Voice in your head holding you back?

Technically you might say that it is the same thing, but I can assure you that it is not.

 

I mean no disrespect to anyone when I say this, but almost everyone who walks into my studio says, “Damn, why can’t I have what [insert local artist name here] has?” When I proceed by asking them what it is that they want, the answer is such a simple one, yet in their heads it seems like the most difficult thing to achieve.

 

So what is this “thing”? Well, it’s simple; most artists simply want their songs to be playlisted on their local radio stations. The more complicated “thing” that artists also want, is for people to love the music that they make.

 

When to hang up your musical boots

 

My question to you as the artist is; why are you overthinking everything? Yes, I may be a man with way too many simple answers for these tough questions, but every artist who overthinks and does the career comparison thing in this way always chooses the incorrect answer. And that answer is, “That artist's song is on the radio and people love it because he/she/they are better than me!” If this is the thinking that you employ, hang up your musical boots and do something else. Your career has failed before it has even started - a bold statement, yes, but the reality is that it’s true. 

 

Why do we as artists and producers alike not say, “Wow, that artist worked hard, did his/her own thing and people love it! They even got it onto radio! I am going to work hard too!” The other area where we as artists fail is where we think that overnight success exists. It does not. That is the long and short of it. The artist who you desire to be like had asked themselves exactly the same questions that you have; only, they decided to grab the bull by the horns rather than sulk in a pool of their own tears and sorrows of their own doing.

 

 

There are no weekends

 

A very well-known South African artist, whose name I will not mention, worked hard to get where he wanted to be. To simplify it even further, let me put it to you this way; there are no weekends in the music business. While you were partying up a storm on a Saturday night, he was in his humble little home studio in his bedroom, writing and recording songs. The end result? He focused on improving himself and just making more music. The more songs he made, the better he became at it. The more songs that he wrote, the better he got at it. Now his songs are played all over the country and nobody cares/knows what he had to do to get to where he is now. To the fans, it does not matter, but to you as an up-and-coming artist, it should.

 

 

It's simple guys! Stop putting yourself through the pain of comparing yourself to other artists that you know, or desire the things that they have as a result of their careers. They worked hard to earn what they have. Work hard, focus on what you need to do and that is it, make good music. You will earn your own rewards. Do not expect it to be given to you on a silver platter.

 

Are we not in this industry to make music? I know that I am and I love making new music. So should you!