Find Your Frequency

EKENE grew up in Lagos on gospel music and choir, moved through rap groups and poetry, and started sharing songs on Instagram because they needed somewhere to go. His debut EP Little Us is seven songs of genuinely honest writing, and this conversation catches him right at the start, which is the most interesting place to have it. He gets specific on why he measures progress by knowing his fans' names rather than his stream count, why honesty is the only growth strategy he trusts, and how he stays stubborn about his vision without shutting out good advice. He's also open about the vulnerable songs he hasn't released yet and why. If you're early in your own journey and building something real from nothing, this one's for you.Try un:hurd music here: https://go.unhurd.co.uk/spotifypod 

Rob Sealy spent 30 years in insurance and financial services before he noticed something the music industry does that no other industry would tolerate: artists barely know who their fans are. So he co-founded Openstage to fix it, and now runs fan campaigns for some of the biggest artists alive. In this episode he gets specific on why your social reach has collapsed below 2%, why 10% of your fans drive 80% of your income, and why the tactics that work for a stadium act are exactly the same ones that work when you've got five fans. He's blunt about the mistake most artists make, leading with the ask instead of the relationship, and generous with what to do instead. If you're building a fanbase from scratch, this one hands you the playbook. Independent artists, this is the one to save.Try un:hurd music here: https://go.unhurd.co.uk/spotifypod 

Sissy Ford moved to London on her own at seventeen and has spent six years turning bedroom recordings into a catalogue with millions of streams. She's breaking right now, and this conversation catches her mid-climb, which is exactly the most honest place to have it. She gets specific on why nothing in music happens quickly, why comparing your streams to everyone else's is a trap, why picking a single genre is a mistake, and why the aloof mysterious-artist act is finished. She also talks about building real connection with fans through weekly livestreams and treating supporters like friends rather than a follower count. If you're early in your own journey and wondering why it's taking so long, this one's for you.Try un:hurd music here: https://go.unhurd.co.uk/spotifypod 

Nicola Gunby is a two-time founder who built and sold a beauty marketplace before she turned thirty, then set out to fix a problem she couldn't shake... how hard it is to actually meet people and build real community in a city full of strangers. That became Cliq. In this episode she gets specific on why your fifty thousand followers aren't a community, why most people quit building one right before it works, and why the smaller and more niche you go, the stronger the connection. She also breaks down the difference between an audience that scrolls past you and a community that actually turns up. If you're an artist trying to turn passive listeners into a fanbase that sticks, this one's for you.Try un:hurd at www.unhurdmusic.com

Katie Debrah started exactly where a lot of you are now. Making music, uploading it, hoping someone on the other side of a screen would care. She ended up on the inside, spending years at Google and YouTube shaping creative strategy for some of the biggest artists in the world, before walking away to build tools for independent artists instead. In this episode she gets specific on why a million followers can still mean ten thousand streams, why chopping up your music video won't save you, and why your social audience is rented rather than owned. She also breaks down the thing most platforms won't tell you... that their "best practice" is built for their business, not yours. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right and still not converting, this one's for you.