Spring Break
Songwriter aims to live out dream
Sommer Saadi, Staff Writer, ssaadi@smu.edu
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Entertainment
He shared the stage this summer with Good Charlotte, Maroon 5 and Gym Class Heroes. He played Warped Tour in Dallas. He's had millions of hits on his MySpace and two songs licensed; one played on "The Bachelorette" and the other on "Dancing with the Stars."
And he did it all without the backing of a major record label.
Freddy Wexler, a 21-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania, has already played the role of "next big thing" under a major contract. He signed to a label two years ago and headed to L.A. to bring his rockstar dreams to life.
He was dropped two months later through a voicemail message.
Now Wexler is fighting the system and pursuing a lofty goal: become the first pop star to have a hit without being signed.
His goal to "break out" without a record label is unprecedented and his approach is one-of-a-kind. The recording of Wexler's album is a grass roots effort with fans contributing to all aspects of his career. Fans pitch song ideas, choose lyrics, direct videos, design album covers and ultimately act as managers of his career path. According to Wexler, it's the perfect way to find out what fans really want.
"It's a pretty cool and organic thing that we didn't sit here and say, 'How do we get people to buy records?'" Wexler explains. "We just said, 'Hey, it would be really cool to get fans involved.'"
Wexler is not resurrecting his career alone. He has the support of Dallas radio DJ Kidd Kraddick of The Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show. Kraddick found Wexler earlier this year through MySpace and featured him on the "Music that Makes You Cooler" segment of the show. Kidd Kraddick in the Morning is nationally syndicated and plays in more than 70 cities across the country.
Listeners responded positively to Wexler's music. Kraddick offered Wexler time on his radio show and a studio for a live performance if he could make it from Philadelphia to Dallas in five days. That challenge gave birth to the ultimate road trip. Wexler would drive from Philadelphia and play shows in Kidd Kraddick in the Morning affiliate cities to earn money for gas along the way.
And he did it all without the backing of a major record label.
Freddy Wexler, a 21-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania, has already played the role of "next big thing" under a major contract. He signed to a label two years ago and headed to L.A. to bring his rockstar dreams to life.
He was dropped two months later through a voicemail message.
Now Wexler is fighting the system and pursuing a lofty goal: become the first pop star to have a hit without being signed.
His goal to "break out" without a record label is unprecedented and his approach is one-of-a-kind. The recording of Wexler's album is a grass roots effort with fans contributing to all aspects of his career. Fans pitch song ideas, choose lyrics, direct videos, design album covers and ultimately act as managers of his career path. According to Wexler, it's the perfect way to find out what fans really want.
"It's a pretty cool and organic thing that we didn't sit here and say, 'How do we get people to buy records?'" Wexler explains. "We just said, 'Hey, it would be really cool to get fans involved.'"
Wexler is not resurrecting his career alone. He has the support of Dallas radio DJ Kidd Kraddick of The Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show. Kraddick found Wexler earlier this year through MySpace and featured him on the "Music that Makes You Cooler" segment of the show. Kidd Kraddick in the Morning is nationally syndicated and plays in more than 70 cities across the country.
Listeners responded positively to Wexler's music. Kraddick offered Wexler time on his radio show and a studio for a live performance if he could make it from Philadelphia to Dallas in five days. That challenge gave birth to the ultimate road trip. Wexler would drive from Philadelphia and play shows in Kidd Kraddick in the Morning affiliate cities to earn money for gas along the way.
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