takin' care of business

only 6 days to first single release!!

with mixing almost done and artwork complete, i am moving away from the artistic process i enjoy and into the business promotion side i don't.

but, even so, i decided to embrace that aspect of a record release in order to ensure that the hard work i have put in to it will not go to waste and will actually reach people, and hopefully even get me paid... 

so, #1 - booking a tour. 

i played a lot of different types of venues. some make you be an entertainer where you need to fight to grab the audience's attention, others let you be an artist and feel comfortable expressing yourself in an honest and intimate way. there's a time and place for both, but for this tour i wanted to find the right venues for what i do as an acoustic performer. there's nothing i hate more then singing a personal ballad while the guys at the bar watch football and yell out in the middle.  

throughout the process i have encountered so many booking people; from the condescending ("well i like your attitude, so why not") to the overwhelmed ("i will get back to you in two months" and a 3 month later response of "we're closed that day") the flaky, to the nonexistent to just plain frustrating. there have been a few that were actually nice.

after 2 months of research and hundreds of emails, i have 10 dates on the east coast, during June and August, with a few more pending. to me it's a huge achievement, and so far the most extensive tour i've done.

check out my website or facebook for the schedule, and to see if i'm coming to your area.

#2 - starting a record label/publishing house.

as a DIY artist, this is part of the game. it's good to put a professional name and face (or logo) to the business side of things.

after voicing my frustration about not fitting a niche, and that there should be a "no box, just music" festival, i decided "no box music" would be a great name for me and what i do. hey, perhaps i'll sign on a few more artists down the road! one release at a time though...

check it out here

#3 promotion strategy. 

more on that next time, starting with releasing the 1st single, which i decided to give out for free.

join the mailing list (to the left) to get a free download.

cheers and 'till next week

- asia