The new label will be disturbed by Nickelback�s label, Roadrunner Records. Simkin laid out the goals of the new label in a press release, with 604 Records they will "seek out and develop undiscovered talent in the music world not only in North America, but globally."

"Chad and I are doing something we are passionate about and truly enjoy. We both feel lucky and blessed to have this opportunity,� Said Chad�s partner in the venture attorney Jonathan Simkin.� Not only do we get to directly participate in the production and development of new talent, but we get to explore and participate in both the creative and business aspects of the music business. It is extremely rewarding."

Unlike other musicians who have launched their own labels, Kroeger actually has a lot of experience breaking bands. When Nickelback first formed Chad took on much of the responsibility for the band�s business. The band self released their first two albums in their native Canada, formulated a plan to get radio airplay and managed to make the band a hit in Canada, all without record company backing. 

When the band was on tour supporting their Roadrunner debut Chad spoke with our special features editor Debbie Seagle and told her a little bit about how he managed to break the band in Canada without a record company and manager. Chad told Debbie the first thing they did was fire their managers, �They were more or less glorified booking agents, but booking agents take 10% and managers take 20%, so why not take 20% and call yourself a manager?�

Chad said the secret to success is radio airplay. As the success of the singles from Nickelback�s latest album, �Silver Side Up� and the song Chad recorded for the Spiderman soundtrack proves.  �I can tell any band in five minutes how to break in Canada.� Chad told our sister site Rocknworld while the band was on tour with Creed supporting �The State�, �It�s not difficult at all, as long as the music is there.  But there�s so many bands where the music is there, they just don�t understand how to do it.  Radio is everything.� 

He explained that the claim that if a band plays enough gigs they could hit the big time is a myth, �Gigs don�t get you . . . radio gets you everything. You get played on the radio and instantly a club owner knows he can sell beer.  Because beer and the music industry are extremely intertwined.  If you can put asses in the seats and beers in their hands, you get to do that because you�re on the radio.  So you show up to a town that you�ve never played before, just like we�ve done all over the US, but we had all that radio implemented by our record company.  We did it on our own in Canada. So, after touring across the country countless times, losing so much money and moral and the will to keep going, we figured okay, there�s got to be a better way to do this.�

They found a regulatory law that governs Canadian Radio content to be their ace in the hole. The law requires that 35% of the music played on Canadian radio stations come from Canadian artists. Chad explained how he used this law to his advantage; �We did a mail out to radio stations in the first quarter, when any independent band that wants to do a release has to release because every other band is releasing in the third and fourth quarter to make it for the summer festivals or the Christmas rush.  And if you avoid that as far as you can, and come out in the first quarter, when nobody is releasing anything, and music directors in Canada have to find their 35% content from somewhere . . .�

The U.S. market is a whole lot tougher to crack but the group�s self-made success helped them land their US deal with Roadrunner, Chad remembers how that came about, �We sold 10,000 records on our own and then that�s when the sharks start swimming around.� 

Apart from helping make his own band a success Chad was also instrumental in breaking fellow Canadian rockers Default. He not only produced the group�s debut album but also co-wrote some of the songs and his new partner in 604 Records, Jonathan Simkin, was in on the business end of things for the group. 

Chad will put his experience to the test for the first time with a band he has been helping out, �Theory Of A Dead Man�. They are the first official signing to the label and their first single "Nothing Could Come Between Us" will hit radio in July and will be followed up with the release of their debut album on September 17th. 

Read the Full Interview with Chad. 

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