Wendy Starland: On Protecting Producers, Bands & Brands, and Bringing Up Lady Gaga

Wendy Starland exudes the ideal of the modern entrepreneurial recording artist. She is also famous for having discovered and developed Lady Gaga at NYC’s famed venue The Cutting Room – a fruitful relationship that led to regular songwriting collaborations for years to follow.

Wendy Starland has important advice for collaborators and songwriters of every stripe.

Starland introduced Lady GaGa to Rob Fusari, the brilliant maestro behind Destiny’s Child and other smash records. But there was a problem in music paradise: Fusari and Starland had an agreement that she would be compensated 50/50 for her diligence, however after numerous attempts of asking Fusari keep up his end of the 50/50 agreement, he eventually tried to renege on the deal.

Seeing no other available options, Starland eventually sued Fusari – and won an eye-opening $7.3 million dollar judgment against him in November, 2014, in New Jersey civil court.

Producer/engineer Bassy Bob sat down with Starland to talk about the judgment, her own major label career with the likes of Universal and BMG Chrysalis, and her new record.

Can you talk a little about how you developed into the singer-songwriter you are? When did you start singing?

My childhood babysitter, Rosetta Atkins, influenced me the most as a singer. She’s a gospel singer from the south, who basically became my second mother. She taught me how to sing by imitating the voices on the gospel radio station she listened to — both men and women’s voices.

By the time I was 6 or 7,  I had learned several techniques of how to use my voice and was able to choose the sound I wanted to distinguish myself, so I started writing songs on the piano.

Eventually as a teenager, I was pulled up on stage by James Brown’s saxophone player, Maceo Parker, during one of his concerts and scatted on his stage for 20 minutes.  After I was done, Maceo’s bass player got down on one knee as if he were proposing, took a string off of his bass guitar and coiled it up around my ring finger. He hushed the crowd and said into the microphone, “Wendy, from this day forward you are married to music. You have a gift from God. You must devote your life to using this gift or else you will deprive the world of something so special.”

I got the chills. It was written up in the newspapers the next day. I made the decision in that moment to focus my life around music forever.

Malcolm Gladwell has written about studies that suggest it takes 10,000 hours of experience to develop expertise in anything. How long would you say it took you to perfect your singing style and songwriting?

I have definitely spent over 10,000 hours on both singing and songwriting and I have not perfected anything! I am human and imperfect — just doing my best. I accept this and think it contributes to the authenticity of my music.

I’ve been singing since I was 3 and writing songs since I was 7. It has taken some time to feel comfortable in my own skin musically, but I’m finally there. It takes guts to get up in front of people and be vulnerable enough to “let it all out” so to speak. My goal is to always contribute a part of myself to my music that will result in it sounding authentic, timeless, and real.

Congratulations on your new single and video, “HOME”. Can you talk a bit about your new project and some of the collaborators you worked with?

Thank you so much!

I worked on my new album with award winning multi-platinum producer, Ivo Moring. The stadium rock sound we’ve created is not something I’ve heard before from any other female solo artist.

After having lived out in Los Angeles, the evolution of my sound has led me into the Rock genre. When I was living in New York and was surrounded by the loud sounds of the city: people, cars, subways, etc. I created music as a method to soothe myself. LA has so much open space, and I’ve been inspired to fill it up with rock music, since my environment here is much more relaxing and low key.

Moring has had several Top 10 hits, including one song that was #1 for twelve weeks and became the second most successful song in German chart history. He was also awarded “Hit Of The Year” in 2012, and has  worked with Jordan Knight , The New Kids On The Block, Heather Nova, Darren Hayes of Savage Garden, Jennifer Paige, Sarah Brightman, Limahl, Sarah Connor, Lutricia McNeal, Chris Norman, Christina Stürmer, and Sandra and Coolio.

In 2012 alone, his compositions were placed in 108 different radio charts. Needless to say, his talent is through the roof. He also happens to be an incredibly kind and humble person. I love the songs we’ve written together and believe that rock music is coming back with a vengeance. There are a lot of new and exciting things on the horizon and the next chapter is going to be amazing.

The video for the 1st single, “Home,” was Directed by Thierry Brouard, with aerial shots by Gary Reisman.  I’ve licensed the song to a London-based label, MCR, and it will be released on a compilation album called That’s My Jam! 87.

I’ve noticed for a long time your success at attracting brands and sponsors for your music, as well as placements. Can you talk about your success there a bit? 

I love working with brands that I believe in, and that further reflect my taste as an artist. Music helps further define the brand’s audience while promoting my music, so it’s really a win-win situation.

I am currently being featured in the new campaign for the jewelry line Anna e Alex, which has been in magazines such as Vogue and ELLE Magazine. They will be launching a promotion soon where their customers will receive a download of my new single “Home” with purchase at AnnaeAlex.com.

Since the majority of music today is downloaded for free, I’ve noticed that fans want to learn more about the artist personally — their lifestyle, tastes, and opinions that go beyond just their music. Artists have the opportunity to further connect with their audience in this way by pairing up with brands that they commonly use in their everyday life. It works really well if the artist and brand genuinely love and respect each other’s talent, which is definitely the case with Anna e Alex, who have created some really exquisite and unique hand-crafted jewelry.

