Peppermint works with a select group of artists from around the country. These artists tour nationwide and have built a sizable grass-roots following, but are independent, so they don't necessarily have the profile of artists who have major record label support. Peppermint provides webstores on the artists' websites, fulfills orders from those stores, and provides regional retail distribution for these artists' CDs and digital music files.
Peppermint was started in 1997 by David Weeks and Andy Carlson. David and Andy had previously managed acoustic duo Storyhill, who have sold over 50,000 copies of their twelve independently released CDs. When Storyhill broke up, David and Andy began to work with other artists who they thought might be interested in some of the same services they had developed with Storyhill: mail-order sales via a secure website, periodic newsletters with tour schedule information, and handling their mailing list. Peppermint would allow each artist to reach fans of the other artists, creating a musical community and boosting the careers of all involved.
The best indication of the strength of this community is that there are many fans who know Peppermint as a "brand" and trust that the CDs associated with it are likely to be CDs that they will enjoy. Furthermore, the artists we work with have experienced dramatic growth in their fanbases and CD sales.
In early 2002 Andy left Peppermint to pursue his law career full-time. Eric Tell, an eight year music retail veteran (Cheapo, Virgin), became a new partner with David. David left in 2005 to pursue a career as a web strategist.
We get many questions from fans and others about different issues regarding Peppermint and the artists we work with. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
1. What can I do to help my favorite artist?
The most important thing you can do is spread the word: get your friends hooked on their music, use the internet to inform people about the artist, and let your local independent record store or radio station (including internet radio stations) know about the artist. Let us know about record stores that might be interested in stocking their CDs, or any other marketing ideas you might have. To set up a show, or contact the artist to help with promoting their music, contact them directly using their contact page.
2. Does Peppermint book the artists / How can I contact the artists to book shows?
We do not book the artists we work with; each of them has their own arrangement for booking. You can find all the details on how to contact them about booking or anything else on their particular artist page within the site.
3. How can I get Peppermint to distribute my CDs?
Although we are currently looking to add new artists to our roster, we are very selective. Unfortunately, although the point of Peppermint is to help wonderful music get heard, we have to consider business concerns as well as the music itself. We are most interested in artists who are full-time musicians and actively touring, who have released at least 2 professional caliber CDs, and have mailing lists of over 1500 people.
For questions about shipping or orders, or to contact with thoughts, comments or any other suggestions, please e-mail us at peppermintcds@gmail.com.
Thanks!
- Eric Tell
About Peppermint