Yesterday was my first studio outing in 2020 recording in Leeds. I have a bunch of tracks to record and have decided to work on two separate projects, one with the full band and one stripped down project.
Yesterday was spent recording “All Kinds of Crazy” with Ella Playford guesting on vocals. This will be the title track for the album of duets and we’ll record all the material using my superb Ear Trumpet mics. On “All Kinds of Crazy” we started the day with me putting down the basic guitar part with my Collings Waterloo. I forget how much focus you need even to get a perfect rhythm part in play when in the studio. Fortunately I have a superb producer who keeps everything on track and this will be the 41st track I have recorded with him to date.
Once I had the main guitar part down, I started added my vocal parts. We decided to try out a combination of a great ribbon mic and the Ear Trumpet Edwina and Myrtle mics. This is the first time I’ve done a recording with the Ear Trumpets and I now appreciate why so many artists love them for acoustic work. They are perfectly suited for these duo vocal/stripped back recordings.
Ella Playford arrived at 1.30 to start putting down her verses and harmony parts. I have seen Ella perform previously and was blown away by her voice. At 17 she is a remarkable singer with a great ear for harmonies. In just over two hours she had completed all her parts, job done! I’m inviting her back for some more recordings in May as she is a true professional.
One of the great things of being in a familiar studio is when ideas start to spark in an unexpected fashion. As well as using the Collings Waterloo, I brought in my Sobell Model 0. I added some minimal Ry Cooder style phrases that sound great in the mix.
Now we had all the key parts down, the next few hours are dedicated to mixing and mastering. Carl is quite brilliant and I’m amazed at the amount of precision needed for this and how a track begins to really take shape. In forthcoming months I’ll be doing more duo work as well as getting the full band in the studio. Its a fascinating process which requires a huge amount of concentration, but I absolutely love the fact we can work effectively and with so much precision.
“It takes ten years to become am overnight success”
In creating the Music for Head and Heart platform I have had the privilege to talk to a wide range of musicians from enthusiastic beginners to seasoned professional artists. What has really struck me is that for any artist to achieve any kind of success (this will mean very different things to different people, the musician needs to have a good work ethic and be prepared to put in the time needed to develop skills as well as music promotion.
I remember listening to a Robert Fripp audiobook where he talked about his early days in music where he was still working as an estate agent during the day and would then travel to a gig in London, arrive back in the early hours and then start his day job that paid the bills! Tom Verlaine the brilliant guitarist who fronted the band Television, was still working part time in a book shop even when his classic album “Marquee Moon” was released. Both these artists were invested in their work and appreciated that there was no magic wand that would take them to the next level.
Balancing time and money
I’ve blogged about this before, but I’m increasingly aware that balancing time and money is crucial from most performers. I remember one niche festival that would pay a band 100 pounds to play a 20 minute set on the main stage. In contrast I had the same band paid 1800 plus flights and hotels to pay similar sized festival stage overseas. I’m currently offering my thoughts to a festival that is truly seeking to break the mold and create an experience for the public and artists alike that is not just a recycling of the same “safe formula” but is genuinely exploring new territory.
Many artists will fall into the “playing for exposure” trap and discover that its really tough to earn any kind of living. Of course everyone has to start somewhere and its highly optimistic to expect people to pay for entertainment that is not of a high standard. I’ve witnessed some superb performers playing to very small audiences and when I book artists I always do my very best to look after them.
Its very easy to be extremely busy, but non productive. The key is to have a strategy that focuses on the best use of time and money and to really pay attention to what works best. Overexposure is as much a problem as underexposure. The most successful artists find a balance that works best for them. I interviewed a world famous singer once who commented about how crucial it was to remain on the radar. Releasing a single every few years without other exposure isn’t going to cut it. Its like having your egg in one basket! Any music promotion requires focus, time and money.
