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Haulix Advice: Setting Up Tour Press

Today’s Haulix Advice column is intended for artists with more than one tour under their belt. We understand those of you just getting started may be excited by notion of having press cover your first tour, but we highly recommend waiting until you’ve crossed stateliness a time or two before taking the following steps.

As you move forward in your pursuit of national acclaim, touring offers a number of unique promotional opportunities that will help drive awareness to your music and (hopefully) add a little boost to ticket sales. In oder for any of that to happen, however, you will need to put together a plan of attack far in advance of your first date, and that is what we’re going to discuss today.

It may seem a bit premature, but artists hoping to maximize the exposure they are able to pull out of a single tour would be wise to begin planning those effort almost as early as they begin booking said shows. As a band, you should work together to develop a list of everyone you want to invite to a show, all the content you hope to create during the run, sites that offer pre-tour promotional options (playlists, interviews), and a list of potential sites and publications who may be interested in hosting said content. Be specific. Know when you plan your tour to start, as well as the promotion, and use a calendar to plan when you would ideally like your content to run. Once you’re on the road, finding the time to plan is going to be near impossible, and you’ll likely have a number of other issues and needs to attend to as well. Having a plan helps to not only suppress the stress of last minute organizing, but also creates a blueprint to follow if/when things do go off the rails (and let face it: they probably will).

As soon as you confirm your dates, take time to research writers who may work in the vicinity of your shows and email them with details on your performance no later than one month prior to the tour. Invite them to come, but be careful to not beg. Writers want to believe they’re either going to see the next great band no one has heard, an underrated juggernaut deserving of more attention, or an established act whose live show is even better than their album, not a group of musicians trying too hard to be famous. Pick an angle that works for you and use it to entice the reader. Remember: This may be your first time interacting with this individual, so make sure your initial impression is a good one. Being friendly and concise goes a long way.

A month out from your first date also happens to be the ideal time to begin locking in your tour content exclusives. This could be any number of items, but the two most popular tend to be tour blogs and acoustic performance videos. Both are great tools for furthering awareness of your efforts, and neither is all that difficult to create. Once you know what your content will be, develop a list of sites you would like to partner with for the premieres and begin contacting them. Again, being specific is key. Make sure your message includes information about your efforts, the tour, and as specific details regarding the content you would like to share with their readers. If it’s a tour blog, tell them how often you were hoping to run it. If it’s a performance video, give them a target week for release. Being too specific may turn some away, so make sure you allow room for customization. The sites you want to work with have a lot of experience in this type of content, and more importantly they know what works best with their readers. Trust them.

When you’re a week out from the tour, send reminders to outlets you have not heard from and check in on everyone who said they may attend. Provide contact information, including a phone number, and request the writer do the same. Every venue is different, and you nerve know when your press plans may have to change on account of an outside force.

Check in with your contacts again the day of the show to confirm their travel plans, as well as yours. Coordinate a time that works with your schedule for the day and do whatever you can to be early. If you’re completing an interview with said writer, check in advance for type of interview (voice or video) and prepare accordingly. We’ll have more tips for video interviews in an upcoming edition of Haulix Advice.

As with every Haulix Advice column, we asked a number of industry professionals to offer additional insight on setting up tour press. You can read what they had to say below.

If you have any questions or comment, feel free to leave at the end of this post and we’ll do our best to reply soon.

“My best suggestion to any up and coming artist who is looking to do their own press would be to 1- know their music websites and 2-Contact as many journalist as possible. Start off with doing a google search to see who has covered artists like you, or other artists you have toured with. After making a list of what outlets covered those artists, as well as their contact information, reach out to each journalist individually. Tell them about your band, when your last release came out, send some examples of music as well as tour dates. Always include the best way to reach you! It’s a ton of work but absolutely is worth the effort. Also, whenever you send physical music to a journals ALWAYS include contact information and a bio. The worst thing you could do is waste your time sending a CD to a writer and then them having no clue how to contact you” – Jenna LoMonaco, Kobalt Music Group

“As a smaller band, especially without a publicist, getting press for your tour is a daunting task. Even if you’re only playing 10-15 cities, that’s 10-15 unique local markets that you have to sift through and try to find the best way to promote your show. The best thing for your band is going to be getting local newspaper and radio stations to run any sort of coverage *before* you play your show in the area, to try to encourage turnout. However, many writers will only want to cover your show post-event and many radio stations will ask for tickets to give away in exchange for coverage. This shouldn’t be a worry for you – you’ll want to commit press passes and free tickets at each show in exchange for promotion. In terms of national and online media, make sure you know where writers are located, especially the ones that like your band. If a website gives your EP a good review, make a note that the writer is located in X market so you can offer him a free ticket to review your show. Keep an organized list of contacts that help you out in each local market, too – this (hopefully) won’t be the last time you play in that area, so you’ll want to hit these people up again in the future.” – Thomas Nasiff, Fuse/Bad Timing Records/Paper+Plastick

“There are two sides of tour press: Before, and after. Before you go on tour, you should be setting up press with sites that do pre-tour features. PropertyOfZack does Playlists, a way for touring packages to let us know what they’ll be listening to on the road. We include the tour dates in there for extra press.

Then for after, you have Road Blogs, interviews, acoustic sessions, and more. Make sure people haven’t forgotten about the tour once it ends. Keep the content coming” – Zack Zarrillo, PropertyOfZack

“Always plan to start your tour press no later than a month out from the first date. The less time you give yourselves, the less chance of an effective press campaign. The less effective your campaign is, the less impact it will have in show attendance.” – Patrick Ryan Williford, Persistent Heart Media

“No outlet is too small – if you’ve got the time and a .blogspot-type writer has reached out, make the relationship and take the interview. Any press is good press, and you never know where a writer will end up – taking that interview when a site is small could benefit you tenfold down the line.” – Jack Appleby, Siren Records

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News

Blogger Spotlight: Brian Leak (Under The Gun Review)

Hello, and welcome back to the Haulix Blogger Spotlight series. This week we have two very interesting and completely different individuals to introduce you to, and the first comes to us from the land of Northern California.

