1. Are you currently signing bands/accepting demos?
We're always accepting demos, however, releases are planned well in advance of their street dates. So, with that in mind, understand that sending us a demo in September along with a note saying "We're looking to have a record out by the winter," will most likely not be worth your time as we won't be able to help you within the timeframe you anticipate, or even, at all. Releases and signings are researched and carefully planned out around our schedule. Often, an entire year's release schedule is planned out before it even begins. When sending us a demo, please keep in mind that we're only interested in signing hardcore/punk bands. We are aware that there are various sub-genres of "hardcore" and "punk" but please check out our back catalog and use some discretion before wasting your money on postage! Accompanying your demo, send us a full tour history of your band. If you can't send us a tour history, there is no chance of us having any interest. We want bands who get out on the road and who are going to work hard with or without our help. See point #3 below for more info.

Where do I send a demo?
Send two copies to:
Think Fast! Records
13561 Troia Drive
Estero, FL 33928
U.S.A.

2. My band has an Mp3/MySpace page. Can I send you the link to check it out and then can you sign our band?
The short answer is no. We get a large volume of messages in our MySpace inbox telling us to check out bands and most of them get deleted. Yours will probably be no exception. We've never signed a band based on a message we received on MySpace. It's a rare occasion to get signed by an actual demo, let alone a MySpace message. There are more factors that we consider before signing a band. See #3 below.

3. Which factors are considered when Think Fast! signs a new band?
Good question Billy. It definitely takes more than just receiving a demo. Here are some things we look at or do before signing a band:
-Is the band good? If yes, then that's a pretty good start. We realize that this is hardcore and punk rock, and demos are not supposed to be accompanied with a polished, million dollar recording, but for the love of god, take some pride in your demo. If we hear a recording that sounds like it was recorded in 15 minutes in your garage, chances are your demo is going to end up in the garbage. We're not trying to be assholes, we're just being honest so that you don't end up wasting your time. Why would we take a chance on a band who can't even manage to make themselves look professional? We're not asking for a lot, but remember that your demo is going to be our only representation of your band...you want to make a good first impression, so spend some time getting your shit together.
-Very Important!! Are the members of the band a bunch of dicks? If yes, forget it. We don't want to deal with anyone who is going to be a problem or potentially screw us over. As you can tell by our catalog, we put out hardcore/punk bands. Unfortunately, putting out hardcore/punk bands means no one is rolling in piles of money, so please leave the rock star egos at the door. Believe us, we ask around and probably know people in your area who we trust and if they say you're a dick, then that's good enough for us. If no, good. We want to work with bands who have something to say, have good attitudes, and love hardcore/punk.
-Does the band promote themselves well? This is important to us because we are an independent label. We do our share of promotions to let people know about ours bands/releases, but Larry is a Republican so that means we want bands to take some initiative in regards to getting their name out there. So, if you're in a band that works hard, goes on tour, and helps spread the word about your band, then that's a definite plus. Seriously, spend some time on the road before you come knocking on our door. If we see a band is willing to take chances with or without a label, it's going to paint us a better picture of your band.
-Note: If you're in a wicked awesome band and you plan on breaking up, please spare us the disappointment. We can't take it anymore.

4. I have a question about my order from your webstore...
As of March of 2006, our webstore has been taken over by MerchNow.com. This is an upgrade to our mailorder services, which will provide faster and more accurate shipping to customers all over the world. MerchNow is the company in which Think Fast! Records has printed all clothing items through since the beginning of the label. They also handle the webstores for everyone from Fall Out Boy to Hatebreed and the webstores for labels such as Equal Vision, Jade Tree, and Ferret. Not only does this give us an opportunity to upgrade our mailorder services, but it also allows us to print more designs and items for each of our bands. You will find a wider array of clothing items and accessories to support all your favorite Think Fast! bands. You can browse all of the items we have for sale on our site and, at any time, click over to MerchNow to order those items. Whenever you order a Think Fast! item, staff at MerchNow will process your order and ship it out. If there is a problem with your order or a question about the status of an order please contact MerchNow via phone, not e-mail. If you're calling from within the U.S. you can call 1-888-387-3343. If you're calling outside the U.S. you can call 1-518-458-9563. But before you harass them, please read MerchNow's help page, because your question might already be answered.

