27/01/2011
Fiction A&R execs Gary Harris and Alex Close have written this blog with some useful first steps if you want to turn your music into a career.
- Don’t worry about getting signed.
- Make music that you adore.
- Be unique and brilliant
- Being an interesting person with something to say is a good starting point. Work on that before you even think about writing a song.
- Once you do have some songs think about performing live.
- See point 3 again
- If your audience drifts away to the bar you're doing something wrong. If they throw things at you, you might just be doing something right.
- Get online and make sure people that like you can find out more about you. Put up as much or as little information as you like but see point 3 and 4 again.
- High quality demos aren’t essential. A good song is a good song. If enough people like it someone will tell someone and you'll get offered some free studio/producer time. Or help with video filming or releasing a single to get you to the next level.
- Be prepared for this all to take a while. "Overnight sensations" have usually been plugging away for years in various different guises before finding that right alchemy.
- Because of point 10, refer to points 1 and 2 again, that'll keep you going and enjoying it.
- Send in unsolicited demos by all means – they will be listened to eventually – but taking on board and acting on the above gives you much better odds
And before you do any of the above, you might want to listen to this man...
