The vocals are what immediately draw people in and sell the song.
I think being eclectic is bad when you're just starting out.
My other advice is to start writing songs and singing right away.
I see myself as the buffer between the band and the record company.
I think we could have done a lot more great music, so I was disappointed that we didn't continue making records and touring, but it's hard to argue with 10 good years.
What's nice about being a producer is you get to roll the dice more often, and you get to be involved with lots of different kinds of music.