This means ongoing work and “playing the long game” with exceptional attention to detail and a great work ethic. Many people from what I see and hear, don’t have the stamina for such a task
Attention to detail
Some artists are very focused and keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities. Others spectacularly snatch failure from the jaws of success! This often occurs when they are not looking at a wider picture. I’m recently booking for a major festival and approached some artists who didn’t seize an opportunity in case they got an offer to play at a smaller festival they were familiar with. Of course its 100% their right, but what amazes me is that they don’t explore to see what’s on offer and miss a trick.
Building social media online is also essential to reaching a wider audience. A performer recently mentioned releasing some material and was understandably excited about the prospect. I’ve been keeping an eye out online expecting a social media crank up, but a week away from a single launch there is NOTHING! No online increase in presence, no gigs planned and all social media followers are totally static.
Any kind of promotion in business requires time and money. The key is to know what to invest in and how to invest. Its really easy to burn money and time if you are not careful. These days there are all manner of outlets for music promotion and music promotion options that are affordable. More than ever its about perception. Whether we like it or not, festival/gig bookers and the media look at numbers of YouTube views, social media followers and Twitter stats. I wish this was not the case, but that’s the reality we live in. One thing is certain, a strong work ethic is essential to create any kind of success in whatever way you define it.
One of the biggest challenges in creating and promoting music is to be able to fund the time needed to make this happen Unless you have a wealthy patron or other financial support, it can become a real issue. Here are some thoughts and observations on this.
Predictable income challenges
In recent months I know three musicians who have returned to full time employment as they can’t earn enough predictable income fr om music alone. I’ve blogged extensively about how paid work is tougher to find for artists and its no surprise that ecomonic consideraions ultimately prevail. I remember reading that Tom Verlaine from the iconic band Television was still working part time in a book store in New York even when his classic Marquee Moon album was released.
In 1980s my friends in the band James in the early days were volunteering for drug trials in Manchester to generate income and for years lived on a shoe string. Even when signed by Sire, it was hard work and only 30+ years on are those in the band capitalising on decades of work.
Image v working reality in music
Many artists don’t in my view fully appreciate that if they want to connect to a wider audience, image is important. I’ve seen many posts on social media which to put it politely are in my opinion ill advised. Examples include begging for accomodation in a city at short notice from anyone online and other photos of being very drunk online. Yes, this is part of daily life for many folks, but as the old saying goes “You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression”
Its not just individual artists who are unaware. I saw a festival once try and position themselves as the next Glastonbury for a niche music concern. The ad copy online was as impressive as the claims for what they said they were going to achieve. I then saw a photo of the headliner and thought it must have been during a soundcheck. The reason I thought this was that there was a small group of people huddled under umbrellas which suggested a very different image, but yes this was the final audience…
Funding Time for recording & Gigs
I just finished my third album and I have realised that in order to work up material for the studio and live tracks means a lot of rehearsal time. My policy is to pay the band for all their time and I fund this from my other work. This means working very hard to make this possible. I also pay all band members for gigs, irrespective of whether we get paid by the promoter. These costs can really accumulate, but its an effective way to get the work completed without resorting to Kickstarter style operations. Such operations work well for some people but I’ve steered clear to date.
Regarless of finance, simply being able to get a band to all meet is a challenge. I joke that “thank god, we are not a 12 piece band!” I have learned that the best model for my ensemble is to have a core trio and then hire in other musicians. I have an inner FB group for all those involved in musical projects and that allows for good communication.
Reciprocation & Shared Values
I’m a big fan of reciprocation and shared values. I’ve run music events where some artists have been brilliant in their cooperation and involvement. In contrast I’ve had artists want to bring a crazy number of people as guests, many of who disappear after their friends have performed! Neeedless to say, such folks will not get future opportunites from me. Fortunately these individuals are in a minority and are often seriously unaware of opportunities. With one artist I offered them all manner of possible commercial opportunities and they simply didn’t respond. Yes, its for each artist to determine what works for them, but to not even check out an opportunity seems seriously daft to me…
I’ve learned to pick and choose who I involve in projects and as band members. There are some really nice folks out there, but it can be a massive amount of working organizing them. This inevitably leads to a lot of frustration so now I’m super careful about who I involve in work. Another issue is that many artists can’t work in an organized manner and that is essential if you want to build and release a body of work. My advice to all band leaders is to work with people who are like minds and who have shared values.
