“Social networking has now become an essential tool for ANY musician, and it's so easy now to keep track of your fan base through mediums like Facebook and Twitter.”
Who would be your favourite artist to collaborate with?
Locally (Isle Of Wight) – Meet The Public, Stu Collins and Blackhouse Crew
Internationally – Lady Gaga
How do you think the Internet has helped independent musicians?
Well, it's completely revolutionised the way musicians promote themselves! Social networking has now become an essential tool for ANY musician, and it's so easy now to keep track of your fan base through mediums like Facebook and Twitter. It's also great for finding new opportunities; we even set this interview up through twitter! It's made worldwide recognition available to anybody who has the patience to learn the craft of social networking and viral marketing. It even brings a luck factor into the equation. Anybody in the world can find you.
What do you think are the most unique challenges faced by an indie artist?
Indie artists have the obvious conundrum of financial backing, something which signed artists get the luxury of from a major label. This lack of funds can affect a number of aspects of their music, and their career. My first concern is usually the difficulties in promotion. Indie artists don't get the privilege of a worldwide, active audience. Most of what an artist such as myself does is on a local level, in the community in which the said artist is tied. The hardest part is breaking down the wall between inviting your friends to gigs, who are coming just to support you, and genuine fans, who like your music, and are there to listen to you. On a local level, the two are indistinguishable. It's only when you begin touring, and promoting on a global basis that you begin to learn of real fans. Even with the Internet, it's hard to command a presence outside of your community, with the amount of people doing the same thing as you online, without the backing of a company such as a major label.
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