Connection

We stand in the footsteps of a new world. It might seem like a silly idea, but things are changing. Slowly, but they are changing. And why are things changing? Because of the availability of information. I can write a song about subject that touches hundreds of thousands of people and I can get it online in a matter of hours, if not even minutes and share it all around the world. If you can not see the power of this, then you are going to be left in the dust as the rest of the world struggles on.

Sure, this will add to the noise of content that we call internet, and you might be wondering if everyone can do it, how can anyone stand out? Well that comes down to two things, first of all the music needs to be great. Nothing will replace a great song that is well performed. But also the independent artist today need to be creative in the way they promote their music. Make your own stamp, let your voice come through what otherwise is just a sterile machine. It is the artists job to make all these tools their own. Today, this is part of the creative process.

If the artist just treats all the online tools just as something to upload stuff to and wait for the universe to do it’s work, they will not stand much of a chance. The world we live in has changed, you might not like it, but it has.

And the other side of the coin is the live show. It might be getting harder to get some people out of the house and away from their TV screens, but when you do, you are creating something that is almost more personal experience than what people are used to these days. Use this to your advantage, go overboard. I ran an experiment during this summers Sliotar tour. I made sure the band was straight of the stage and onto the merchandise table, and thanking everybody who walked past  for coming to the show. It felt instantly like we had a different kind of connection with the audience. This had a direct effect on the album sales and the traffic to our website.

So whether it is online or in real life, try to connect with people. It is this connection that is a new concept in contrast to the past few decades, where the artist rarely had any real life contact with the fan. We are human beings, we have a desire to interact and connect with the others. Make this part of your art.

J.P.

The author J.P. Kallio is a singer songwriter
To get EIGHT of his songs for free go HERE