Music for The Head and Heart Platform
I set up the Music for The Head and Heart platform to bring together artists and work in collaboration. To date we have run a terrific launch party and the second live event is Jan 25th and we still have a few tickets here. To date we have interviewed 35 artists from all over the globe and its been fascinating. This means allocating a great deal of time and some financial investment. I fund this to date from other work and by year two my plan is that at least the live events break even. The main investment is time in organising artists and planning video and audio. People who attend actual events often don’t appreciate the crazy amount of time and goodwill involved in many these showcases happen.
All this time has to be funded in some way and that means thinking smart and working with people who have shared values. In terms of the platform I have a policy of inviting people and then sending a reminder if I don’t hear anything. Many such artists simply don’t have the momentum and stamina to create a body of work and to reach a wider public. Often they are by nature too insular and inevitably never create and release a body of work.
Time to think and plan
Personally I need chunks of time to plan and to create new music. I don’t work with a regimented work schedule for writing, but I like to always have instruments to hand and free time to play around. Its also invaluable to be able to step back from projects and take a second view on how to proceed. I think its also invaluable to have a variety of interests in life which can inspire the creative process. That means using time in a particular way to not just get stuck in one medium of musical creation and to embrace working with all manner of other people. As Nick Cave would say
“A rock musician’s career is short-lived. To extend it, you need to do other things to keep yourself fresh.| Nick Cave
Final Thoughts
Collaboration and sharing skills and resources are the best way to being about any vision. Many performers can be tunnel visioned in how they work. That’s fine for them, but IMO its not smart business. A better way is genuine cooperation and collaboration to bring great music to a much wider public.
I just got back from London having travelled down yesterday to see “Magic goes wrong” at the Vaudeville theatre in London. The theatre ensemble are well know for farce style plays where there are all manner of mishaps. Its excellent entertainment and I’ve seen two of their shows, one in New York and one in the UK. I was therefore looking forward to the latest how which was co written by Penn and Teller.
magic goes wrong
We arrived early and as usual before the show various members of the cast move among the audience and start interacting, provoking all manner of amused responses. The key to this style of theatre is unpredictability and the cast are really excellent performers.
At exactly 7.30 the evening performance was due to start. Suddenly a guy appeared on stage proclaiming the show was cancelled and everyone needed to leave the theatre. “Brilliant” I thought, a superb creative way to get audience attention and both myself and half the audience remained in the theatre. Then the safety curtain came down and the guy on stage started to insist we all leave. “Wow, they are really pushing this I thought” and began to shuffle to the entrance as I knew we’d all be back in a few minutes.
Outside it was pretty confused and a woman dressed as a policewoman insisted we move behind the police line “Fantastic” I thought “She looks like the real deal” Me and the wife thought “Ok we’ll play along but I started to wonder about the practicalities of getting people back into the show. Anyway they would have thought of that wouldn’t they?
Magic goes wrong
A guy then dressed as a policeman insisted we move further back and I thought “Wow even the police cars look genuine, they have really gone all out with this, BRAVO!”
There was just one issue to consider 10 minutes later. These were real police and it was not part of the show. Performance cancelled due to “suspect device” located. At least I got a programme, but will need to rebook. The fact that none of this made national news (it did make online newswires” shows how common such things are in these times…
I recently fast forwarded through the new “The Masked Singer” TV programme and it reminded me how much I hate such formats. Shows like “X Factor”, “American Idol” and “Britain’s got Talent” had some appeal initially, but increasingly the hype and manufactured backstories eclipsed any real musical skills. I am mystified as to why anyone would watch “The Masked Singer” but 5.5 million people watched the show for the first time in the UK. I fast forwarded though the whole horrible experience and noted that it was the same formula for shows like “The Voice” where there’s “a reveal” which is the main hook for the show. In this instance one “performer” from The Masked Singer is revealed at the end of the show.
