With the music industry in a state of disarray, one independent music store has proven that smart marketing can still make a difference. On the back of activity from Canberra's Songland Records, a 25 year old Wallis & Matilda album has gone back into the ARIA chart.
"Songland championed the album," Songland Records owner Brian 'Frog' Harris told Undercover News. "We used the Australia Day celebrations to market to a demographic who aren't interested in burning or downloading and the results spoke for themselves".On the strength of a Songland advertising campaign, the Wallis & Matilda 'Pioneers' re-entered the Top 100, with more than 90% of sales selling from the one store.
Last year, Songland marketed a 40 year old Johnny Horton album and sold 739 units. By comparison, the number one album at Independent retail in Australia last week sold 637 units. Songland also got behind John Schumann's 'Lawson' album and shifted more than 150 units.
"In the time of albums being deleted due to lack of sales, we are proving there is a market if they put it out in front of people," Frog says.
The Wallis & Matilda album was advertised on Canberra radio station 2CC. "The reaction has been so amazing we are hopeful to promote our first show with Wallis & Matilda," he says.
Wallis & Matilda perform and record their musical interpretations of the works of A.B. (Banjo) Paterson.
They had a Top 40 hit with 'Clancy Of The Overflow' in 1980. The album 'Pioneers', released in November 1980, became a Top 20 album in Australia.
This year expect a new CD along with a tour that will most definitely take them through Canberra.