Though we have featured writers from Under The Gun Review in this series before, today is the first time in the history of this column that we’re highlighting an individual who also happens to be a parent. Brian Lion is the Front Page Editor for UTG, and over the last few years he has helped steer the site’s development, strengthened the overall grammatical proficiency of the staff, and brought countless new eyes and ideas to the world of Under The Gun. He didn’t start at UTG, but he’s certainly made it his home, and in doing so greatly impacted the overall quality of the site’s offerings. When he expressed an interest in this series, we knew his insight would offer invaluable aide to other chasing the dream of a career in entertainment.

Below you will learn about Brian’s history with music, his earliest efforts in the industry, where he sees himself in the future, and what advice he has to offer others hoping to make their way through this business. His story is one-of-a-kind, and we’re grateful that he’s chosen to share it with us.

Brian is always seeking new opportunities in music, and those looking to keep up with his efforts would be wise to follow him on Twitter. Under The Gun Review also offers a social media feed you need in your life, so be sure to Follow them on Twitter and Like their Facebook at your earliest convenience.

H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:

BL: My name is Brian Leak, alternatively and more than likely known as Brian Lion. I work for Under the Gun Review where I am the Front Page Editor. I mainly read and edit each and every post on the site but I also do interviews, reviews, music and film news, a column when I’m able, and pretty much anything else I can dabble in. I just recently had my first photog experience shooting for RX Bandits.

H: UTG is not the first publication you have written for, but you certainly seem to have made it your home. Where did you get your start in writing, and what initially attracted you to the entertainment industry?

BL: This is true. My first publication was a print magazine/paper based in Chico, CA which was called Synthesis. I mainly did interviews with bands and some actors. Since then, I’ve written for a handful of others as well with UTG being my primary den. I’ve always loved music and film, for as long as I can remember. I used to watch VH1’s top 10 countdown constantly when I was a kid and I would watch tons of 80s and 90s action movies with my stepdad; the Lethal Weapon series, Jean Claude, Jackie Chan, Arnold, etc. It all just fascinated me so much. Whether it be music, film or television, they were just different worlds you could get encapsulated in. Part of me always felt like I would love to be involved with it in some way. That early on, writing hadn’t necessarily crossed my mind but over time as I started reading more and more online, I started to gain an interest in the industry and thought that it was a very special way to explore the things I loved from a different side.

H: What drew you to the position of Front Page Editor at UTG, and why do you feel its purpose is important?

BL: I’ve always been lucky enough to fully grasp the English language and have never truly struggled in that area. I won a couple spelling bees when I was younger and some awards for regional writing events and such and a lot of my teachers and family always told me that writing would in some way be what I would do. At the time, I never really believed that or thought too much on it but as I got older and began noticing an unfortunate lack of literacy around me, it sort of became a pet peeve — spelling and grammar that is. When I was in high school, I had considered working towards becoming an English teacher but I was a teenager and wanted to be such, so that much work didn’t sound as appealing to me once I really put thought into it. Eventually, after having immersed myself into writing about music and film, editing other peoples’ mistakes in the same field only made sense as I would see errors going unnoticed otherwise and felt obligated to remedy that. I just can’t let shit go.

H: In recent years Under The Gun has evolved from covering music to featuring news on film and stand-up comedy as well. Aside from these expansions, what do you feel separate the efforts of UTG from those of similar websites?

BL: Well these expansions are huge for us of course but it’s all about the way we execute our content. We have a very interesting cast of characters on staff spanning the US with one staffer in Europe as well and with that many unique personalities, you’re bound to have some strong convictions, views, and ideas. As a group, we’ve had some of the most hilarious, interesting, and even sometimes aggravating conversations that I think I’ve ever had.

We try our best to allow our contributors to use their voice as they please because that to me is what will make an article more interesting for a reader. There are plenty of sites out there that you can go to for formulaic news, but we try to add ourselves into our content to create a more relatable and enjoyable atmosphere for our readership. Aside from that, timeliness is next to Godliness and original content is our bread and butter. With a sociable and well-connected staff, you can pull a lot of great resources to score some really cool content from friends in the industry. We just try our best to come up with new features and continue expanding as we’re able.

H: One thing that sets you apart from many bloggers is that you also happen to be a father. How has starting a family changed the way you approach your work?

BL: That’s a great question. In one sense, it has made me want to work harder of course but there’re always times when I wish I could just take an entire week off and do nothing but play with my little girl and do whatever we want. I can’t say that that feeling won’t grow even more in the future as she gets older and can interact more but this is my dream and I like to think that it will lead to more and more great opportunities as it already has over the years.

H: Some might think having a child may detract people from chasing their dreams, but you clearly don’t see things that way. What advice would you offer others who find themselves in a situation similar to yours?

BL: Obviously, your child should come before anything and everything, but at the same time, if you give up on a dream in the process, especially one that you’ve made great headway in, then you’re failing your child as much if not more than you’re failing yourself. Writing was always about my own personal gain until we had her. Now it’s just that much more important that I make this work and continue to expand so that it does lead to those other great opportunities that will hopefully benefit not just me, but my family as well.

As far as advice I’d offer others in a similar situation — if possible, do not give up on your dream, but don’t let it take over your life to where you become a stranger to your kid(s). I know that in a reversed situation, I would likely be upset to find out that my parents gave up on something they loved because of me for some reason. I would feel guilty and or disappointed in them and I don’t want my daughter to feel that way about me when she grows up. I want her to be proud that I accomplished my goals just as I will be of her.

H: As someone who not only covers new music, but film as well, how do you go about discovering new talent?

BL: Word of mouth first and foremost, but I’ve bookmarked a lot of sites over the years that I explore now and then. Bandcamp, which is a gold mine of undiscovered talent, has been one of my go-to resources for finding new music. Pandora has introduced me to some artists I was unfamiliar with, and just sites like UTG that I always followed. Finding new music is one my absolute favorite things. Discovering an incredible new band is like Christmas, but usually better because you don’t have act like you like something if you really hate it. No need for gift receipts.

As far as film, I use Letterboxd which is amazing and has helped me come across countless mind-blowing films. I used to just search through Rotten Tomatoes and see what was coming out. It’s pretty good for seeing ratings on more obscure stuff that you may be interested in. I’ve stumbled upon some pretty cool things online, sometimes using StumbleUpon. Go figure. Short Of The Week is a great site for discovering new short films, which many that know me will tell you is a huge interest of mine.

H: Let’s say the artists want to come to you. What advice would you offer a band hoping to stand out from the countless others vying for coverage?

