Wednesday 9th February, 2022
I received some much needed advice… & I’m more lost than ever.
This first part is for all of those self-employed people… those people working in the creative arts, students, & the unemployed. If you’re in a well established industry, company structure, etc… then here’s a sneaky peek into one of our disadvantages. The ‘P’ word: Progress.
Let me ask you, how do you know if a song is good? How do you know if a piece of art is good? How do you know if you’re a successful artist? How do you know when you’re doing a good job? In a world without any career promotions, it’s next to impossible to understand your next step. We all begin with the idea that we play, get ‘good’, then the industry ‘finds’ us, & they make us superstars. From a distance, that’s what it really looks like. Of course this comes from the Ed Sheeran’s, Beyonce’s, Gwen Stefani’s, of the world… because we’re sold a streamlined version of how much actual work they put into it. Sprinkle on a few decades of Xfactor, American Idol, & the new ‘wild west’ of the internet, & you have a generation of musicians completely unprepared for the realities of being an artist. I think it was Slash who said something like: “There are rockstarts, & those who gave up along the way.” It seems like the longer I keep pushing, the more & more creative I see become disillusioned with the realities of ‘making it’. The BIGGEST uncertainty I’ve come across is by far the question: “What to I do next?”.
For the album release & film premiere I was asked about my promotions & marketing a few times. I don’t have these kinds of skills… so I thought I’d reach out for some help (under the advice of someone in the know). Makes sense right? I have this WONDERFUL project & I don’t want to mess up the promotion of it. Then I reach out to some people… some rejection, some silence. Then I reach out to someone REALLY REALLY in the know about this kind of stuff & they say that I’m probably not ready for that kind of help. As a result of this, I dunno where I am now. I need the help, but I’m not ready for it. The way I’ve released some songs already is not good for those companies to work with. I’m not angry by the way, nor bitter. I’m just confused… which is the crux of my point. For those of us DIY artists, who must steer their own careers, we spend 90% of our time in confusion, making decisions that people will disagree with. There’s a lot of double standards, & a million ‘chicken & egg’ situations. This is the hurdle I see so many fall at. I’ve personally had to talk people down from metaphorical ledges because they didn’t know where they were going. We can work hard, for months & years, cutting through the jungle… only for someone to find us & say: “What have you been doing?! You should have done X”.
‘You should have done’ is a bullet to my chest, every time.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE… I have figured out two things that you can always do. Two directions that you can always take without fear of futility:
Focus on building yourself & your work to a better standard.
Focus on the people, the scary, invisible audience that could love what you do, if only the knew.
I get that these are super broad & vague, but what do you expect from grandiose statements? I’ll dig a lil deeper for ya…
You should definitely focus on making better work. You might be happy with it, but what’s the reaction from your immediate circles? What about your peers? To be really honest with yourself is tough. Chances are, if nobody is telling you that you’re doing well… you need to work a bit harder, think a bit smarter, or feel a bit more. A lot of us aren’t ready to be told the truth… we’re just not ready, in so many ways. If you can accept that, use it to fuel you… because you will be ready, you just gotta keep at it! Sure, go back and get a business degree if you have to…
The audience is where I’m going to now. Fuck the media & the industry… my music isn’t for them, it’s for you (& every friend you force to listen to me). So, I’m taking my PR budget for the film, & we’re dumping it into online adverts! We’re dumping it into one hell of a live show (& potentially a lil tour afterwards). The industry will find me when they need me, then I’ll decide what I wanna do with them.
But at the end of all this… it really does suck to feel alone in it all. I know there are other artists struggling with this. Sure, I even mentor some artists that are looking for a way forward… but the Nathan Mac ship is being steered by me, & me alone. (If you’re reading this then that’s the equivalent of rowing the ship btw, thanks for that.) It would be nice if I had a little advisor on my shoulder, plotting my course with me… maybe some kind of colourful bird that could speak. Enough pirate metapharrrrs…. let’s continue.
This week I sent away my invoices for the 2k funding we are expecting, & it couldn’t come fast enough. My savings are dwindling & I’ve got a mixing engineer & a digital artist to pay. (Both of which have done an amazing job… just in case they’re reading this...) Broken & Beautiful is just about ready to be boxed & shipped. Our release should take place in the later parts of March! It’ll be a brilliant moment to have another song out, & another little win under our belt. Rest assured that Brian & I are working every week to churn out these wonderful songs & have the album finished this year (some have been saying July….) But let’s not get to lost in the crystal ball. There are some immediate steps that need to be taken for this release, because a few weeks is very little time to get a song out! We’ll need a new biography, a press kit for the song, some plans for promotional performances & social media posts… etc. But for tonight I’m gonna just rest… for a bit.
Also this week I' got to perform in the wonderous Circle Sessions! Now that concerts are back, I’ve finally been able to return to my lil creative family of misfits to play a song for a sweet crowd. If you’re unfamiliar with an open mic, it’s when a bunch of creatives show up to present something they’ve got: music, comedy, poetry… We all show up, sign up, & hope there’s enough time in the night to fit us all in. How good are the acts? Well that can vary WILDLY! Usually the open mic artists suck… it’s usually their first step onto a stage. Since the lockdown however, these newbies have had a lot of time to practice & the skills are excellent! Being on stage, with a really loving crowd feels so damned good! I’m also buzzing from the competition. (I do love competition)
It would seem that I’ve gone on some wee tangents & written a whole lot already… so I won’t put you through a crazy hour or two of reading & say goodbye for now. Thanks again for sticking with it all, & I’ll talk to you again next week. (or anywhere you message me cause I’m not some hotshot…. yet.)
Bogoshipoyo
Nathan
