrepo's Carpe Diem and Patrick
Keel's newly formed Dragon Street.
According to the band, Dragon Street wanted them to sign a three album deal
with Patrick Keel (Shallow Reign and the Tree's debuts) serving as producer,
while Carpe Diem (Rhett Miller's Mythologies) was offering to record and
distribute one album with a producer to be chosen later. Dragon Street boasted
of a distribution network that can deliver promotional copies to every college
radio station in the country. But Carpe Diem demanded less of a commitment to
the future, and is coming off the success of Rhett Miller's album, which had
respectable sales nationally and received notice.
In the end, according to bassist Paul Semrad, the band chose Carpe Diem
"because of the three-year commitment Dragon Street wanted. Not knowing what
might happen next, we didn't want to over-commit ourselves.
"We're looking at starting to record in March, a full album's worth - eight to
10 songs. We're hoping to get it out by this summer."
(
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