An international independent record company

About Invicta Records

Invicta's Mission

Invicta’s Strategy

Invicta’s roster includes artists that have a demonstrated track record of recording, touring, and promoting their songs.  A typical Invicta artist has written strong original compositions, is familiar with recording and touring, has a strong local following, but understands the need to seek expert advice and assistance to break out on a regional, national, and international level.  With low overhead, a “lean and mean” specific artist focus, coupled with senior level relationships in the music industry that we have cultivated over many years with most of the major players in the business, Invicta offers an extremely competitive market advantage to the up and coming artist. 

The primary goal of Invicta is to help independent artists get promoted to the regional, national, and international music industry.  Invicta isn’t open to every independent artist.  Music industry personnel who are knowledgeable about Invicta’s standards and quality aren’t looking for part time or local artists--they are looking for the best artists who are or can be regionally developed and have the talent to make it at the next national and international levels.

Invicta selects only a select number of artists a year to be signed to the label, and only selects the artists it believes have the best opportunity for regional, national, and international break-out.  Your submission will be reviewed in detail by Invicta’s hand-chosen staff, all music industry professionals each with more than thirty 30 years of industry experience, with proven track records of direct involvement in hit singles, national airplay, major label record contracts, and publishing deals.

Minimum Submission Criteria

An artist to be considered for signing by Invicta must meet the following 5 minimum requirements to prove they are developed enough to be represented by Invicta:

  • Performances--The artist must perform a minimum of 20 shows a year.  Any artist with average or better success should be able to perform at least once every other week.  Any artist who fails to perform at least 20 shows a year isn't likely to be doing much live performing, and consequently, isn’t seriously committed to songwriting, practicing, and performing.
  • Press Kit—Press kits are a summary of the artist’s accomplishments and are a good indicator of where an artist is developmentally.  While not as important as the artist’s songs or recordings, a press kit offers Invicta an additional window to evaluate where the artist is currently.  Invicta focuses our evaluation on the press kit’s content, aesthetics, ease of use, industry requirements, expectations, and continuity.
  • Website—An artist’s website usually is the first spot a concert-goer, potential purchaser of a CD, and ultimate fan will look to in order to learn more about the artist.  The website should be professionally designed, easy to use and navigate, contain essential information about the artist and its background, details about future gigs, and mp3 downloads of full songs or samples of the artist’s material.  The website must also be currently updated, which will be spot-checked by Invicta’s staff from time to time. 
  • CD--The artist must have a current CD containing a minimum of 5 original songs that have been recorded in at least a demo format.  Only independent artists with a CD of a minimum number of original material are eligible for Invicta, and such original material must not have been recorded more than 6 months prior to the submission.  If the artist has recorded a full-length CD containing 10 or more songs, including a full-length CD in an artist’s submission is an added bonus and will be evaluated accordingly.  If an artist has recorded 1 or more cover tunes, including 1 or more of those recordings in an artist’s submission is an added bonus and will be evaluated accordingly—provided that the ratio of cover tunes to original songs does not exceed 1 in 4.  A recent recording of a live show also is an added plus.
  • Songs—Songs are clearly the most important factor a record label uses to gauge an artist’s potential.  Invicta focuses its evaluation on all aspects of the songs including originality, content, quality, arrangement, production, lyrics, melody, hooks, composition, mix, mastering, aesthetics, and “feel”.  We review songs using the same criteria for all artists to ensure no specific genres or styles are given an unfair advantage.