BL: Oh, man. Originality is key, but even that is hard to create these days in a sea of similar bands trying to grab your attention. I’ve seen almost every bait deviation there is and coming across one that really draws me in is few and far between. I personally don’t like when people try too hard. Sincerity is nice and I want to be wowed. Me being an editor, it’s incredibly frustrating when I’m not even sure what the band is trying to ask of me. If you can’t spell or form sentences, you may want to get someone who can to write up your press releases. That’s for starters. As much as I understand the urgency and excitement, I don’t like when people are pushy about it. They should know that almost anyone they’re trying to pitch their material to is going to be a very busy person. I’m a sucker for cleverness; puns and esoteric pop culture references. That’s how you can get me to do a double take and put my headphones on.

H: When it comes to receiving music and film for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?

BL: I personally like to just be able to click to Bandcamp or Soundcloud; some simple streaming platform. I don’t really want to have to download something before I’ve heard it. Physical copies are always nice, too. For film, online screeners seem to be typical and I like that. Again, physical copies are fine with me as well. Other than that, if need be, Dropbox and or WeTransfer are great for a quick exchanges.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

BL: Uhhh, one thing…that’s difficult. I think I would take out a lot of the ferocity and venom from the competition. For being a medium that is so universally loved, there is a lot of hate and facetiousness involved behind the scenes, and sometimes in the headlines. It can be daunting and exhausting when you’re trying to enjoy your work while bands and artists start feuds and other writers and publications find it necessary to bash what you do because they do it differently. Sometimes they do nothing differently and they’re just clearly vicious people that feel better about themselves by slandering others. I can’t say I’m not a shit-talker but when it comes to my work, I try to respect my peers at least. If I don’t like the way they’re doing something, I look at it as their problem, not mine.

H: Your team writes a lot about having big plans on the horizon. Can you tell us a bit about what UTG has planned for the remainder of 2013?

BL: More original content, more features, more coverage. Hopefully some more indie film screenings like we did last year with Iwrestledabearonce. We should be covering another handful of festivals before the year’s end as well. We just had a staffer attend AFI Docs for reviews which was very unique amongst our peers and helps expand our film coverage. We’ve discussed maybe putting out some merch. Maybe we’ll launch a Kickstarter just to fit in.

“Yes! The danger must be growing / For the rowers keep on rowing / And they’re certainly not showing / Any signs that they are slowing!”

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Haulix Advice: Making The Most Of Email Interviews

The last few editions of our Haulix Advice column have focused on making introductions and getting your music in front of people who will [hopefully] share it with their readers. Today we’re focusing on selling what lies behind the music: Yourself.

Once your music begins getting traction online, the time will come when you desire to setup additional features for your band with notable publications. Interviews are always a great route to go, but all too often the bigger outlets do not have the free time needed to execute a face-to-face feature with rising acts and an email interview (sometimes referred to as a form interview) may have to suffice suffice. This may seem like a negative, as everyone tends to express themselves better through conversation than statement, but with careful thought and consideration fill-in-the-blank questionnaires can be a gateway to a deeper relationship with your fans, as well as an effective marketing tool. After all, any opportunity for exposure is better than none, and rarely will you come across an opportunity as customizable as this.

For everything a form interview lacks in terms of human interaction it more than makes up for in the endless freedom offered to the artist. The questions outlined should be viewed as starting points for conversation with the reader rather than individual bullet points. Make your introductions quick and be sure to answer everything clearly, but keep in mind every response is another opportunity to connect with listeners on a deeper level. They want the details (that’s why you’re being asked you questions), so make sure you take your time to answer everything in full. That may sound fairly obvious, but having spent last half decade in journalism I cannot count the number of one-word or single sentence responses I’ve received from artists of all sizes. It’s not engaging or entertaining to read. Ever.

In terms of reaching new listeners, form interviews offer you the opportunity to discuss elements of your art that may pull in the casual webzine reader. In depth information regarding your inspiration, goals, antics on stage and behind-the-scenes, views on music, and the like can offer the publications printing the article an angle to sell, and with the right hook you’ll be reeling in new listeners in no time (pun unfortunately intended).

To offer additional insight on how artists can make the most out of email interviews and the reasoning behind why it’s important, I turned to a few notable members of the music world for advice. You can read their insight below. If you have additional tips for artists reading this column, please feel free to comment at the end of this post and add your two cents. 

“I think the short responses in interviews via email are not because the artist or musician doesn’t care, it’s because either: 1) The artist feels as sense of entitlement because someone cares enough about their art to interview them about it. OR 2) They aren’t viewing their art as a business. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to act professional. no one wants to work with unprofessional artists who are flakey and don’t care about their perception to the public. – Mike Sacchetti, Bad News Bears

In the unfortunate event that an interviewer is left with no other option but to send out an e-mail interview as opposed to doing a phoner or in-person, it’s important that the artist(s) being questioned elaborate on their answers to make for an interesting and insightful read. There is generally no way for the interviewer to anticipate how the artist(s) will respond so more often than not, an e-mail interview will not flow as well as an in-person or phone interview would, as the interviewer doesn’t have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions in regards to the artists’ answers.

I would suggest that the interviewee read all of the questions before they begin answering because it has been my experience that the artist will answer with similar responses multiple times throughout the interview due to the order of the questions. Many times, the artist(s) will answer a question as well as a succeeding one at the same time which isn’t always necessarily a good thing in terms of length and an engrossing read. This also falls into the responsibility of the interviewer to ask engaging and unique questions to hopefully get the most out of the interviewee, in way of in-depth responses.

In some instances, an artist will be cooperative enough to allow you to send some follow-up questions if you’re unclear on something they answered or you feel that you need to expand on something that could ultimately make for more piquant content. It would be nice if all artists offered this option knowing that an e-mail will typically need a little more life than what is breathed into it in the initial transaction. – Brian Lion, Under The Gun Review

When filling out digital interviews, every band should take the time to make sure they not only hand in thoughtful answers, but responses that are professional. Time and time again, I read and put together interviews where artists don’t take the time to even run spell check over their answers, which can reflect poorly on your band. Put in a few extra minutes, look over your answers and make sure what you’re saying is representative of how you want your band to be perceived. – Tyler Osborne, ToZ Productions

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Job Board News

Blogger Spotlight: Drew Maroon (Mind Equals Blown)

A new week has begun, and with it we have another fantastic Blogger Spotlight to share with all of you.

