An insight into my creative world, sharing my knowledge and experience, to help artists, songwriters and producers take their careers to the next level.
why some artists feel bigger than their music.
|
so i’ve been thinking about music releases completely wrong. for years, my process was simple. finish the song. then move onto the next one. most of my leon taro. releases over the last few years have come out through different labels. which meant once the music was finished, i’d mostly hand the rest over. the artwork. i’d still post about the release and push the song out. but looking back, i wasn’t thinking deeply enough about the identity behind any of it. releasing single to single through different labels started to feel more like disconnected songs than an actual artist identity. my upcoming album is grant supported, so i have to release it independently. and honestly, this process has completely changed my perspective on releasing music. you don’t realise how much work labels quietly absorb until you have to do every part yourself. for the first time, i’m not just thinking about the music. i’m thinking about the visuals. every decision shapes how someone experiences the artist project as a whole. and i think that’s why some artists tend to feel bigger than just their music. because people don’t just connect to songs. they connect to perspective. the best artist projects feel intentional from every angle. the visuals match the sound. even before someone fully understands the artist, they understand the feeling. i think that’s what people are really connecting to. not just good songs. but something that feels coherent, recognisable, and emotionally real. for years i was focused almost entirely on making better records. now i’m starting to appreciate how much the surrounding world matters too. finishing the song isn’t enough anymore. i think a lot of artists underestimate how much that side of things shapes the connection people have with their music. and i think people respond to that more than we realise. |
Rich Pilkington.
An insight into my creative world, sharing my knowledge and experience, to help artists, songwriters and producers take their careers to the next level.
there comes a point where your song stops belonging to you. I'm three songs into releasing music from my album. and while I've learned plenty about ads, playlists, release strategy and what works, the biggest lesson hasn't really been about any of that. it's been about letting go. when you make something, it's near impossible not to attach expectations to it. this song should do well. this playlist should accept it. people should care. and if you've spent weeks or months making something,...
two years ago, I started a song that I couldn’t finish. it came from a writing session with a good friend of mine in London. I’d put together a quick instrumental idea beforehand, played it to him, and we spent a couple of hours writing a hook and a verse. and that was pretty much it. I went back home to Toronto knowing there was something special there. every few months I’d open the project again. change the arrangement. try some new sounds. add something. take something away. then...
my process when I start a song usually looks something like this. I'll spend some time throwing ideas around. most won't go anywhere. but eventually, one does. there's that moment where something clicks and I think, fuck yeah. this is special. so I start building it out. then I go deep. hours spent improving the production. layering sounds. changing instruments. working on the arrangement. adding things. taking things away. listening over and over again. I usually bounce the track and take it...