Shortlisting

If an artist is shortlisted, an artist must meet the following 4 additional requirements to prove they should be signed by Invicta:

  • References--The artist must submit the full contact details of at least 3 references from recording studios, live venues, or other music pros to demonstrate local market strength and enthusiasm.  Invicta will contact these references.
  • Live Performances--Invicta will attend at least 1 live performance to judge how the artist conveys its music to the audience in a live setting.  Invicta focuses its evaluation on all aspects of the live performance including sound quality, stage presence, showmanship, rapport with the audience, audience reaction, and overall presentation.
  • Personal Meeting--Invicta will schedule an in-depth personal meeting with the artist to compare views on how the artist might best be developed to achieve the next level--particularly in the recording process.  By this time Invicta will have preliminary thoughts on how each proposed song on the CD might be recorded--i.e., general approach, specific attack, possible instrumentation, and overall intended and resulting “feel”--and it is important that both the artist and Invicta generally share a common view on how the artist’s songs might be laid down in the studio and come out sounding on the CD.         
  • Overall Professionalism--Invicta is looking for artists who understand the art of communication--not just in songwriting, performing, and recording--but also in interpersonal skills.  Promptness and follow-through necessarily are important qualities to have when dealing with music pros.  For this reason, Invicta expects each artist to treat their submission to and any follow-up communications with Invicta the same way they would a serious full-time day job prospect--at a minimum. 

Signing

If Invicta and the artist mutually agree to enter into a serious professional music industry relationship, the artist can expect the following 2 services from Invicta:  
 

  • Recording Contract--Invicta will prepare an industry-standard recording contract to be signed between Invicta and the artist.  The recording contract will provide the basic terms and conditions under which Invicta will assist the artist to professionally record a full-length CD of the artist’s material.  Invicta’s in-house producer, John Works, will personally produce the recording and oversee the mixing of the CD, and will ensure that the CD is properly mastered and replicated.  The artist can expect that the CD will sound and look like any other major label release--at a minimum.  Invicta will receive industry-standard royalties for its record company and production investment in the artist, which necessarily will vary depending on the amount the artist is able to invest in its project from its own account. 
  • Post-CD Promotion--Using its numerous relationships in the music industry, Invicta will promote the artist and its new CD to the local, regional, national, and global music industry to obtain favorable press reviews, local gigs and regional tours, airplay, and CD sales, all with the goal to bring the artist to a new level.  Ordinarily all costs associated with the post-CD promotional effort will be the responsibility of Invicta unless Invicta and the artist agree otherwise.    

Invicta’s Management

Each project undertaken by Invicta is personally overseen by Invicta’s Managing Director, who in turn selects specific music industry personnel to implement the Artist’s particular project:

  • Managing Director --Invicta’s head John Works has more than 35 years of experience in the music industry as a journalist, DJ, club manager, concert promoter, producer, and accomplished acoustic guitar player and singer.  His professional music efforts have focused heavily on folk, roots rock, and straight ahead rock ‘n roll.  John has been particularly influenced by Bob Dylan, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, the Foo Fighters, and Wilco.  Educated at the University of Kansas (B.A. Political Science), the University of Denver College of Law (J.D.), and the Sorbonne in Paris (International Economics), John has an exceptionally strong blend of strong academics and real world experience.  His day jobs have included working as a corporate attorney on Wall Street, as an international investment banker living in Europe, and as an oil & gas financier in Denver.  While living in London John mixed and produced Rockhill’s self-titled debut album at Battery Studios.  He also mixed and produced the earlier release by PowerTies at Wheeler Audio in Kansas City, which had as 2 of its members Phil Neal and Gary Paredes of Rockhill.  John recently produced Rockhill’s newly-released CD “Struck by Lightning”, which combines classic electric Americana songs written and sung by the group's 3 writers.  The CD was recorded at Blacklodge Recording in Eudora, Kansas, mixed at Spike’d Audio in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, mastered at DRT Mastering in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and replicated at Oasis CD Manufacturing in Sperryville, Virginia.
  • Senior Staff--For each Artist project Invicta selects a custom-tailored staff hand-chosen by Invicta’s Manging Director, all music industry professionals each with more than thirty 30 years of industry experience.  They all have proven track records of direct involvement in hit singles, national airplay, major label record contracts, and publishing deals.  As a result, the Artist is ensured that its project will receive the personal attention that it rightfully deserves to achieve success.

Read about the Origins of the Invicta Name