Sex and Drugs do not equate to Rock and Roll.
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Thousands of musicians, singers, and music producers around the world are all trying to make it in the insanely competitive music industry. Blogs, news writers, and podcasts constantly say, “There is never a better time to start a music career without a label.” This may be true, however the circumstances around an artist becoming successful are still very difficult. At EAR, we focus on making a one stop shop for bands and artists to further their career in the industry, however, we have seen some major problems with certain artists and their habits.
As every A&R should know, there are some fundamental things you look for when scouting artists to bring to a label. This may be the draw of the crowd, their online presence, and an overall quality sound that is investment worthy. There are more sometimes, however, to simplify the scouting procedure even further, let’s talk about what makes up a musical artist. Based on years of research, I, as an artist manager, have found that any artist comes down to three fundamental qualities which are the Image, the Sound, and the Bio.
The Image is what you are already thinking and more. How the group or solo artist looks, the way they dress, and even their stage presence. In addition to the physical, you have their digital image, which in turn would be things like their logo, social media presence, music videos, album covers, and everything in between. It’s what the fans and the advertising agencies see. Does it interest people to watch their video more than 10 seconds? Are they marketable? Can they fit the brand that sells dishwasher soap? These are just examples, but it is why you see some artists in movies, commercials, billboards, and other types of ads, and some artists you do not.
The Sound on the other hand, is the product of the artist. Every single, album, show, or radio interview would be considered the sound. These items directly affect the fans in the way that television does. If the show isn’t good, the fans will not directly invest their time and attention. For a songwriter or producer, this usually means the variables between an unfinished song and a radio-mastered track. Or in some cases, music being placed in visual media, playlists, and opening up for the headlining act.
The Bio isn’t just the artist’s biography. It consists of their personality, their direction and meaning, backstory, and sometimes their pitch on why you should listen or buy their music. Some say this isn’t important, mainly due to many biographies being manufactured early on, however, some artists that have a great story, end up being written about constantly because of their message.
When it comes to finding an artist (or coaching one) it is important to hone in on where their strengths and weaknesses are. By trimming down their pros and cons and separating them into these three categories, it becomes easier where the artist may need additional assistance or funding. All of these categories are crucial in developing an artist, and advertising should not be done before these are maxed out to perfection.
Now what if the artist has very little drive? Well, that’s where the fourth category comes in…dedication. The dedication of an artist is probably the most fundamental influence on the artist’s decisions, workflow, and overall output of music, media, and creativity. Without the artist being dedicated to working on music, and setting aside time, budget, and sacrifice to the cause, none of the above categories will be of use. Deadlines will not be met, studio sessions will be missed, and anyone already investing into the artist will usually lose money. Be aware of this major personality trait, and the other signs that come with this problem.
Discouragement plays a large role in failed musical projects. The feeling of not being able to do a certain action, vocal melody, guitar riff, etc., can drastically affect the artist’s interest to create. Sometimes this can be alleviated with some reassurance or positive feedback, however, at other times there may be other causes of this in the artist’s personal life.
Another factor to look into that’s in the title, is the artist’s focus. Both males and females may not be genuinely interested in becoming a musician, but are in it for the title. They may be incredible at creating songs, looking and sounding good on stage, and performing excellently on camera with their contagious personality, however, when it comes down to putting out that first album, they derail. Allocated time towards working on the album goes to personal life, money may go towards the bar, excessive dating, or even worse. Personal time and having a dedicated work time should not cross or be interchangeable, as many starting out bedroom producers fail to implement in their first months working on music. Even singers who are just beginning to reach the point of initial success will lessen the workload to enjoy entertainment, and not finish that song.
The other catalyst for artists not having good dedication is unfortunately drugs. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors, scents, and more, but overall take away from the artist’s drive. It doesn’t matter what you do, but setting aside a budget every month for a recreational or illegal drug just leads to very little productivity. Budget that could be going to that new microphone, plugin, or merchandise even, is now being swept away. That time spent under the influence may give you some inspiration, but in the long run, finished work output will be at an all time low.
It’s important to understand who you are working with before coming to an agreement in writing. Some artists lose their footing, and may need some help adjusting or with direction. If you see this before any major things happen, understand the problems that may arise from them and of course do not waste your time. If you are an artist reading this, understand why a manager, label, or other music industry professional may be weary in working with you. Do not wait, if music is your dream, take the steps now and put wasting time on the back burner.
On the other hand, an artist with heavy dedication, may not need strong reinforcements to their Sound, Image, and Bio. These can be learned, and usually artists are trained once they reach a certain level of artistry or fanbase. Artists that are already at the top have gone through many avenues of training. Singers write songs throughout their time with a vocal coach. Some bands train with choreographers. And all artists constantly train by themselves. The amount at which these artists train are directly influenced on their dedication to music, whereas having a sound, image and a bio are only a plus.
Overall, the life of sex, drugs and rock & roll in 2020 may not be the road to stardom. There are many things wrong with the music industry, but what you do and how you do it, is all up to you. Will you be that artist that gets a music award? Or the artist that never left town? As for talent scouts, we hope this helps you find better artists to work with, and find the next billion dollar artist that has all these traits, and more.