I’m all for promoting new talent, but the more I look into these shows, the more I discover how they are not really about promoting music, but more pushing a pre packaged product. Yes, I appreciate that in any commercial undertaking any record company or business wants a return on its investment, but in my view these dumb down music and create delusional expectations for many artists. I also reliably heard that at least one artist was approached to go on one of these shows and assured he would be in the final group BEFORE he had even had an audition. The Masked Singer is another variation on the X Factor formula that seem to have captured the public’s attention, but I for one loath such shows .
The Masked Singer
Clearly I am in a minority, but I agree with the following quote below from Bela Bartok. The problem for me is that many such competitions are focused on generating money rather than promoting artistic development and expression.
Seen and heard it all before?
Another reason I hate such shows is that almost always the artists sing cover versions. I really don’t want to hear anyone else slaughter classic songs like “Hallelujah” unless they are on a par with Jeff Buckley, which of course never happens. This endless recycling of cover versions mostly not done well, continues the trend of dumbing down music, and reducing the opportunity to hear anything new. The talent shows have become so formulated that viewing numbers have significantly dropped in recent years as the publci has mostly seen and heard it all before. The shows are predictacle in the extreme and quite frankly pretty dull. The latest X Factor incarnation recorded its lowest ever ratings at just 2.95million during the first live show of the new Celebrity series. Ratings dropped from a 3.6 million peak to an all time low for the franchise, which began in 2004.
Of course this trend is not new and again I realise I am in a minority. I’ve been at niche music festivals where an audience is whooping over a performer doing “a quirky version” of a classic Bowie song, that I thought was terrible… However popularity does not in my opinion equate to good taste and lets remember even though there are 1,249 McDonald’s in UK, that doesn’t mean they serve what I would consider (in my biased opinion) the best food.
Great income for business but what about the artist?
Some artists that win talent competitions have reasonable careers, but many disappear out of sight once the hype has died down. How many X Factor winners can you remember? There have been 15 winners of the show to date: Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson, Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderry, Matt Cardle, Little Mix, James Arthur, Sam Bailey, Ben Haenow, Louisa Johnson, Matt Terry, Rak-Su and Dalton Harris. Winners receive a recording contract with record label Syco Music with a stated value of £1 million. This includes a cash payment to the winner, but the majority is allocated to marketing and recording costs…
Since 2011 it has been thought that the act only gets an initial advance of £150,000 for their first album. If they manage to impress the label the advance rises to £237,500 for a second, £315,000 for a third, and £400,000 for a fourth. Of course “an advance” is essentially a loan against future earnings or pre payment of royalties.
Of these Little Mix and Leona Lewis are probably best known of course.
A Guardian article on this makes for interesting reading (excerpt below)
“News leaked that The X Factor has dropped the “£1m recording contract” top prize. Apparently this happened in 2009, but contestants were sworn to secrecy, so the change has only now come to light. The contracts this year’s finalists have been asked to sign give them an advance of “just” £150,000 for their first album, according to the Sun. The advances for the follow-up albums increase by just under £100,000 with every release, which means the act would have to release four albums to earn a million pounds. No act has so far managed to reach that point before being dropped.
That people are surprised by these revelations illustrates how the myth of the pop star life is still pervasive. As record sales have plummeted by almost 50% in the past decade, the advance most new artists can hope for, even from a major label, ranges between £75,000 and £150,000. If X Factor wannabes are still under the illusion that winning will make you a millionaire, they’re in for a surprise when they realise how record deals really work.“
Its not just the pop singing competitions that have problems
An interesting excerpt from The Daily Telegraph article on classic music competitions in 2014 –
The majority of music competitions are corrupt, Julian Lloyd Webber has said, as he warned that judges often collude to ensure victory for their preferred candidates. The internationally renowned cellist, who retired from playing in April, said it was an open secret among professional musicians that talent is not the deciding factor in most single-instrument contests. He claimed that many teachers used the competitions as a way to promote their own pupils.