5. How much are the shipping charges going to be if I order these 5 items? How long is it going to take to get my order?
If you're ordering online, your shipping charges will automatically be added to your order through the "check out" process. If you're curious how much that amount is going to be before you place your order, don't worry...you are able to find out by going through the check out process before you complete and submit the order. For most items, you will be given various options for the price and speed of your shipping. Typically the faster shipping method you choose, the more expensive it's going to be. Please keep in mind that the First Class shipping method (available for domestic orders only) is not an option on orders that weigh over one pound (thanks to the United States Post Office). If you are ordering by mail (more info below) you'll need to add shipping charges to your order. For domestic orders, it's 10% of your total items cost, plus $4...you'll also need to add sales tax if you're a resident of New York. For Canadian/Mexican orders, it's 10% of your total items cost, plus $7. For International orders, it's 10% of your total items cost, plus $12. MerchNow ships all in-stock orders within 5 business days of receiving payment! That is a lot faster than most independent record labels, so consider yourself lucky! For a breakdown of how many days it takes to ship your item, depending on your chosen shipping method, click here.

6. I don't have a credit card and I am way too punk to order online. Can I send a check, money order or concealed cash through the mail? Can I order by phone?
Oh, you're still actually punk and don't need the simplicities and comforts of ordering via the internet? Well, you're a dying breed but we appreciate you too. For info on ordering by mail go to the ordering info section. It also contains info on ordering by phone. While checks and money orders are welcome, in this day and age it's just too risky to send cash through the mail, so please cough up the 60 cents for a money order, cheapo.

7. I want to return/exchange my item. What do I do?
You go to this page, which should have all of the information you need.

8. Can you guys give me the measurements of the article of clothing I want to order?
MerchNow have created an entire section of their website dedicated to you weirdo's who need to know the exact dimensions of your items. You can check it out here.

9. I want to make a wholesale order, what should I do?
Since TF! is exclusively distributed by RevDistribution, we no longer handle wholesale orders. Get in touch with Rev and they will take care of you.

10. I want my local record store to start carrying Think Fast! releases, what do I do?
This is easy. Simply tell your local record store to start ordering our releases from RevDistribution. Or have Rev get in touch with the store directly. Keep in mind that stores like Wal-Mart and Target probably aren't going to order our releases. Try to focus on record stores where you can find similar bands/labels to that of Think Fast!.

11. I work for a magazine/zine/website/radio show, and would like to receive free promos for review, can you hook me up?
We get quite a few requests for promos and we certainly can't cater to all of them, but we'd love to check out what you do. If we like what we see, we'd be more than happy to add you to our list. Please keep in mind that we aren't into sending promos for a "first issue". We've been burned too many times with "first issues" that never materialize into anything. If you think you meet the requirements, contact us. Otherwise, be patient and put some time and effort into your publication before hassling us for free stuff!

12. Can you distro my bands/labels releases and/or trade releases?
We do not distro releases that are not ours, and currently do not accept trades. Sorry.

13. I want to book a Think Fast! band to play my show, who do I talk to?
We don't handle the booking duties for our bands, the individual bands or their agents do, however, Twilight Booking (TF! co-owner Ryan O'Connor's booking agency) does handle several TF! related bands. Go to the contact page, and you'll find booking contacts for active TF! affiliated bands. If the band you're looking for isn't listed, they are more than likely broken up and no longer taking booking requests.

14. When is (insert Think Fast! band here) coming to my town?
All show listings for our affiliated bands are posted on our shows page. This page always contains the most up to date show listings to the best of our knowledge. Please note that shows can be cancelled without us being given prior notice, so we suggest checking with your local venue to be safe.

15. I am too lazy to buy your records in stores and I don't want to pay the shipping and handling charges to order them online. Should I illegally download your releases?
Yes, please do! As an independent hardcore/punk record label, we drive BMW's and go home to our mansions every day, so please feel free to steal our hard earned work that we AND the bands paid lots of money to produce. For those of you who understand the sarcasm, you can download our releases from our digital store. We offer some of the lowest prices in the digital download world, with single songs at 89 cents and full album downloads ranging in price from $3.99 to $6.99. Our Mp3s are high quality (192 kbps) and DRM free! Also, for every full album download comes a high resolution jpeg of the cover art and lyric sheet! You can visit our digital store here. Our releases are also available on iTunes and DownloadPunk.com. You can find the links to our releases through these carriers from our digital store page, but a word to the wise: It's cheapest to go directly through us and we're the only carrier who offers the cover art and lyrics files!