In a time where many music blogs are running as fast as they can to join larger organizations in hopes of monetization, Mind Equals Blown stands apart as a force for independent thought in a cluttered online world. There coverage rests mainly in the alternative world, but they have been known to venture into the realm of pop and beyond whenever their editors deemed talent worthy of their feed. Between news, lists, editorials, and reviews that are more in depth than the efforts of many major publications, MEB has carved a nice niche for themselves on the fringe of modern music blogging that is quickly finding a fervent following. At the head of it all is Drew Maroon, a twenty-something with a love for music than runs deeper than the ocean. We spoke with Drew about his work on MEB, how he came to work in music, and where he sees his efforts headed in the future. You can find his responses following the MEB logo below.

As always, if you enjoy this spotlight piece please make sure you do whatever you can to support the efforts of Drew and the people who make Mind Equals Blown a reality every day. Click here to Follow MEB on Twitter, and click here to Like them on Facebook.

H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:

DM: My name is Drew Maroon. I’m the founder, owner, editor and whatever else you can think of at Mind Equals Blown.

H: You have had a presence in blogging for a few years. Is Mind Equals Blown your first website? If not, would you please tell us how you got your start in writing?

DM: Yeah, MEB was my first. I started MEB during my freshman year at the University of Florida. I’m a metalhead who essentially has no metalhead friends. I would find all these cool metal bands that I wanted to talk about and my friends wanted nothing to do with it, so I began writing about them online through MEB. Basically, it just snowballed from there. It didn’t really take off until that winter when Jack Appleby (now of Absolute Punk) came on board. He really pushed MEB to the next level.

The site since then has really taken on a life of its own. Our staff is solely to praise for its success. It is a group effort.

H: What initially drove you to have an interest in the music industry? Being in your twenties and having now gone through the ringer of freelance, do you still see this business as a viable career option?

DM: There are all these fantastic bands that go unnoticed for whatever reason. I just wanted to help them get the exposure they deserved. Sometimes a quick blog post is all a band needs to get in front of the right person.

I do see the business as a viable career option, yes. But, you have to love it. I think very few people make a lot of money doing what they love, so it’s a choice. I’ve actually changed my major and I’m pursuing my MBA in hopes of doing something like this for a living.

H: Mind Equals Blown is one of the biggest sites not yet attached to a major company, like SpinMedia. Are you choosing to stay independent on purpose? If so, what drives your DIY ethic?

DM: We are proudly independent at the moment. The site exists because of all of the hard work and dedication of the awesome staffers that MEB has. No one earns a dime (myself included) so everyone who works for MEB does so on a volunteer basis.

To me, that is amazing. These people work so hard to produce something they’re proud of and passionate about. The staff is the absolute heart and soul of this site and it would be nowhere today without them and all their hard work.

H: In terms of content, what is it about MEB that separates your offerings from those of your numerous competitors?

DM: I hope people associate us with in-depth features and editorials. For me, that is where music journalism lies – with the story. Album reviews are great and all, but the real interesting aspect is the story behind the album, you know. Why did the artist change their sound a bit? What influenced them? Most of the time there is a very interesting story just waiting to be written.

That is the direction I’m constantly pushing MEB in and I think we’ve done a great job with our first little step.

H: MEB tends to write longer news articles and in-depth features. With that in mind, how do you feel about the ‘buzzfeed-ification’ of news (ie, move to shorter stories and more lists) online?

DM: Glad to see we are associated with in-depth features! However, people like different things. I don’t mind lists every now-and-again, but I’d always choose a good story over a ‘Top 10 whatever’ list. That isn’t to say they’re not entertaining in their own way. Oftentimes they are very fun! I think lists like that can be a great addition to strong content, but shouldn’t be the main source of content.

H: You cover a variety of talent on your site. How do you go about discovering new bands?

DM: This is where our staff shines brightest. Every staff member has a vast and unique scope of music that influences what they cover and what they write about.

Personally, I like to click through Bandcamp. Bandcamp has a ton of awesome metal music just waiting to be heard.

H: Let’s say the artists come to you. What advice would you offer those hoping to gain your attention via email or other social means?

DM: Good music is always going to rise to the top. If you make great music you will eventually get the exposure you deserve. Other than that, keep it simple. Get straight to the point and link me to somewhere where I can stream your music. Also, if I have to ‘like’ your Facebook page to hear a song, I’m immediately moving on.

I want to help promote your band, that is why the site was started to begin with. Feel free to reach out to us on the @mindequalsblown Twitter, Facebook or individually to staff members.

H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?

DM: Not to be perceived as being biased, but definitely Haulix. Haulix takes all of the hassle out of receiving new music. It simply combines everything on one page and provides you with promo pictures, bios, videos and whatever else. Since most of the publicists we work with tend to use it, it’s nice to be able to quick switch back to your full catalog of promos you’ve received.

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

DM: To see artists get a bigger return on their music. The scene is driven by touring and merch – that seems so backwards to me. I think the industry is broken as it is, but we are slowly moving into a new age where we can directly support artists we feel rightly deserve it.

Look at Protest the Hero – they did an Indiegogo for their new album and raised the money in less than 24 hours. They then went on to almost triple their original asking amount. This is a band that takes their time between records and, as a result, puts out quality music every time. I was more than happy to drop $50 for their new album.

Maybe someday in the future the industry can get to a happy medium between labels and this ability to directly support a band.

H: You write a lot about having big plans on the horizon. Can you tell us a bit about what MEB has planned for the remainder of 2013?

DM: We are always cooking up a lot of fun stuff over on MEB, some that sees the light of day and a lot that doesn’t. We’re always going to be pushing out more original features and quality content, sticking with what we do best. We’re continuing to grow and evolve. We may be a 5 year old site but I still feel as if we’re just getting started!

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Job Board News

Blogger Spotlight: Jameson Ketchum (Substream Music Press)

The latest edition of our Blogger Spotlight is not exactly a fitting title. You see, even in 2013 not every journalist working in music writes solely online. A very select few have been able to find lasting work in print (ie those newspaper-like things you see in bookstores that are now on ipads, only in paper-form), and today’s featured interview is with one of our personal favorites.