How did you first come to work with Rob Fusari? You were living in NYC at the time, yes?

An awesome guitarist I was working with at the time, Oz Noy, recommended me to Rob, so Rob called me to collaborate. Yes, I was living in New York City at the time.

Can you talk a bit about the search you engage in to find an artist to develop, and some ideas you contributed to the development of Stephanie Germanotta, and brand GAGA?

Lady Gaga testified on Starland’s behalf in the suit against Rob Fusari.

Rob asked me to search for a female artist under the age of 25 who had the characteristics to be the female equivalent to the lead singer of The Strokes. Someone who was edgy, bold, energetic, confident. Someone you can’t take your eyes off of. That was Stefani Germanotta to a tee.

I attended about 50 live shows and searched for over eight months before discovering Lady Gaga and introducing her to Rob.  More importantly, Rob had to approve the artist I found, so there is no question that it met his criteria.

He stopped looking for The “Strokes girl” as soon as I brought him Germanotta and signed her to his production company. We wrote songs together and strategized about the project. I could not be more proud to have played a part in the worldwide success of Lady Gaga.

I imagine it was a long process to eventually bring the case against Rob. Are you comfortable about talking about your eventual journey to court from your original agreement you and Rob?

Rob and I made our agreement in 2005. We are now entering 2015. The journey has been a long one. I knew that the truth was on my side and I felt fortunate that the jury was able to see that. My attorneys at Dunnegan & Scileppi did an extraordinary job at helping me reach this milestone. I am so thankful to them for making the Herculean effort that was required to win this case.

It would be wonderful if the verdict helped other people to remember that agreements are enforceable. Do business with people who are worthy of your trust. Be the living example that your word is your bond. It’s a tough business and people need to be valued for their work.

What are some of your influences artistically? Who did you listen to growing up, and who are you inspired by now?

My #1 influence at the moment is Dave Grohl / Foo fighters. Dave just rocks. I could not be more impressed and inspired by his instinctive ability to write incredible songs, sing them with such heartfelt conviction, play drums and guitar with that same passion, and perform, produce…it never ends. His talent blows me away.

Other huge influences for me that I listened to growing up — and still do now — are Carole King, Shirley Caesar, The Police, Sting, Pearl Jam, U2, Stevie Nicks, Sade, Green Day, Aretha Franklin, and Stone Temple Pilots.

Do you think that the current DIY climate where artists are empowered by self-publishing platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube have made the industry better or worse, and why? Has this new indie paradigm been better or worse for you personally?

I think there are pros and cons to these platforms. It’s great that artists no longer have to be beholden to the industry “gatekeepers” and have the option to release music on their own with worldwide distribution.

However, because technology has given musicians the ability to make high quality recordings from home, there is such a high volume of content out there, and it is more difficult for artists to get noticed and gain traction. Curators, promotion, and publicity have become more crucial than ever. The industry places a huge emphasis on social media numbers and artists are forced to focus on self-promotion. I don’t always agree with that theory as a barometer for quality or even what will be successful in the marketplace if the music industry “machine” is behind it.

Additionally, fewer musicians are dedicated to learning the craft of songwriting and production because technological advances have given everyone the ability to record, make beats, and consider themselves a professional musician. On the flip side, more people can express themselves creatively, which is wonderful. So it’s easy to argue both the positive and negative aspects of the new DIY climate.

Ultimately, we are witnessing a huge shift taking place and new business models are emerging. It’s an extremely exciting time in the evolution of the music industry.

If you had any advice for up and coming producers, songwriters, and singers, particularly ones that are attending schools to pursue their careers, what would you suggest they focus on in their studies?

1. If you want to develop an act from scratch, then you should ignore trends at all costs. It typically takes about eight months from the time the artist signs the record deal to when the first single is released. So if you follow a trend, by the time it’s released it will sound like the same regurgitated music that the public has been hearing for the past eight months — at least.

2. If you want to place a song with a popular artist or be a “track guy” then it’s OK to follow the trends. This is mainly because many labels are afraid to take big risks on something that sounds too different than the status quo. Pressure is high and jobs are at stake. There’s nothing wrong with having commercial music to pitch for those situations, as well as for ad campaigns.

3. Write great songs that sound amazing if sung and played on the piano or acoustic guitar. Always encourage sing-alongs.

4. Be prolific. Say “Yes” to new collaborations because you never know where it could lead.

5. Fill a void. People get bored of hearing the same genre of music over and over again. Observe the current musical landscape and predict what “mood” people will be in next. Ask yourself what would be the most natural transition or reaction to the current genre. Then create it.

 — Bassy Bob is a multiple Grammy winning mixer/producer, Tech entrepreneur, and trumpet and bass player. He often lectures and teaches on the subject of the art of mixing. Bassy loves crawfish, and fried oysters, and fat mixes. Follow him on instagram at http://instagram.com/bassybob. He lives in New York City.

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