For most people, the Urban name raises entertainment interests. Whether it’s the hockey great Aaron, the television star Mitzi, Urban Queen Caitlin, her late brother Richard, or his wife Sénia, it is a household name. Hardcore Angels of Hellfire fans already know the next generation of Urbans, particularly the two oldest daughters (if you attended the show in Seattle in Year 43, you knew about Natalia on the same day the Sénia found out). If you aren’t already familiar with the girls, stay tuned. They have a plan in motion, and by Year 62 you won’t be able to walk down the street without seeing or hearing their name. Taking a brief break from her own tour, Sénia Urban flew home to head a meeting at the family label, Síren Call Records, to discuss her daughters’ futures. Nansi was allowed to sit in on the meeting, with two stipulations: no audio or visual recording, and no disclosing unique contract details. Natalia and Chelsea are both still under the age of seventeen, which is the minimum age Sénia will allow then to begin touring publicly. Currently being discussed is the financial impact of limiting the girls to only shows for their first year, and once Chelsea reaches seventeen, setting them loose on the world. Prior to their recent passing, Richard and Oliver Urban, the company director and accounting manager, respectively, had already drafted the skeleton of a contract. When Natalia was twelve years old, she told her father she wanted to be a drummer just like him, and he immediately began hammering out some plans in the event she would follow through on her dream. There are multiple versions, or addenda, to the preliminary contract, providing different variations based on potential band size. As the details are discussed, members of the accounting team provided updates on current marketing costs and projected popularity levels. Shifting easily from company president to caring mother, Sénia translates everything into simple terms for the girls. The main purpose of this sit-down was to prepare the girls for what their future would look like if they do decide to go down this road, and to get to know the people that they would be working with. The meeting ultimately ends with the girls being instructed to choose a relative or family friend to act as power of attorney on their behalf until they turn eighteen (Sénia cannot, to avoid conflict of interest), so that they can enter in an official contract at any time. Once they sign a contract, even if they’re waiting to be old enough to go on tour, Síren Call can begin building an account for them and start marketing and promotion efforts. Once the band is finalized, and will be ready to start moving forward, they will re-sign a new, updated contract. As the meeting adjourns, I ask Sénia why the need for a pre-contract contract. She gives a sheepish smile, “When Natalia first told us she wanted to do what we do, Richard and I talked about letting her do it on her own. But then we had a parent moment and realized that no one would look out for her best interests the way we could. Then later, once Chelsea said she wanted to be part of it too, I knew this was something we would have to take very seriously. Knowing what I know now, about what it takes to get a group off the ground, I want my girls to have every opportunity that we [referring to Taryn McLoughin, Katy Rayment, and Bella Lucey, the original lineup for AoH] didn’t have. For the first year or so, every penny that we earned went right back into travel expenses, booking fees, I don’t even remember what. We could hardly afford a sandwich to share between us. If I can help my girls skip the worst of that, if I can get them a start-up budget, then that’s what I have to do.” Thanking her for her time, and for allowing me to be a part of the proceedings today, I asked Natalia and Chelsea if they would sit down for a Cyd & Nansi session for their first interview once they went public as a band. Natalia first glanced at her mother, then replied, “Have your people call my people,” before taking her sister’s arm and heading for the elevator. Today, a new Urban star was born. By Nansi (Cyd & Nansi). Written for the city of Chicago. Article ID 73352 Comments are closed.
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