In an age where it seems everyone is rushing to digital, Substream Music Press is one of the few remaining print publications in the alternative scene. It’s not that they don’t appreciate digital, and they certainly recognize the changing times, but they also know how actually holding a magazine can add weight to words. Managing Editor James Ketchum is today’s featured writer, and his insight offers a unique look into a part of the music journalism world that may not be around much longer.

As always, if you like what you read, please support our featured writers and the publications that post their work. Follow Jameson and Substream on Twitter. If you’re not a twitter person, Substream also has an entertaining Facebook page as well. Click here for information on subscribing to Substream Music Press.

H: For those unaware, please state your name, the publication you work for, and your role at said site:

Substream: Jameson Ketchum and I’m the Managing Editor at Substream Music Press Magazine.

H: Everyone’s backstory is different, and from following your adventures on Instagram it’s clear you have had many titles during your time in the music industry. What inspired you to seek a career in music, and how did you get from that initial inspiration to writing?

Substream: I remember being 15 years old, sitting in my English class, writing Dashboard Confessional (“This Ruined Puzzle”) lyrics in my notebook. Yeah, I was that kid. It was this feeling where I couldn’t write anything of my own just yet but I had to write. More honestly, I wasn’t confident enough yet to put my own thoughts or poetry down on paper, but I just had this itch where I had to write, even if it wasn’t my own words. There was some kind of magical therapy in the act itself. I always knew that, even if I didn’t become a “real writer”, that writing was my jag that I loved more than anything else in school. It took me a very long time to figure out where I was best suited as far as actually striving to make a career in music. I don’t know if I’d say I set out initially to create a career out of what I was doing. I did freelance work for a few years while I ran an online publication with a friend and business partner. Looking back now, I owe a lot to that first publication as it allowed me to make more contacts in the industry as well as learn how each different job worked. The sentiment with that first publication was “Well, I don’t have the experience yet to start applying to be a paid or full time writer, so I guess I’ll just do it myself until someone notices”. That is a philosophy I highly recommend!

H: You are the first of our featured writers who currently works for a publication that still thrives in the physical form. How does Substream make physical work in a digital era, and do you have any plans to move completely online in the future?

Substream: That’s the continual thought rolling around in our minds. Obviously, other publications have seen success having moved completely to digital, which was a move made out of financial necessity, even if they claim otherwise. It’s been interesting to see the competition make cutbacks to their product while doing their best to showcase these downgrades under the guise of “improvements for the readers”. Meanwhile, Substream has added more pages, improved the design work, became a bound publication and snagged bigger and bigger acts. Being a physical magazine is nowhere near as easy as it used to be. I get so excited if I see a kid reading a ANY magazine at the store because that’s such an antiquated notion these days. We do have a digital side of Substream. We use our website to not only post up-to-the-minute news but to give readers a further insight into their favorite article or interview. We post “Continuations” on the site so that whatever we had to cut from the physical mag, will still have a home somewhere. The key is quality and consistent content.


H: What would you say separates the content offered by Substream from other publications covering similar areas of music, beyond having a physical product?

Substream: We’ve always been known as the magazine that really spotlights the up and comers. We pride ourselves on showing you a band before anyone else does. We gave now vastly successful acts such as Paramore, Owl City and Travie McCoy their first covers. We genuinely love working with the bands personally rather than going through a hundred handlers to get an interview completed. We care about the music AND the people and I think that shows in our pages.

H: When it comes to planning content for a publication that runs online and in the physical form, how do you decide which artists make it to the actual magazine? 


Substream: We have a few guidelines that we’ve honed over the years. Say we give a lesser known act a smaller feature online. If we see the band really backing us, promoting the piece, keeping up with us, seeing what other opportunities we have for them, then of course that makes us happy and more likely to feature them in the future. But let me speak to bands for a moment, you HAVE to have something going on. If you’re still playing in your garage, your promos were taken by a girl in your yearbook class, have no releases and no future plans, then we’d really be doing you a disservice by featuring you. It won’t get you anywhere and it only makes the both of us look bad. I mean that with the utmost respect because we truly do want to see these smaller acts grow.


H: You also happen to work in public relations with a number of rising artists. Which came first: The journalism or the publicity?

Substream: The journalism definitely came first, but it was because of the journalism that I was able to dip my toes in the waters of another endeavor. By being a writer, I was dealing with publicists all day long, making sure I met their needs when it came to chasing down an interview or review. I really listened to what they wanted and what they expected. Since at the time I was working for such a small publication, we made it a point to really learn as much as we could from each contact. Eventually, I began to think that I had learned their side of the transaction so well that maybe I could try my hand at it. Not only had I been working as a journalist, but I was also touring at the time so I was learning first hand what the band themselves expected from those working for them. The more experience you can gain firsthand, by touring and working very closely with the bands themselves, the more you’re going to put your heart into what you do in this industry. I didn’t start in publicity in a very conventional way. I work with some of the most talented publicists in the business and I still learn from them everyday. It’s a good balance of book smarts and experience.

H: As someone who not only covers new music, but actively works to get it exposed in multiple ways, how do you go about seeking new talent?

Substream: It’s an ever-changing mission. When I started out, it was all about referrals from friends or bands you had worked with early on. You have to always be asking around, going to festivals and scouting nonstop. It’s nice to have publications and websites that largely feature unsigned acts. If it’s a reputable site or publication, you can bet that they did their research which will lead you to a potentially great find.


H: Let’s say the artists want to come to you. What advice would you offer a band hoping to stand out from the countless others vying for coverage?

Substream: As a publication, you’re so inundated with bands requesting coverage through social media (not the most professional of ways) or cold emails, so it’s become tougher and tougher to sift through the acts that aren’t quite up to snuff. Bands really have to create a personal and professional email pitch when approaching a publication in that medium. Do not blast out an impersonal email to 100 outlets, do not send unsolicited attachments or download links as these will often go to spam or will simply not be read because of all the red flags. I cannot stress this enough; do your research on the outlet you’re pitching to. Nothing is worse than getting a pitch from a band that is nowhere near what your publication usually covers. Be creative but again, be professional. Do not pitch to a major publication if you do not have quality promo photos and recordings. I have to state this again; it will do you no good to be featured in a publication if you don’t have any skin in the game. 




H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?

Substream: I swear I’m not just saying this, but Haulix really is the best. I’ve never had any hangups with it unlike many of the other services. I always get a little extra excited when I see I have new music through Haulix because I know I can jam it in mere seconds with no hassles.



