A Release Party

…much different from a Release Show.

Back in the day, every band I knew in Nashville did a release show for every new project.

And it’s not a bad idea.  You’ve got new material people haven’t heard. It’s the day or week that that material is being released.  And you want to celebrate so you have a show.  And a ‘release show’ is a great way to market and advertise for club shows.

Releasing new material IS a big deal and you SHOULD celebrate.

But a release show has all the same logistical headaches, load in/sound check situations, when are we eating dinner, who is all on the guest list problems of every other show.  

And often times all those problems and day-of-show obligations steal the celebration out of the celebratory event.

I want to offer up the idea of a Release Party (maybe in place of, or maybe in addition to).

Get the people together who worked on the project, engineers, producers, their families, management, your agent, your spouse and kids…and have a PARTY.

Buy food and drinks for everyone.  Buy legit food and drinks for everyone. Give a speech as though this project just won record of the century and thank people by name.  Talk about the vision moving forward. Give others a chance to say something.  Tell stories.  Stay up late.

Now that’s a celebration.

I would argue that this is just as good, if not a better way, to celebrate your next release.  It shows you care about both the music AND the lives of team.  

You can’t really go wrong.

So I’ll go so far as to say this is something you SHOULD do next time.

We’re talking about a party here. Do I really need to keep twisting your arm?

Drop me an invite.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Ambition And Sitting Around

Sitting around is not contentment.  

Ambition is not discontentment. 

Most artists get pigeon holed as sitting around a little too much and being perfectly happy, or working a little to much and being wildly unsatisfied.  

We have this (arbitrary) scale in our brains that measures how much someone works and what they SHOULD be getting out of that amount of work.  And we’re oh so quick to judge, aren’t we?

There’s a difference between ambition and selfish ambition.

There’s a difference in sitting around and the relaxation after job well done.

But you already know that.

You probably have the perfect balance.

Contentment comes from both ambition and ‘sitting around’.

No need to fear your ambition.

No need to shame your sitting around.

True life comes from discernment on when to employ which.  And to what degree.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Song Information

If all your show does is inform people of your songs, then you’re doing it wrong.

People don’t go to shows for information, they come to experience, to hope, to levitate even just for a few moments.

There are better ways to be informed of your music than a live show…i.e. your records: the bass is tighter, the vocals are perfectly panned and balanced, that extra synth line is in there, they can rewind if they missed a part or want to hear it again.

But people don’t go to shows for bass compression, appropriately panned vocals, the extra synth line or to rewind a song.

So at your gig STOP informing people of your songs…instead, you need to show them the way. Using your songs and the time in-between your songs.  You must show them the way into the present.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Everyone Is Interesting Enough To Be Famous

Everyone is interesting enough to be famous.

If modern television has taught us anything it’s that.

But interesting is different than captivating.

And fame is different than longevity.

We are captivated by the artists (people) who understand what their unique gifts are AND ALSO use that understanding to crank up those knobs…especially on stage.

Captivation breeds longevity…and maybe fame too.

We have phrases like “perked my interest for a second” or “yeah, it was pretty interesting”.  Like William Hung’s music video or Carly Rae Jepsen.

So it turns out we can be interested in things we are also passive and dismissive about.

We are not passive about things that captivate us.

Keep digging. Uncover what it is you offer and lean into it…hard. Don’t run away from it or under value it.

Everyone is interesting enough to be famous.

But are you captivating enough to have a career in the music business.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Acoustic Opener

If you haven’t already, you’re going to have to.

It’s not a matter of if, but when.

And in the preparation for it, the common cry of an artist sound like this “How do we get the energy of our full band show into the acoustic show?”

You don’t.

The acoustic show is different.  

Bono was really good when U2 did the 360 tour and he was also really good when him and Edge sat at David Letterman’s desk and played.  He gets it.

The acoustic thing is different from the full band thing.  Both can be amazing, but they’ll be different…a different mode of your strengths and talents.

So allow me to relieve you of the pressure to make your acoustic performance the same as your full band show.

Work on it, craft it, try, fail, rework.

It’s something worth having up your sleeve.

p.s.  One fantastic thing about being an acoustic opener is that the audience subconsciously sets the bar incredibly low.  With a little planning and care, this is an easy home run for you.  Candy from a baby, my friends.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

If You Have A Laundry List Of Mix Notes

If you have a laundry list of mix notes… 

…then one of three things is true:


1) You’re a new artist working on the first record.

When you’re a new artist you believe that a little more compression on the kick drum will tip the scales your way.  The tambourine panned 10% more to the left is really what the bridge needs, and so on.

And believe me…tis’ true: God is in the details…but before you use that to nit pick all the day long…God is also in the wisdom of the person mixing, who is a professional at mixing, who loves mixing, who mixes all the time, who is a lot better at mixing than you.

But I get it. The laundry list of mix notes at least shows you care deeply.  Keep going, you’ll learn a lot on this journey.


2) You hired the wrong mix engineer. 

No no no, you didn’t hire a bad mix engineer you just didn’t do your homework and hire the right one. 

That’s what your laundry list of notes is really saying. 

When you have the right engineer for mixing your particular record, the first round of mixes are at least 80% there, probably 90%. 

So if you have a laundry list, it’s your problem not theirs…it’s more of an “uh-oh we screwed up” than a “hey, why aren’t you doing a good job”

But you hired who you hired and you don’t want to switch mixing dudes. I understand.  If you understand too, you’ll be fine.


3) And this one happens whether you’re a new artist, seasoned artist, big budget, no budget, A-list mix engineer, not-on-the-list mix engineer.

It’s this:

You and everyone else is channeling their stress, anxiety and insecurity about the song, record, marketing plan, photoshoot and touring schedule into the mix notes.

The laundry list of mix notes is an escape, a cop out.

The truth is you got a pretty legit mix back on the first round.  But then everyone gets fidgety.  Everyone has their doubts.  Everyone wonders if they’re gonna lose their job if they sign off on this record.

So someone at the label thinks the reverb needs to come up on the vocal.  And someone from management thinks the reverb needs to come down.  Now a meeting has to be called to discuss the reverb…and because a meeting is called, now there are several other opinions about the reverb that didn’t even exist before the meeting!

And then there’s also a list of mix notes from the band, management, label, agent and extended friends and family (you might laugh at that the friends and family bit…but it’s real).

The mix notes are the last great frontier in the process to channel your fear about the songs when in actuality either the material just isn’t that great, or it is in fact great but you and/or the team is just too afraid to let it rip. 


Go into the studio with great material.  Do your homework and hire a mix engineer who gets you.  The mix engineer is an artist too, let them contribute their artwork.

p.s. What about Coldplay? What about Lady Gaga? What about Scott Stapp?…they talk about getting every last detail just right and not letting anything slip through the cracks.

A) They have a lot more money. Mix engineers will tweak till kingdom come if you can shell out and are nice to hang with.  B) They have a razor sharp creative vision and know how to clearly articulate it to everyone.  C) They have a lot more money. D) They only hire people they trust understand their razor sharp vision.



Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com