There will inevitably come a time, a season, a window where you’re just going through the motions. And the reasons why are endless.
But knowing that time will come, it’s a good idea to make sure the motions themselves are really good, and professional, and kind, and generous, and thoughtful.
That way when you’re just going through them from time to time, it’s still beneficial for everyone involved.
Your songs are in pretty good shape and you want to give them a test run for some people who’s opinion you truly appreciate.
Put a song on…and listen for the places where you wanna cough over it to distract your pal from hearing that part.
It doesn’t require much from your pal other than their valuable presence. They don’t even have to say anything! You’ll already know. Their valuable presence is what makes you want to cough over certain parts.
Here’s the thing about the cough…
The parts you feel the need to cough over are the parts the either definitely need to be changed OR definitely need to stay in there.
p.s. An extra little insight on this one…
Because I write everyday my brain thinks of and remembers ideas to write about more than it ever has before…and today’s post is a perfect example…
The idea of coughing over songs was something I remembered today from a short Oasis documentary that came out in 2005 (13 years ago) where the other guitar player says, “We wanted to make a record where we could play it for our friends and not have to cough over it”.
And all these years later, when I sat down to write tonight, it popped up. Wow.
That isn’t a salute to my brain, it’s a salute to THE brain (ie. the creative human brain) and what it is capable of as we’re willing to grow it.
It’s alluring because there’s always something (far off, mysterious, romantic, redemptive, hopeful) to look forward to.
The next show.
The next tour.
The next song.
The next session or record.
The next plan.
The next season of your career.
But here’s the thing about looking-forward-to…if you’re constantly looking-forward-to then when you get there you’re probably going to keep doing what you’ve been doing…which is to skip the present and continue looking-forward-to.
You were looking forward to the thing but you couldn’t enjoy it because the looking-forward-to muscle is the only one you’ve been training.
What the thing/event/season that you’re really looking forward to actually needs from you is to be present, engaging, appreciative and fully alive WHEN it happens.
Soooo…it turns out the best way to serve the thing you’re looking forward to is to tuck it away for now and practice being present, engaging, appreciative and fully alive in what’s going on right now.
If we get sucked into the allure of looking-forward-to, then that is what we will always do, and that is what we’ll be best at. We will always have the build up and never the pay off.
The only way to have looking-forward-to actually pay off is to stop practicing so hard at looking-forward-to.
I listen to and read a lot of artist interviews and most average interviewers ask about the songs, the record, the single, life on the road.
i.e. Things artists have full knowledge of.
So why is there so much…
“We kind of tried to do something different…” -Did you kind of try or did you try? -Did you try to do or did you do? -Did you do something different? -If you did something different, what was it specifically?
“I think we wanted to really go for it…” -Did you think you wanted or did you actually want? -Are you having a hard time remembering? -Did you want to go for it, or did you go for it?
“It’s kind of like a new thing…” -I don’t know what you mean, and either you don’t either, or you’re not willing to say.
and my favorite one
“We’re just trying to figure it out…” -Are you trying (attempting) the act of figuring, or were you actually figuring? -And if you are in fact ‘trying to figure’…why are you ‘just trying to figure’? The ‘just’ steals so much pride and dignity.
All these little words. All this insulation. All this approximation. All this distance between the question and the truth.
As an artist, strive to bring yourself to as close as you can to the real answers. The truth.
We add all these little words because it keeps us a safe distance from vulnerability and responsibility. The little words give us little ways we can squeak out of and avoid the boldness and magnitude of the full truth.
We want to hear the real deal from you. Full power, full impact.
p.s. A great way to get better at this is to not wait until you’re in the interview before practicing.
Most artists want to market the things they take pride in, not necessarily what will trigger the fans.
Successful acts understand that while what they take pride in and what is marketed may over lap, it doesn’t need to.
‘Take pride in’ comes from artistry. The heart. The creative muse. The long lonely road and the striving to put what’s in your heart into a song and career.
‘What will trigger the fans’ comes from culture. The timing. The medium. What the fans just ate for dinner. The way they compare this song with the song before it.
For instance…it’s why when an artist gets asked where a certain song came from and the artist responds with a heartfelt, genuine, honest, truthful boring lame story. It’s a snooze fest and no one cares.
The artist may take pride in the story but in this case it’s an awful marketing tool. It would be better to tell a better story.
Are you trying to convert people who don’t have a favorite band yet?
Are you trying to convert people who are open to adding to their ‘favorite band’ list?
Are you trying to convert people who aren’t looking for a new favorite band?
Are you trying to convert people who don’t care about favorite bands…they just want to hear a song they like?
Are you trying to convert people who don’t care about favorite bands…they just want to hear the same songs their friends like?
If you’re in the business of converting it’s important to know which type of music listener you’re looking to convert.
To say it another way…I’m not looking for a new brand of peanut butter to buy. I like the one I use…so if someone comes along with a ‘better’ one it doesn’t matter. The effort to change is far greater than the perceived advantage of the change.
But if I’ve never had peanut butter I’m a really good person to market peanut butter towards.
Once more to boil it down…
If you’re a new band it will help a lot if you market toward the type of people who listen to new bands.