H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Substream: I recently, independently from Substream, wrote an article for Heartsupport.com on the lack of leadership in this particular music scene. The egos on some of these bands that have been publicized and seemingly encouraged lately has been pretty upsetting to witness.

Secondly, while the internet and social networking has no doubt been an amazing tool for the music industry but it has also somewhat devalued the job of the journalist. Just as digital cameras made everyone a photographer, blogs have made everyone a writer. I don’t believe I’d change it though as competition just creates a better product. 



H: You write a lot about having big plans for the future. Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what Substream has planned for the remainder of 2013?

Substream: We plan on rounding out the year with some big names on the cover including at least one that you will not see coming! We’ll be amping up some of our less music-oriented sections in the hopes of expanding our reach and fan interest. It’s a really exciting time at Substream. We can’t wait to show you what’s next!

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Blogger Spotlight: Sam Lansky (Idolator)

For the latest installment of our ongoing series highlighting the faces behind today’s top music blogs we’re turning our focus to the world of pop, and nobody knows that better than our friends at Idolator.

SInce its inception in 2006, Idolator has been heralded as the go-to destination not just for what’s currently topping the Billboard and radio charts. By blending a love for what’s hot and what deserves to be hot next with a love for poking fun at pop culture and a style of news writing best described as “sassy,” Idolator has carved a niche in pop music blogging that dozens, if not hundreds have followed when attempting to break into the industry. There is a team of people responsible for bringing their efforts to life, and recently we had the opportunity to speak with one of them,  Editor Sam Lansky. You can read our discussion, which talks about the site’s history and where he sees pop music headed in the future, below.

If you don’t already follow Idolator and claim to love pop music, you’re doing yourself a grave injustice. Connect with them on Twitter and Facebook to ensure you never miss another headline. Sam is also one of our favorite social funny people, so we highly encourage you to give him a follow as well.

H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:

SL:Hey! I’m Sam Lansky, and I’m an editor at the pop music website Idolator, where I’m the resident Taylor Swift apologist, diva enthusiast, and snark monster.

H: What inspired you to begin writing in the first place, and how did you get from there to where you are today?

SL: I never planned to be a music journalist, but I always really loved pop music — I actually studied creative writing as an undergrad because I wanted to write serious memoir and essay, while on the side, I blogged about music on my little-read Tumblr. After college, I worked in celebrity gossip for awhile; while there, I was invited to blog for The Huffington Post; someone at MTV liked what I was doing there, and so I wrote for MTV Buzzworthy (and a number of other outlets) as a freelancer for awhile, before Idolator invited me to come join their team full-time a little less than a year ago.

I can’t say for sure whether or not this is true, but my suspicion is that I was able to move along in my career fairly quickly and easily because I take mainstream pop music pretty seriously and give it a lot of careful thought. Lots of people will do that for indie rock, but the pool of people who are inspired to do that about, say, Miley Cyrus — there just aren’t that many of us.

H: Idolator is often praised as one of the best pop music blogs online. What do you think you and your team do that separates you from all the rest?

SL: Really? It is? That’s great! Next time that happens, ask them to please comment on one of our posts, because the last comment I read on Idolator characterized the editorial staff as “messy queens.”

No, in all seriousness, I feel very fortunate to be a part of Idolator, which has gone through a few editorial incarnations but is now, I think, the straight-up best place for pop on the Internet. I feel like our editorial team work well together because our enthusiasm for the subject matter is genuine: We live, eat, and sleep pop music. (I certainly do, and I’m pretty sure everyone with whom I work does as well.) We cover the things that we love; we avoid covering the things that we don’t (or drag them mercilessly, if a dragging is deserved); and, as much as possible, I think we speak for the fans, because we are all fans. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a space more polarized than pop music — as is frequently demonstrated by the fervor of various artists’ fan armies — and we have a really amazing platform to wax or whine about our excitement or frustration over what artists are doing.

H: Pop music has changed a lot in recent years, from the return of boy bands to the seemingly inescapable influence of EDM. Who do you think the next big sound is going to be and who, if anyone, is promoting that kind of music right now?

SL: I never thought I’d say this, because I used to stan for anything with a four-on-the-floor beat, but I’m ready for a return to sparer production, less conventional sounds — I’d point to the new Miley Cyrus single, “We Can’t Stop,” as an example, since I think the production on that song (especially the pre-chorus) is staggeringly weird and cool. It sounds like she’s Robotripping. I think the slickness of the David Guetta moment is finally passing.

She’s not reinventing the wheel necessarily, but Betty Who is doing what most of her pop star contemporaries are doing, better than they are, without the backing of a major label or a producer with a boldface name; I’m proud to say we’ve really championed her on Idolator and I’ll be surprised if she isn’t at a Katy Perry level of stardom by this time next year. She’s gotten a lot of love from many of the key pop outlets: Popjustice, Popdust, MTV Buzzworthy.

Other artists I’d say to keep an eye on: Florrie, A*M*E, Ariana Grande (Christ, she can sing), Tove Lo, Cady Groves.

H: Speaking of new music, you break a lot of acts at Idolator. Where do you go to discover new music?

SL: Twitter is the best resource any of us have to hear about what’s new and coming up; I follow a lot of bloggers and writers and industry professionals who tweet about what they’re listening to, even if they’re just posting a link to a video or something on Tumblr.

I don’t think anyone’s better at getting on good pop first than Popjustice; Peter Robinson, the editor, has the best ear in the music industry. I read Record of the Day and Neon Gold compulsively. I’d say, though, that I find more great songs on Scandipop than anywhere else; I have a soft spot for Scandinavian (especially Swedish) music, and even though not everything posted there is good, most of it is, and I’m always finding some brilliant single from a Finnish Idol runner-up or a singer-songwriter out of Malmo with 4 followers on Twitter who’s just written the most heartbreakingly Robynesque song you’ve ever heard. (Scandinavian pop is just objectively better. It’s a fact.)

H: Let’s say a band wants to approach you about being featured on these sites, what advice would you offer them to help separate themselves from the others vying for your attention?

