If only it was a record company standing on our doorstep after I’ve spent all this time pumping out a demo with my boyfriend Dez, but the past has shrunken down to nothing. It is all just a fantastic mirage of what used to be, the novelty of a record company taking full charge of the musician’s path. Nowadays, it’s the DIY approach that holds true. It has to do with the self-promotion thing on social media in addition, and the following the artist hopefully gains from posting content day after day and possibly catching people’s interest in a cyber world that is over-saturated with entertainment options.
The demo came about from two friends turned lovers bonding over a common interest in playing music and from enough time passing, agreeing to put together a cool and unique music project to further advance the conversation 60s/70s rock legends like Janis and Jimi and Jim ignited, which saw the counter cultural flame die out too soon. Dez had amassed quite a recording equipment setup over years of collecting, from playing in past rock bands. We decided to turn our efforts toward putting down a real live demo, a modern twist on earlier rock, folk, psychedelic and pop music traditions. Somehow, through what felt like pulling eyes and teeth out of our own heads, recordings were made and a website was created to showcase our hard work.
It seems another issue in the modern age of music production is getting the right sponsorship. Our recording equipment is not up to the times and should be replaced at some point in the near future, once we decide to put the hammer to the anvil in terms of recording new material. We took the concept of crowdfunding into our hands and co-created a video with comedic elements, in the attempt to attain such sponsorship, but it has not quite come along yet. I believe with proper financial backing, we can invest in more technologically advanced recording mics, software, etc. Upgrades in equipment are what the big players in music achieve.
Of course, presentation and image are everything, and having some working knowledge of how to build a killer music website to showcase to the world helps. The Wix.com site builder is quite user friendly and is easy to navigate. I recommend it to artists who want to have more freedom to customize their website more to their liking vs. a site like Bandzoogle or Bandcamp where you get boxed into using their particular templates.
Once the following comes, the calls to that entertainment lawyer you happen to know begin. Until then, it’s important to take the old fashioned approach, which is to continually play out at venues and gather subscribers who can actively share your art. The rest of the process is just keeping up with the daily hustle, staying focused and persisting in the face of challenges, calling again to remind people you’re in their corner, and getting that stroke of dumb luck to launch you through the industry’s door.
Stay tuned for more articles! ❤
