One of the things I’m most interested in this year, is how artists get real people off the couch, out of the house, and in the venue as part of the crowd they’re performing for. Social media followers and streams are great, but developing an audience that will make the effort to see you perform and hear your music live… It’s a critical piece of building momentum as a musician. And in those early days, those shows are often the biggest revenue generators. So Alfred Banks shares a perspective on audience building that leverages live shows and merch first, social media second. Alfred Banks has gone on tour opening for artists like Tank and the Bangas, and I caught him in Austin this summer just before he did a series of Texas shows opening for Devon the Dude. He’s a hip hop artist, based in New Orleans. Links: Visit Alfred Banks’ website for merch, videos, and more. https://www.underdogcentral.com/ Listen to Alfred Banks on Spotify Listen on Apple Music Subscribe on YouTube Follow Alfred Banks on IG @underdogcentral Follow him on Twitter @underdogcentral Musicians Can Thrive things: Share your thoughts on this episode with your host, Gigi, on Twitter @gigi_alyse If you liked what you heard, please subscribe! And if you’re really feeling generous, give a review to help your friends decide this show is worth listening to. Find Musicians Can Thrive on IG for BTS, shorter videos, and photos. @musicianscanthrive Find Musicians Can Thrive on TikTok, if that’s your thing. But I’m not gonna give you this link lol. If you want to dive in deeper, you can find the full back-catalog of episodes from SZN 1-3 on your favorite podcast app. More show notes: There’s a point in our interview where Alfred Banks calls himself an octopus, because he’s learned how to do so many different things as part of building his independent music career. Listen to find out more.
Recovering from burnout is a slightly different process for everyone. But, there are a few ways creating and trying new ways of approaching your music/ art can help you recover faster. Personally, I’ve reached the burnout point more times than I can count in the past 7 years. That’s not a pattern that’s conducive to long-term momentum as I develop this podcast, my songwriting, or any other creative project I want to make. So how do you prevent burnout? How do you find ways to recover that can feel sustainable, and make you more resilient so you don’t reach the same burnout point again? There was a big shift for the better 12 months ago when I tried a new approach. If you’re impatient, I get into those details about 10 minutes into this episode… This episode features clips and examples from the king of “consistency” and content creating himself, Gary Vee. As well as a talented Austin-based rapper named RAH. He’s also built quite the content library across multiple social platforms, YouTube, and his music. Links below if you want to dive in deeper. Please subscribe if you liked what you heard! Source videos: Gary Vee - How to Make Content Consistently | New Media Academy [watch on YouTube] RAH - I’m quitting YouTube? ** The Truth ** [watch on YouTube] RAH’s music and more: https://rah.biglink.to/RAHONLYFAM RAH’s apparel line: Only Fam Mafia https://www.onlyfammafia.com/
Welcome back to Musicians Can Thrive! We're going to kick off this new season with the stories you know and love. Featuring a variety of independent artists developing their own definition of what it means to thrive in the music industry. A few things are going to change though. You might hear from multiple people in the same episode. I have stories that I'm going to weave together so you can see different perspectives right next to each other. There are also some live show interviews I did at an event called Tillery Live, during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. I actually co-hosted this rap, R&B, and hip hop showcase with my friend Abhi at PRMTD. Entertainment. It was very fun. And it's also my first experiment with interviews that have video to go with the audio. So you'll find those short-form interviews on YouTube. Go ahead and subscribe to the channel so you don't miss the rest of the videos I have coming. If you're a returning listener, you already know I'm interested in how people are building careers in the music industry, independent of a big label. But lately, I'm especially interested in how we can make those careers sustainable. Over the course of decades. So that's behind what most of these episodes are exploring. I'm hoping you can listen to this and find something helpful among the variety of different stories and experiences from artists who are out there showing up. And doing what it takes, week in and week out. Find @musicianscanthrive on Instagram for behind-the-scenes stories, clips from live shows I attend around Austin, and other ideas I share exclusively on IG. Thanks for being part of the Musicians Can Thrive community - your host, Gigi.
Yandi shares his approach to collaborations, and his perspective on when getting paid is a priority, and when it's more important to focus on your music's reach. I admire the work Yandi is doing both as a producer, and as a rap artist. There's a maturity to his approach to building a career in music that makes him more resilient when unexpected hurdles like a pandemic come and disrupt our lives. The first time I saw Yandi’s name, it was the production credit of the debut single my friend RC McCree released in January 2020. At the time, RC was still a vague memory of a guy who I played a show with and I remembered I liked his voice. So I tapped on the screen of my iPhone, turning on the volume... It was a great song. RC’s voice had this unique tone that it felt like every other track of the song was designed around. Immediately after listening to that song, I wanted to figure out how and where I could find this guy Yandi so I could meet him. I wanted to get to know who this talented producer was. Find Yandi's samples and loop packs on Bandcamp. Listen to his original music on Apple Music Listen on Spotify IG @mynameisyandi Twitter @mynameisyandi Visit Yandi's website https://www.mynameisyandi.com
Mama Duke is a gifted storyteller, and a rap artist capable of giving J.Cole a run for his money. I say that because he's one of my favorite rappers, so I'm familiar with most of his work. But honestly... you could name any number of artists and Mama Duke would bring some fierce competition. I got lucky and found Mama Duke and her music because a friend of mine turned me onto her. His name is Harvest Louis, and he's an artist manager here in Austin, with excellent taste. From the day I first explored Mama Duke's Instagram page, I knew she was something special. An engaging entertainer, who pulls you in with a tantalizing story, her warmth and humor win you over as a ride or die fan within 3 videos, or less. Listen to Mama Duke on Spotify Listen on Apple Music Follow Mama Duke on IG @mama.duke
Asante Abdullah is an artist manager creating a world where independent artists can thrive financially and artistically. He founded an organization called New World Audience, and that set the foundation for his company, PRMTD. Entertainment. The name New World Audience might sound familiar to you, because there are several artists from previous episodes that I met through a New World Audience show. Asante has a revolutionary vision for how he’s going to help independent artists. By understanding the data that’s unique to what their audience likes best, and supporting the artists with the kind of marketing infrastructure they usually might not have access to... Asante is working to create a world where independent artists can easily learn the business of music, so they can develop sustainable careers and income. Visit the PRMTD. Entertainment website https://prmtdentertainment.com/ Find PRMTD. on IG @prmtd.entertainment
Identifying as a musicpreneur, Erin McAndrew has built a career for herself that’s resilient thanks to several different sources of income. I stumbled across her Twitter account one day, and her course offerings caught my eye. Especially the one she was promoting when I found her, called “Get More Paid Gigs.” One of my favorite things we discuss in this episode is why it’s so important to separate the kinds of work that you do in one day. Creative work like songwriting and recording uses one part of your brain, and strategic work like planning your next steps for the quarter, and coordinating new gigs or partnerships uses the opposite side of your brain. Switching between those two kinds of work within the same day makes the work feel harder because your brain has to readjust each time. Also stay on the lookout for when we start talking about how Erin leverages the relationship she’s built with her most loyal fans to shape her music and the other products she offers to them.
