When New York City musicians Leon Lyazidi and Uliana Preotu formed their first rock band back in 2006, they weren’t looking for money or fame. They were purists, creating music for its own sake.
But once they were on the road, they quickly realized it’s a dog-eat-dog world. Audiences were sparse, critics were unforgiving, and it looked like they’d never get the attention of a record company. Their funds were running out.
“We had to take another look at ourselves and understand why people don’t like our music and why we’re not getting this opportunity or that opportunity,” says Preotu, a WeWork Chelsea member.
So they decided to completely start over. Since then, their band Cilver has signed a deal with an indie record label and seen their first single “I’m America” get plenty of coverage. After a lot of time in the studio, their new album Not the End of the World will debut April 29.
“Making this record was the hardest thing Leon and I ever had to do,” says Preotu. “We were prototyping Activatr while recording it in Chicago. Not losing the creative juices while doing so was the biggest challenge. We are extremely proud about how it turned out. It is the best music we’ve written so far.”
Throughout this process, Lyazidi and Preotu learned a thing or two about hiring the right people, connecting with their audience, and promoting themselves through social media. As they launched their new band, they also co-founded a marketing business called Activatr.
How does it work? Basically, companies get their current customers to promote them through their own social media networks.
“The business does a call to action to its consumers,” says Lyazidi, also a WeWork Chelsea member. “In exchange for a perk like a discount, free trial, or some sort of exclusive offer, consumers schedule content to push through their social media.”
The co-founders initially targeted musicians who needed help building a following and selling their merchandise. For example, they do all of the band’s marketing through Activatr. But they’ve expanded their client base to any type of business that would benefit from word-of-mouth advertising.
In case running a business isn’t enough, Preotu has been busy learning to code. Lyazidi is pursuing a master’s program at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
And, of course, they are both pursuing their music careers.
“When I started NYU in May, we were also editing our record at BMG Studios,” Lyazidi says. “So from 7 AM to 7 PM, I was in class wearing a suit and tie. Then I would roll up to the studio, take of my suit, and put on a T-shirt.”
They say their key takeaway from the whole experience is the importance of pulling together the right team and learning from their setbacks.
“This isn’t just a project,” Preotu says. “We feel strongly about it, which is why we decided to struggle financially and make a ton of mistakes. When we go all in, we go all in.”
Photos: SicPicPhotography, Scenes of Madness Photography