“Everyone knows it, but no one says it, because when you’re in the profession, you don’t,” he told The Times. “There are obvious exceptions, such as BBC Young Musician of the Year, which is not corrupt at all, but you have these competitions for violins, cello, piano and it’s all about who you studied with.” Mr Lloyd-Webber said that favouritism was endemic to Britain, but the problem was with talent contests rather than industry awards such as the Gramophone Awards or the Classical Brits, which helped propel Vanessa Mae to stardom.
Artists used as marketing machines?
One UK business now promotes talent shows where performers pay to take part and then are tasked with marketing the live appearances. That sounds like a great business model for the host of the competitions, perhaps not for the artists. One such company asks artists to pay 10 pounds to apply and/or an additional 20 pounds for “priority application” They are then additional “marketing requirements” from the company towards artists…
This particular company advertises
“This singing competition attracts over 10,000 acts every year as it travels across the country in search for the UK’s best singers, singer/songwriters, rappers and vocalists”
its not hard to see that this is a lucrative business model. Yes, the argument can be made that the artists get good experience, but personally I would be wary of such methods.
Aa google search reconfirmed some interesting feedback from one artist. Make of this what you will. I have removed the name of the business, but for those interested its easy to find out who it is.
“Dear talent show
Thank you for your email.
By legal definition you may be a legitimate ‘talent show’ but you really ought to be more honest. This is a huge money making scheme. Having read your terms and conditions it seems you ask singers to pay £5 to enter your competition, charge successful singers a £30 deposit which is only refundable if they ‘turn up, make an effort and compete as asked’, and although not obligatory, you pressure successful singers to ‘try their hardest’to sell 25 tickets each.
I would not be surprised if pressure was also placed on singers to rent a crowd aka to bring lots of friends and family to each ’round’ at their personal expense and, if audiences were also encouraged to take part in expensive text message voting.
You say you are connected and have worked with the ‘likes of Sony, Warner and Universal Music’ but aside from Birdy, I haven’t heard of a famous singer whose success is attributed to you
That you emailed me asking me to ‘work’ for you as a talent scout is actually quite funny. Yes, I am extremely well connected both in London and Kent. As an established voice coach and choir leader I access 230 singers on a weekly basis. The contract you have asked me to sign asks me to openly publicise your competition by distributing the 1000 flyers you will send me, whilst recruiting singers to audition. The final reward for this is a commission of £100 for every 10 singers who successfully audition, £150 for every 15 singers and £200 for every 20 singers. Essentially, you are asking me to work for free on a commission basis with no guarantee of fair pay for my efforts. But primarily, you are masquerading this as an ‘opportunity’ to be a ‘talent scout’. It’s absolutely ludicrous!
But moving on and back to my comment about your approaching me being ‘funny’… As you will recall, I am quite connected, yes. And as I said before, I do have access to 230 singers each week of the year. I am also legitimately ‘connected’ and two of my students have signed record deals (they did not pay a fee to do this). I am, however, grateful that you contacted me as what I will now do is inform the 230 singers I teach on a weekly basis to not enter your competition.
In summation, you have taken the X Factor concept – an already exploitative competition – and turned it into a money-making scheme, whilst asking singing teachers to work on commission rates only, and poor ones at that.
I suggest that you take your competition and shove it up your arse.
Your sincerely,
Emily”
Of course this is just one view and there may well be others that have found such experiences to be of great value. Personally I’m not a fan, with heavy reliance on the performers to not only perform but also to market the event for free.
Final Thoughts
My biggest beef with talent shows and singing competitions is that they create delusional expectations for performers and does nothing to develop new creative talent. Instead “packages” artists to a specific template. Its a personal hate and of course many will disagree. That said, The Masked Singer seems in my view to be a new low in music TV shows. Such examples in my confirm that such shows really mostly benefit those running them and not the artists without whom they could not exist. I fully endorse Emily’s final comment on this matter that I couldn’t have put better myself.
I’m currently organising studio time for 2020 and took a few moments to look about at the songs I have professionally recorded to date. My first band was “The Small Change Diaries” where we recorded two albums and one EP. Since then I have recorded a debut album with “The Caravan of Dreams” which is my new ensemble.