Shadyvice identifies himself as a producer first, artist second. Learn how he's building a resilient career with multiple streams of income. And creating a captivating sound at the same time. Based in Austin, TX, Shadyvice is an underground artist I met thanks to a workshop we both attended. It was hosted by a local organization, called For the Students. His perceptive observations about using imagery to promote new music caught my attention. As I got to know him, his production style and the stories within his songs impressed me further. He’s got a rich musical background to draw from, and a valuable perspective on what he wants to spend his time on, within the music industry. Listen to Shadyvice on Apple Music Listen on Spotify Follow Shady on Instagram @shadyvice Find him on Twitter @JTdaniels62
New here? Here's a quick introduction to what Musicians Can Thrive is exploring through interviews with independent artists and creators in the music industry. Subscribe on YouTube if that's where you prefer to watch your videos and podcasts.
Joey van Leeuwen just might be the modern definition of a renaissance man. A talented composer who plays several instruments, Joey also teaches percussion. And he helps musicians organize to create better working conditions.
This is the second half of a two-part interview with the indie rock band Strange Cadets. We have quite a few 💎 for you today. If you’re considering moving to a “music city” to help your career, you might be interested in learning the reasons why Strange Cadets chose to move from El Paso to Austin.
Strange Cadets is an indie rock band that came from El Paso and I'm thrilled to say that they are now Austin locals. In this case, Strange Cadets decided to make that quintessential choice of moving to a “music city" to pursue a better opportunity for their careers as musicians.
Morgan Davis is an artist manager based out of Austin, TX, in addition to being the Editor in Chief of the local publication OVRLD (Overload). By merging that publication with his management business, Morgan is able to help a diverse roster of artists that he personally manages, while also amplifying the music of other indie artists - often Austin locals themselves. He’s also someone who’s been in the trenches as a DIY musician himself, so he knows what it feels like being on both sides of the stage.
What would you do if you finally “made it”? If you got to go on tour in Brazil opening for a BIG artist, regularly tour around the US, and you didn’t need a day job anymore? Tribe Mafia accomplished all these things. But this might be the best part: they experienced all this “success,” AND they still consistently make an effort to help other indie artists who are not as well known.
I met Susannah Joffe at a show that was presented by New World Audience, during what would normally have been SXSW Music Week. I had this incredible surprise when this girl gets up on stage with no one but a guitarist and the mic in her hand. And she starts singing... The amount of richness that was in her music with nothing but her voice, and an electric guitar... It was mesmerizing. Turns out, Susannah has found a way to carry her storytelling to a second outlet, and to diversify the sources of income she’s able to make as a musician. But that part will come later.
RC McCree is a thoughtful and talented lyricist. His melodies get stuck in your head, so you can fully absorb his words. Keep an ear open for the dynamics of different music scenes in Austin, and how they're warm and inviting for new people… RC and I discuss that later on in the episode. It’s an important thing to seek out in your local area. Seek out places that are inviting. And where people are friendly. Because a rising tide lifts all ships. But if we're going to work together to make that happen, we need to know who the others are. We need to like each other, so we can get along. And we need to make space for newcomers to feel welcome and heard. So we can all share our music and make money.
LivFree is the kind of rap artist whose flow reminds you of spoken word poetry in its smoothness, whose hooks grab you and pull you deeper into the rhythm, and when the message within the flow hits you… Well, let’s just say if it resonates, it hits you where it hurts - in the best way.
A commanding presence on stage and a prolific songwriter, Keira Nova is as sharp and clever as she is talented. A solo artist and one half of the hip hop/ R&B duo Kaleidoscopes, today you’re listening to the first half of a two-part episode featuring the Kaleidoscopes.
What happens when you go to a secret “Anti-Valentine’s Day” concert with no idea what kind of music you’re about to hear? You just might see Kris Angelis playing an acoustic set. She’s an award-winning singer-songwriter with a wonderful ability to tell stories - whether she’s singing them, or sharing them with you between songs at a show.
What does it take to put on a great show? Ashly Holland and I discuss the different ways you can draw the audience’s attention, and how she’s designing a life that she loves around music. Ashly is the frontwoman of Americana band Little Jane and the Pistol Whips. Their music is a beloved staple in Southwest Montana, where they've been touring and giving people reasons to dance since 2008.