Thoughts on Artistry

I’ve been thinking a lot about artistry in music lately. The music machine likes all of their ducks in a row. They want a certain formula for the present moment. For example, Adele and Ray Lamontagne type artists are in high demand right now. I understand. They are awesome at what they do. But here’s the deal… Last year, all the publishers and labels wanted Colbie Callait and Sara Bareilles type artists. And something similar or “kind of” like these artists wasn’t wanted either. It seems like labels and publishers are really trying to stick with trends, but strangely they are the ones that create the trends through their own P.R. Sadly, they can manipulate the public into accepting anything that they put out, IF they put enough money out there to promote it. So… Why don’t they try to find something different, so that there is a deeper pool?

If you look on Youtube you find a lot of Beliebers and Swiftys. I like Taylor Swift’s songwriting, but if ALL the artists wrote like her you’d have a lot of canned garbage and little authenticity. I think that Taylor is authentic, but if someone is “like Taylor Swift”, who would want a cheapened, carbon-copy of her? I find this a bit baffling.

Back to Youtube, if you look at the comments on the vintage 60′s/70′s/80′s videos, people are asking where the artistry is? And…. “Why can’t there be more artists like this around now?” This is from ALL ages too. The thing is… THERE ARE artists like this now. They are just passed over by publishers and labels because they don’t fit the current formula. (STAMP STAMP STAMP)

There are so many great indie artists out there and there are even some smaller label and major label artists that don’t get as much eye or ear time in front of the main public. Some of my favorites are Lera Lynn and someone I was introduced to today, Lindi Ortega. There are soooo many talented people out there. But unfortunately, you usually have to be “connected politically” or practically sell your soul to the devil to get much leverage.

My personal frustration lately has been the fact that I’ll get one song critique that says I’m too wordy, another that says I’m not emotive enough and another that says I’m not conversational/too romantic. So, if someone isn’t sure of who they are or even if they ARE sure of who they are, it is REALLY easy in this business to lose touch of who you are as a person and an artist. It’s easy to become plastic and cheesy. It’s easy to give in and do what everyone else wants you to.

Those close to me, however, know that I don’t do things the EASY way. I may tweak a little here and there to make it a little more pleasing, because I do believe in getting better at what I do. BUT when it goes against my gut and my heart, that’s where I lose my artistry. I won’t do it. I won’t conform for the sake of acceptance. I am going to be the romantic, poetic, raw, earthy, in-your-face-tell-it-like-it-is person that I am intrinsically. So, I prolly won’t win a Grammy. Big deal. That was far-fetched anyway. I’ll have a smaller, but hopefully more interested fan base. If things go well, I would LOVE that, but if they fizzle, I’ll be able to walk away from this next release knowing that I gave it 100%. 100% of my heart. 100% of my artistry. 100% of my talent. 100% of our money! And that is something that I’ll look back on when I’m old and gray and NEVER regret. Money is money, but expressing myself is more important to me.

So… All singers and musicians with a true artistic soul. Rock on.

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