SL: First off: Make pop music. If you make pop music, tell me you make pop music. If you make German krautrock, don’t pitch me. It doesn’t matter how good it is; I’m going to hate it. My taste is pathetically narrow; it’s basically radio pop, and stuff that sounds like radio pop but might not be on the radio, for whatever reason. Most of what I get pitched is something I would never, ever write about. It means that the good stuff gets buried in my inbox, which is maddening. Blindly pitching every music critic whose email you can track down is an awesome way to make everyone dislike you.

Second of all: Tell me who you sound like, and have it be someone I love. I’m not cagey about which artists I love and which I disdain. An email that says you sound like Robyn means I will listen to you. (Then you actually have to sound like Robyn, though, or else I’ll be really disappointed.) But figure out which major artists you sound like, and cite them. Assume that I am lazy and unimaginative (I am) and give me an easy point of reference. There’s a difference, too, between sounding like something and being inspired by it. If you’re inspired by Joni Mitchell but you sound like a female Frank Ocean, tell me that you’re a female Frank Ocean before you tell me that you’re inspired by Joni Mitchell, y’know?

Third of all: Make great pop music. I want your chorus to lodge itself in my brain and never leave. I want to hum that shit while I walk down the street. If you do that, I will write about you. If you can’t do that, I’m probably not going to be championing you. That doesn’t mean your music has no value, of course; it’s just not my taste, and I’m probably not going to want to put it on Idolator.

H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?

Getting sent an mp3 is nice because you can take it on the go (I listen to music on the subway). A private SoundCloud link is cool, but those can be finicky; Haulix is easy. I basically believe that the best music streaming services are ones you don’t notice at all. It should be straightforward and functional. (Also, if there’s a mobile interface, that’s dope.)

H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

SL: Label politics are the worst. There’s a long list of hugely talented artists whose singles and albums don’t get adequately promoted — or sometimes released at all — because of somebody’s ego, budget, or timeline. We all just want to hear music from the artists we love. Labels should serve to make that possible, not to keep it from happening.

H: You tweet a lot about having big plans for the future. Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what Idolator has planned for the remainder of 2013?

SL: There are some big changes coming to Idolator, which I’m super excited about, but I can’t reveal too much about those just yet — so let’s focus on the most important thing on my agenda: Bringing about the downfall of Beyonce.

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19 Buzzwords and Phrases To Avoid When Pitching Your Music

We talk a lot about ensuring your first interaction with a potential listener is the best it can possibly be, and in doing so have discovered an area that frustrates more people than it ever aides: Buzzwords. 

We’ve all been there: You want to know more about an artist or product, but every description and review you read seems to sounds exactly the same. No part of Non-descriptive words and phrases like “awesome” or “game-changing” inform the consumer about what it is you are trying to sell them and after all, that is what you’re trying to accomplish at the end of the day. You want them to want your product and you want to stand out from every other competitor vying for their attention, so why limit yourself to the same tired terminology your grandfather used when presenting against Don Draper back in 60s? 

Once our list of ‘Social Media No-nos’ went live, a number of clients and media friends began reaching out to express their recommendations for future columns. One of the most requested was, by far, a list of buzz word and phrases that should never be used when attempting to pitch your band or release. Some of them are probably painfully familiar, while others may simply be too vague to offer much, if any, insight. Either way, make a note today to erase the following words and phrases from your press kits moving forward.

  • Game-changing
  • Genre-defying
  • A breath of fresh air
  • ______ put on a killer/awesome live show
  • Reinventing the wheel/genre
  • world-class musicianship
  • Taking _____ to the next level
  • Modern icon(s)
  • Punk rock pioneers
  • Unleash pure/raw ______ fury
  • Groundbreaking
  • Innovative
  • On the cutting edge
  • Unprecedented
  • Jaw-dropping
  • Viral hit/sensation
  • Pushing the limits
  • A change of pace
  • Stepping/stepped it up

We’re certain there are many more words and phrases that could be added to this list. If you think of any we missed comment below and we’ll update the post! Be sure to follow Haulix on Twitter to ensure you never miss another update, announcement, or blog.

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Blogger Spotlight: Sean Reid (AlreadyHeard)

For our latest spotlight we’re headed across the Atlantic Ocean for a conversation with someone who has been involved in a number of influential music sites. Sean Reid cut his teeth developing AlterThePress in the early days of his writing career. In time, Reid networked his way into a position writing the UK News Roundup for the team at Absolutepunk. After years refining his work with both these efforts, Reid realized he had bigger vision, and not longer after Already Heard was born.

Putting the talent in the UK first, Already Heard has built a reputation for in depth news coverage that matches sites who have existed far longer. Reid has taken the lessons learned from his years working with other people’s projects and created an outlet that stands apart in a scene flooded with familiarity. Being the first UK blogger to appear on our site, we could not be more excited to share how the international music community engages with our product and the labels who choose to use it. If you would like to know more about Sean’s work,  Like Already Heard on Facebook or follow the site on Twitter.

H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:

S: I’m Sean Reid and I am the Founder and Senior Editor for an Alternative music website called Already Heard, which is based in the United Kingdom.
H: You have been blogging about music for a few years now. Where did you get your start, and how did Already Heard come into existence?

S: I started writing/blogging about music in August 2008 when I joined a site called Alter The Press. I parted ways with that site after three years. I then took a slight step back for a few months. During this time I wrote for a few sites; Under The Gun Review, Rock Louder and Stencil Magazine. 
I guess Already Heard started in late 2011 under the name of Play Crack The Sky Music. I missed the day in, day out interaction of running a site, communicating with bands, labels and PR groups so I started PCTS with help from a friend (Mikey Brown) as a tester to see if I could do something by myself. After a few months we put that on hiatus and relaunched in April 2012 as Already Heard. Since then we’ve had multiple writers and photographers join the team, resulting in a constant growth of the site.
H: There are a number of sites trying to become the next top alternative music community. What do you think separates Already Heard from the competition?

S: For starters we put a strong emphasis on UK-only news. Speaking from experience theres far too many sites covering the same news which is mostly US-heavy. I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve opened up my Google Reader feed and seen the same story from multiple sites, multiple times. In my opinion there are far too many news-centric sites.
On top of that, we all contribute to the site alongside full-time jobs/study, so we prefer to use our time more wisely by creating original content that you’re not going to see elsewhere. 
From the start of Already Heard, I wanted the focus to be on original content, and even though its taken sometime to get there, I feel we’re now at a stage where we are heading in the right direction.
H: Though you cover a number of artists around the globe, you pay special attention to artists hailing from the UK. Any particular reason for this decision?

