The Deadline [ie. First Gig]

Declan (producer) and myself (Amy – musician) have been trying out a few ideas in studio, here and there, for the last few months. We’ve been ‘sketching’ ideas down in a rather loose and somewhat lazy fashion [Last week I spent about 2 hours putting down individual trumpet notes, before playing steel brushes on a plank of wood just to see...all of which was thrown out in the end]. However, all that airy faerie, whimsical  wanderings will soon have to end as we’re about to entre the next stage.

There’s nothing like a bit of pressure to make things happen, so…the band has it’s first gig booked for the 20th of October. It was with this knowledge I gathered four friends, and now band members, to help me make it a reality. Forming as a sort of collective, everything is pretty free flowing at the moment. But two practices in and we have a fair idea of about four songs. It’s strange to be in the driving seat explaining what I want from each member, but thankfully they are all fantastic musicians.

My immediate aim is to get the band ready for the 20th and get at least two songs recorded and finished asap. I kinda forgot all the hard work that has to go into the very beginning of a project, but I’m so excited to be back playing live again and be recording these songs. Through my time playing in a dodgy pop punk band, to singing solo, and my time with Boathouse – I think I’ve grown as a writer/performer and I feel (and hope) that this new project is the culmination of all those experiences and brings me closer to what I’ve been aiming for since I first played a note.

The band line up so far:

• Amy McGarrigle
• Kieran Hughes
• Rory O’Connor
• Conor McCafferty
• Owen Lamont

All the best,

Amy

Recording sessions well under way

A sneak peak of the music and recording space for the project…This is just the beginning.

It’s so damn NOISY out here…

Getting heard.  For any musician, it’s a big problem, and it’s only getting worse.

Here’re some numbers to think about (via US Music Information Service, Nielsen/Soundscan)

• In 2007, 79,695 records were released worldwide.
• In 2008, that number jumped to 105,575 – the largest increase of it’s kind in the history of recorded music.

And there’s your noise.  Releasing music has never been easier ergo more people are doing it.

It’s a terrifying concept for marketers – but a wonderful one for us, the music listeners.  There may be 105k releases every year, but we’ve got the tools, the saavy and the desire to filter that information any way we want – RSS feeds, music blogs, P2P, LastFM recommendations, internet radio – it all makes it relatively simple to find great music.

So how do you get heard?

First off, understand that the rules are still being invented.  There is no “right” way to approach it and the methods are so varied that only a commitment to experimentation, and disciplined measurement  of the results can help you progress.

Second, understand that the listener is in charge, not you.  The audience now controls when, how, where and most importantly IF they pay you any attention – with pay being the operative word.

2 of our favourite methods, and ones that hold much promise, are below:

• CwF + RtB = $$$ – Connect with Fans (CwF) and give them a Reason to Buy (RtB).  More success stories that you can imagine – Mike Masnick explains
• Meet the Millenials – Terry McBride outlines the appoach taken by his company to build and continue to succeed with a wide variety of artists.  The scope not only covers understanding the artist, their influences and processes of creativity but delves into understanding an artist’s audiences preferences – from consuming music to clothes – as well as causes to which the artist may be aligned.

These are only guides.  Inspirations, really, toward what El Corazon is trying to achieve – but important steps toward getting heard.