Wayne Coyne on Cover of “Entrepreneur”

Wayne Coyne is on the cover of this month’s Entrepreneur magazine (May 2011).  Read what Jason Ankeny has to say about Wayne and the Lips at entrepreneur.com, including these highlights:

“The fake blood splattered across the lapels of Wayne Coyne’s gray flannel suit says it all: This is not business as usual… The gummy skull is just one of the myriad innovations the Flaming Lips are exploring in 2011, a year the group… has dedicated to reinventing how it records, markets and distributes its Technicolor psych-rock odes to life, death and everything in between–and to keeping its ever-expanding audience engaged, satisfied and surprised.

“Innovation is why the Flaming Lips have outlasted virtually all of their contemporaries, and now it’s their best weapon for outlasting the traditional recording artist model… The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a trade group for the recording sector, reports that sales of digital music increased by only 6 percent worldwide in 2010, as the overall music market fell 9 percent… For the Flaming Lips and like-minded contrarian musicians, that makes it necessary to assert far greater control over how music is sold and distributed–and to explore new channels. “

“Coyne is the mad-scientist maestro of modern rock ‘n’ roll. Whether it’s fake blood (a longtime signature of the Flaming Lips’ famously bacchanalian live shows) or the real blood Coyne mixes into the silk-screened concert posters he creates, he isn’t afraid to get messy for the sake of his craft.”

“Few acts have enhanced their brand so effectively. The Flaming Lips’ extracurricular projects blur art and commerce with uncommon skill, extending their creative vision and generating revenue without compromising their craft or fleecing die-hard listeners… But Coyne resists the interpretation that he is as much entrepreneur as entertainer. “When I think of entrepreneurs, I think of that guy who runs Virgin [Richard Branson]. He’s a risk-taker–he’s charming and powerful,” he says. “We’re just a humble, experimental, weirdo group from Oklahoma, and I’m just a desperate guy doing whatever I can get away with.”

 

According to Jason, The Flaming Lips success is summed up with these lessons:

Reinvention, Broaden your reach, Keep changing the platform, Use all outlets for marketing, and Always be creative

Pick it up on newstands now!