Wednesday 23rd February, 2022
I’m tucked away in bed… half asleep… but I gotta stay consistent!
Today I was lucky enough to be invited for a photoshoot with two super talented photographers, Gemma & Owen. We were experimenting, playing, & having a cold, yet lovely time… It’s moments like these where you feel like an artist. Playing gigs, being recognised in the street, stepping in the vocal booth…. there’s a load of little moments that make you feel like an artist. Some people I’ve known just want that feeling. They usually don’t get that far, because MOST of being an artist is incredibly boring & tedious. Like any other job. These days I’m hyper-aware of how mundane being an artist is… because I’m planning another single release!
Broken & Beautiful is officially out on the 24th of March! Just over a month away. There’s still a tremendous amount of work to do. If I was just working on this song, then I’d have enough time to secure some radio play, some blog write ups, & a small digital marketing campaign… maybe even a launch night. Unfortunately, I’ve a dragon to slay that would make the Hydra look lonely. Self-releasing as an artist is a multi-layered endeavour. You need to firstly create, the song & artwork. Then you need to be a project manager, sorting out deadlines & planning out the different steps of a release. These might include:
Register your recording with your PRO. (sorting your ISRC & metadata)
Upload the track, artwork, & lyrics to your distributor.
Register the release with your PRO. (sorting your barcode & metadata)
Plan a release event… online or in person.
Create some ‘assets’: artworks/photographs/videos to promote the track on social media.
Upload your song to a private streaming/download link (Soundcloud, Google Drive…)
Write an up to date biography, press release, & personal statement (for quotes) relating to the song.
Identify your PR targets… Radio stations that will play your song, blogs that will write about it, & anywhere else you might be able to tell your story & promote your track. (including playlists)
Reach out these targets, well in advance… try to pitch cold, or maybe lead in with a question.
Begin to promote your track with the assets you’ve made already. (maybe even put some money behind them & start targeting your target audience)
Follow up with those PR targets you’ve reached out to.
Be prepared to perform at your release event, keep pushing the promotion online, try to build some excitement.
Start thanking any of that PR attention you’ve gotten before the release.
Enjoy your release night!
Continue making & releasing photos, artworks, & videos… but this time with the song.
Keep pushing the song live…
Start the next one.
Okay, okay, okay…. so I may have gone overboard, but in some cases… I’ve actually left out lots of stuff. Every release you have is a different series of events, & they all need to be taken care of differently. The time of year, the story of the song, the instruments within it, the point of your career, the other artists involved, the political & social climate…. all of these things & more can influence how you treat a release. Within my own experience releasing each video, song, & artwork, I’ve had to approach each one with a new process & logic. I put a lot of work into each song because, at the end of the day, I’ve put so much work into making it. Like children… you want to give your songs the best chance to thrive in this world.
With all of this being said…. why am I doing it all alone? Why don’t I hire some PR company, or digital marketing firm to give my song the best chance? Two reasons really:
I’m poor as hell. (I’ve a film to pay for, on top of my college fees & coffee addiction)
They don’t know me. (Seems like a lot of these places only work with artists they know, or have seen around before)
Basically, the advice I’ve been given is: “do it yourself”. Which sucks… cause I don’t have the contacts, I don’t have the time, I don’t have the skills to get it right. It can make each release feel like a wasted opportunity. You always know that you could have done a little more “had you known” whatever lesson you learn the hard way.
Now I’ll fully acknowledge that some artists get extremely lucky in their careers. Maybe they know someone who knows everyone. Maybe they just have a really unique talent that some PR person is drawn to. Who knows? Those artists do exist… & it feels like the whole industry is set up that way… but ya gotta believe me when I say that most of us have to do it ourselves first. Most of us are struggling to be heard at the back of the line while PR companies sneak a few people to the front. It’s not perfect, but “ain’t that just the way?”
Let’s keep on writing about what it means to release a song, because I’m writing on this topic with an ulterior motive in mind & I want to write as much as I can so that I’ll eventually say something ‘quoteable’ for an assignment. (Hope you get something from this Amy)
One thing to mention at this stage is the format & strategy for my release. 7 of 10 songs on the album are being released as ‘singles’. This is definitely not traditional, but it is becoming the new normal. Within the world of ‘fully personalised’ streaming platforms, artists who release single songs are given a slight advantage over those releasing albums. (at least at my level) With each new release you’re given an excuse to shout & make noise. You’re given a better chance to pitch to playlists because they don’t add albums, they add songs. In my case, if I hadn’t released each song when it was ready… had I waited for the album to be finished… I wouldn’t have any experience releasing music. I wouldn’t have any track record to show my fans, or those PR targets from before.
One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is about trust in the industry. As a new artist, you need to prove to the world that you’re serious. You need to show everyone that you aren’t just releasing a song & giving up when it gets tough. You need to show them that you’re in this career for the long haul. Like any serious relationship that you’re looking to build, you need to show that there’s a future for you both. With each release you build that trust between yourself & the world.
Okay enough of all this releasing malarchy. I’m exhausted, busy, & in need of a rewatch of the Muppets movie.
Last night I got to spend some time talking with a really interesting artist. We connected in a very direct way that you don’t often find in the creative world. Through our conversation I mentioned that one of my heroes & role models is Kermit the Frog. (which is deadly serious… no joke.)
Why is Kermit the Frog one of my role models?
Well… firstly, he’s a musician. He writes songs that make the world a better place. He believes in magic & sees the best in this world. Secondly, he cares & he tries. He wants to help people, he cares about strangers. He doesn’t just talk about changing the world, he gets up & heads out on an adventure to do it. Thirdly, he’s a facilitator of magic. Kermit is not the big draw to the Muppet show. That’s Miss Piggy. She’s the star. Kermit runs the show, he builds the world for these amazingly talented performers to live in. He fosters their talent, & their livelihoods. He worries so that they don’t have to. Finally, he’s got a family that he’s built around him… & he’s like the father of that family. When times are tough they stick together & together, they make it through.
So many talented artists out there struggle to be themselves. They struggle to make ends meet, often have to compromise & dilute their work, & their soul. Almost every artist I’ve ever met has wanted to help people. To make them smile, or think, or feel comfortable in who they are. Most of us want to pass on the gifts that we’ve been given. Circus gave me so much growing up, as has music, theatre, film, poetry, literature... Without these artists, my life would have been a very dark one. I know that you feel this way. We all do. When times are tough we turn to artists who understand us. When times are good we do the same. It’s the artists’ job to celebrate & console. That’s what I’m doing, & that’s what I’m helping other artists do too.
So yeah, I’m gonna watch the Muppet movie at 11.45pm.
Ya gonna call the Garda? Are ya? (didn’t think so)
Goodnight my pretties,
Nathan