If I download your songs on iTunes am I still punk?
No.

16. Can you tell me the pressing info for all of your vinyl releases?
No, but our discography section can.

17. Who manufactures Think Fast!'s CDs and Vinyl? Where do you guys get your merch printed?
We've used several different companies over the years. Imprint Indie Printing (based out of Florida) is responsible for our print work and layout needs as well as our discs. Rainbo Records (based out of California) has also been responsible for a few of our discs. For all of our vinyl, we go through the fine folks at RecordPressing.com. As for all clothing items (including t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, etc ) these are printed through MerchNow.com. All buttons/pins are made by Stick It To Me Buttons and stickers are printed by Contagious Graphics. Check out these companies for fast, affordable, reliable services. Contact info for all of these companies can be found on their respective websites...make sure to let them know that Think Fast! referred you.

18. I want to start up a label of my own. Do you have any tips?
Starting a record label is a good way to get into debt. That is the first thing we warn anyone about who says they are interested in the business. You need to be prepared for this, because 99% of the time, it's what happens. Very few independent labels end up turning a profit or getting past a first release, especially in this day and age when illegal downloading has become so popular. If your goal is to make money, you're probably better off at your local casino. If you plan on being successful, you should keep in mind that it's going to require a LOT of work and motivation. Most people underestimate the work ethic needed to sell a band's record. If you aren't ready for this, you might not want to get a band excited about releasing their record. Remember, what you put into it, is what you'll get out of it. Neither Larry or Ryan has interned at a label in the past, but both have been in signed bands, and have gotten hands on experience that way. They have also asked a hell of a lot of questions to other, more experienced labels. If you haven't been in a band, or aren't interested in starting one, you could try getting an internship at a local label. This will get you some hands on experience, and give you an idea of the daily tasks.

19. Does Think Fast! have a street team? I want to help spread the word, what can I do to help? Can I intern?
We had a street team in the past, but it just wasn't working. We are currently developing a new innovative "street" team program that will be announced on our site very shortly. If we are looking for interns, you'll see a note about this on the news page, otherwise we don't need any intern help, but thank you for the offer. In the mean time, you can do lots of other things to help us out, here are some ideas:
-Tell your local record stores to start ordering our releases from RevDistribution. Or have Rev get in touch with the store directly. Keep in mind that stores like Wal-Mart and Target probably aren't going to order our releases. Try to focus on record stores where you can find similar bands/labels to that of Think Fast!.
-Download our web banners under the press section and add them to your website or MySpace page.
-Download our print ads under the press section and put them in your zine.
-Use the AIM icons found in the media section.
-Add us as your friend on MySpace. When you see us posting bulletins, re-post them and have your friends add us. If you really want to be a nice MySpace friend, you can put us in your top friends. You can search us out by using the email "info@thinkfastrecords.com".
-Submit the latest Think Fast! news and updates to your favorite hardcore/punk related website. You could also post the info on your local message board or as a MySpace bulletin. The latest news can always be found in our newsletter updates. To receive our newsletter, sign up at the top of any page on the TF! website.
-Book a Think Fast! band on your show. (See #13)
-Word of mouth! If you like what were doing, tell your friends! Trust us, it helps.
If you successfully do any of the above, we'd love to hear about it, so please let us know. Who knows, maybe we'll hook you up with some free stuff.

20. Who is responsible for the live photography that's in the background of the TF! website?
All live photography that can be seen in the background of the TF! website is credited to Todd Pollock for Eye of the Storm photography. Todd has been documenting the hardcore/punk scene with his photographs for many years and we'd like to thank him for all the great photos that he's contributed to us and our bands.

21. I didn't read anything on your web site, even though everything is mapped out for me. Can I ask you a ton of questions that are already answered on the site?
Sure, but let it be known that we're pissed.