S: We’re a UK site, all but one of our team live in the UK. Of course that limits us in terms of growing the site, we box ourselves by restricting what content is posted especially when it comes to news. However we the array of reviews, live photos, and features we produce, we’re able to cater to overseas bands. 
H: Speaking of discovering new music, you feature a number of emerging artists on Already Heard. As a tastemaker yourself, where do you go to discover new talent?

S: I live in a small town and I can’t drive so I rarely go to shows to check out new bands, so most new music is through the internet. Some of its through recommendations on social media, some from bands directly contacting the site or through Pubic Relations. 
H: Let’s say an artist wants to be featured on Already Heard. What advice would you offer that inspiring group or individual to help them stand out from the others hoping to make your news feed? 

S: First of all I would say research the site/publication you’re contacting. There has been countless times when I’ve received an email from a band or artist where you can clearly tell they’ve not researched our site. In terms of our site, if I quickly read over your email and you describe yourself as a Rapper or an electro artist or whatever, its highly unlikely you’ll be featured on the site. I think mentioning a band or genre that your site covers often is useful and is more likely to grab my attention.
Secondly I would advise to make sure your presentation is right. For example don’t send an email with just a link to your Soundcloud or Facebook with no information, it’ll be ignored. Also things like correct spelling and grammar go a long way, if your email is full of mistakes and poorly presented, it doesn’t make a good first impression. 
I would also ask to keep it simple yet informative.
H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?

S: In terms of streaming, Soundcloud is very reliable and user friendly. Of course there is Haulix who are equally as reliable and user friendly, both for streaming and downloading. It just looks good and has everything you need on one page; the music to hear, the necessary band and album info, as well as images and videos. Its pretty faultless.
Bandcamp and Dropbox also have there advantages but they’re not perfect. The former is a simple audio player with artwork whist Dropbox can sometimes be problematic.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

S: Just one? I guess album leaks would be one thing I would change. I find digital advances are sometimes given out too freely, resulting in the album being leaked hours later. I guess the industry needs to some how be made more strict and secure when it comes to advance releases. 
H: You tweet a lot about having big plans for the future. Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what Already Heard has planned for the remainder of 2013?

S: We’re still a young site but over the coming months we aim on putting more emphasis on our original features and content; developing new ideas and expanding current ones. Our main goal is just to keep growing as a site and by getting the name ‘Already Heard’ out there and recognized. I’ll admit its difficult when there seems to be new sites popping up every week, but the Already Heard team and myself are confident enough we have the right content to stand out from the crowd. 
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5 Social Media No-nos Every Artist Should Avoid

Social media has developed countless ways for artists to promote themselves, but along the way a number of bad habits have developed that drives journalists, fans, and labels alike absolutely insane. Using improper marketing techniques over these channels can not only drive away fans, but prevent you from reaching potential new listeners as well. We polled over a dozen bloggers from various genres about the social media no-nos every artist should avoid and put together a list to help all you aspiring stars get a bit closer to your dreams.

1. Stop requiring a “Like” before allowing users to access your music. Even though we asked bloggers from a number of musical backgrounds when working on this article, every single person polled mentioned Facebook “Like” walls within the first few lines of their response. The whole point of promoting your music is so people will visit your page and hear what it is you have been working on, so why make it any more difficult to hold their attention than it already is? The few seconds it takes someone to notice your “Like” wall and read it may be all the time they need to decide you aren’t worth their time.

2. Avoid unsolicited direct/private messaging (AKA Spammer No spamming). Everyone knows you’re excited about your music, and for the most part people will give you a bit of their time to share your excitement with them. However, sending direct/private messages through social networks is not the way to begin the conversation. Your band may be a group of people, but online you’re a single entity that is essentially a complete stranger to anyone unfamiliar with your music. You have to break the ice to start the conversation, of course, but to do so requires more tact that blindly messaging a link to your latest release. Social networks are like mixers, they exist to create a sense of community among strangers through dialogue, but that is not the same as pitching yourself. Leave the pitching to emails and press kits unless someone asks for more information. Until then, join the conversation wherever you are able and keep an eye out for opportunities more fitting for self-promotion (ie people requesting/asking for new music recommendations).

3. Your band does not belong on LinkedIn. This one is relatively simple, but it can be apply to a number of emerging social networking sites. While there are a limitless amount of opportunities to meet people who could help your career through various groups and discussion boards, LinkedIn works best as a tool when used by an individual (or an individual representing a group). Professionals using LinkedIn are not looking to add your band, The River Run Blood Red, to their networks, but they may be interested in engaging with you as an individual. If you can create a dialogue with them through the site by leveraging the various messaging tools, then it may be possible to open a door to promote your band. If you rush it, or try to force your music on those unfamiliar with your work, no one will want to listen.

4. Stop promoting yourself 24/7. Bands are a brand in their own way, and just like many brands on social networks bands often forget the key to maximizing the effectiveness of your network: Engagement. People follow you because they support what you’re doing and want to know more, but that does not mean they want a constant stream of advertising for whatever you have to promote. You may be a group, but you’re also individuals with personalities, and that should be conveyed through social media as well as your latest activities. Fans know about your latest album, and they certainly follow because they want to know when you have new tours or releases, but they’re also trying to learn more about you as people. They want to connect with you more than they have been able to through albums and live shows, and that is the exact opportunity provided by social networks. By engaging them you’re able to create a dialogue that can eventually evolve into a digital community of fans who not only communicate with you, but others as well. If you can accomplish that, those same users you engaged in the beginning will aide you in sharing your music with others. That will lead them to start conversations with new people who could potentially fall in love with your music and the cycle begins all over again.

5. Save the drama for your blog. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and without a doubt there will be days when you feel stressed as a band, but ranting on social networks and/or attacking others is not going to help further your career (especially if those attacks are directed at fans or members of the industry). Just like how LinkedIn is no place for a band profile, band accounts on social networking sites are no place for unnecessary drama. Fans want to know what’s going on with you, and you should keep them informed, but too much drama can take the focus away from music. Also, you must always be aware of how your accounts appear to those not familiar with your work. If your feed looks more like an individual’s thoughts than the efforts of a cohesive band focused on getting ahead, people may pass by without even giving the music a chance. Appearing driven and welcoming will get you much further than anger and negativity. Always.

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