New York, July 07: Assembling a promotional campaign for a veteran band that has been out of the spotlight is a tough enough feat. But Capitol Records is facing the daunting task of reintroducing a group that hasn't released a new album in 13 years.
Luckily, the campaign behind pioneering alternative rock outfit Jane's Addiction's "Strays," due July 22, has had a huge prerelease boost from first single "Just Because."
The song is No. 4 on Modern Rock Tracks after four weeks, returning Jane's Addiction to the top of the format at which it scored five top 15 hits between 1988 and 1991.
The tremendous response bodes well for the fortunes of "Strays," as well as the revived Lollapalooza tour, which the band will headline for the first time since the event's inaugural 1991 run.
"We had to make sure we brought Jane's back to its core base," Capitol senior director of marketing Ricky Riker says. "We distributed several hundred thousand stickers in rock clubs and tattoo parlors to remind kids that Jane's is back together."
Once "Just Because" went to radio in early June, Capitol "moved into making the band accessible," according to Riker. Jane's made surprise appearances at festivals sponsored by WBCN Boston, KROQ Los Angeles and WHFS Baltimore, ensuring that fans were aware that "Jane's is headlining Lollapalooza, they'll have a new record out soon and they already have a huge song on the radio," Riker says.
As an added incentive for buyers, a limited-edition pressing of "Strays" will include a bonus 30-minute DVD, featuring live versions of three new tracks, interviews and studio footage. "We wanted this to be something the fan of Jane's Addiction would look at as a prime piece to add to their collection," Riker says.
And although Lollapalooza's July 5 launch in Indianapolis comes more than two weeks before "Strays" hits retail, Capitol hopes to have in place a promotion wherein fans who preorder the album will receive a download of the full album that times out at street date.
"The band is on the road, and we want people to know the new music," Capitol VP of new media Ted Mico says. "But we want to do it in a fashion that still allows us to sell records."
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