Here are the songs I have recorded to date and a provisional listing for the second Caravan of Dreams album
2020 is going to be the busiest year yet. The first major event is Jan 25th when I host the second Music for the Head and Heart showcase in Leeds with three superb artists. In Feb I am back in the studio recording two acoustic stripped back tracks for the second Caravan of Dreams album. I’ll also be rehearsing the electric band to record another eight tracks throughout the year.
The Caravan of Dreams follow up album will have a number of surprise guests, making this the most ambitious recording to date. The ensemble will also have new musicians playing live gigs throughout the year and a special gig in April with special guests.
I’ll be spending more time on The Music for the Head and Heart platform and travelling to USA, India, Romania, Japan, Austria, Poland and Russia throughout the year. This means a lot of time management and planning. The band will be playing more selective gigs throughout the year and working up a new live set.
I continue to be amazed at how much difference some instrument string combinations make when matched to musical instruments. Since 2004 I’ve done a lot of research on what sounds great to my ears in terms of ukuleles and now I’m revisiting electric and acoustic guitar combinations.
Ukuleles are small bodied instruments and of course there are no “best strings” despite the nonsense proclaimed online in uke based social media! Instead different sized ukes with different materials will create some very different sound outcomes.
ukulele strings
For my Shimo instruments Hilo strings are my first choice. The strings are much thicker than anything else I have used. Of course Hilos are now impossible to find, but I did stockpile 160 sets including 23 baritone uke sets. For my two Collings concert ukuleles, the Worth Brown sets sound best to my ears. For low G strings on tenor ukes, I prefer Freemont strings.
Guitar Strings
In recent times I’ve been playing more guitars and have been reviewing string choices for both electric and acoustics. Martin Simpson pointed me to balanced tension Nickel Bronze strings by D’addario. The low E is a 13.5 gauge, so we are in “Stevie Ray Vaughn” territory. These work brilliantly for my two Stefan Sobell acoustics, but would not be the best fit for by Collings guitars.
D’addario also do electric NYXL sets that sound great on my stratocasters. I’m always fascinated at the sonic improvement with a new set of strings and these are quite exceptional. Martin Simpson always advocated the benefits of changing strings and I agree 100%
Of course not everyone gets this and of course social media forums are full of posts asking “What are the best strings?” and in the ukulele world some advocate buying fishing line, rather than invest in actual quality checked ukulele string sets. Part of finding your sound as an artist is in making string choices as they are a key ingredient in determing the final sound.
I’m currently doing an annual review of my instrument collection and was reflecting on what makes for a great instrument. Over the years I have bought all manner of instruments from all over the globe. The challenge in the UK is often the lack of selection. In terms of guitars there are still a few good stores, but none compare with what I know in the USA and Japan.
“The keepers” in my collection include my Shimo collection of ukuleles. Shimo is an exceptional builder and I’ve been using his instruments on almost all my recordings to date across three albums and one ep. Here are some of the collection
I also have my two Stefan Sobell acoustics and mandola. I first heard about Sobells from Martin Simpson, who has been playing them for many years. These are custom made exceptional instruments and there is often a two year wait for any build.
Both Stefan and Shimo make instruments to order. In terms of a company, Bill Collings is still in my view the best and I have two of his concert ukuleles as well as an electric I35, and a tenor and 6 string acoustic
Collings make great electric guitars as well as acoustics. Here is the I35 in action
I’m generally not a fan of “old is best” but I do love this Martin ukulele that is almost 100 years old. Again the build quality is superb and the sound is great
These are just some of my collection. Great instruments are those that inspire creativity and are a joy to play. Often they come at a price, but not always. The problem with many production instruments is that the quality can vary massively for what should essentially be the exact same instrument. This is true for guitars and ukuleles. I take online reviews with a pinch of salt for this very reason.
Of course all of these views are subjective and the only way to find out what is a great instrument for you, is to go play a buncg of them. This means a bit of effort in exploring, but in my opinion that’s a worthwhile time investment and it pays off massively in terms of what then inspires creativity.
