We can simply and unequivocally state that without the Radio Starmaker Fund’s support, Dragonette would be at a much less advantageous place than they are today. The domestic and international touring support has allowed the band to develop both their live show and their audience to a level that would not have been possible without it. Starmaker’s domestic marketing support has allowed them the time to hone their sound to a level where they now enjoy consistent Canadian radio support.

In the USA, the Starmaker funding for their “Fixin’ To Thrill” touring cycle behind the album allowed the band to go to places it couldn’t have afforded to go on its own dime and most importantly, allowed them to take low fees for beneficial support slots, such as the Little Boots US tour, which established a firm base for them on the U.S. West coast. This helped in building live audiences and allowing them to develop their relationships with the film and TV industry in Los Angeles and the tech industry (most notably Apple) in San Francisco in the process.

It has also meant that we can now mount headline tours of major markets in the USA on our own and can use any funding we get to bolster the live production standards, make the show better as well as develop new markets that are unprofitable when visited the first time. In addition, we can use other band resources for marketing and promotion, rather than tour shortfall. It has made self-releasing an attractive possibility in the US, with a full complement of radio promotion, publicity and street marketing teams behind their new album “Bodyparts”.

Furthermore, the band has been able to tour Australia, where their record has been licensed by One Love/Sony as well as Spain, where their new record has been picked up by Sony as well.

On the domestic side, Starmaker tour support has allowed the band to mount its first cross-Canadian tour, adding markets where the band would not have been able to go otherwise. On the marketing side, Deddy Setton of Universal Music Canada credits Starmaker support for “helping us secure a far more comprehensive radio/online advertising campaign around Dragonette’s album release in addition to helping us with securing prime real estate at retail in a very busy time of year. This support helped us reach a new and wider audience for the band and set them up well for the success they’ve since had with the radio impact of their past four singles, as well as their Juno Awards performance and win.”

The band does not take Starmaker support lightly or for granted and truly appreciates that it allows them to take their music to parts of the globe that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go to.

Neil Harris
Manager
PunkDaFunk Management