Before the Tour

On episode 14 I speak to Nolan and Kris of the marketing and PR agency, From the Strait. We chat about strategies for independent artists to gain traction, and a buzz around their music. They are also musicians and big fans of music who honestly just want to highlight great songs and artists.
They have a lot of great interviews, videos and write-ups up on their website, and they have cultivated an awesome space for great local, and international music. 

On this episode we talk about ... 

• Their marketing and PR agency, From the Strait
• Marketing and PR tips for independent artists
• Pitching your music to the right playlists, and not just any playlist
• Their podcast, The Music Jerks Podcast
• Their music project, Lonely Lil’ Kitsch
• Nolan’s band project, The Minimum Wage 
• Amazing local mastering companies, including Montano Mastering 
• The indie label they started, 
• How to stay focused on, and true to what inspires YOUR music
• Their Spotify playlist, The Kitchen Sink
• Pitching music to Spotify, Deezer, Amazon, Apple, and other large playlist and streaming platforms.

Reach out to Kris and Nolan at …

W: Fromthestrait.com

I: @fromthestrait
YT: From the Strait Videos
T: @FromtheStrait

Episode 15 releases December 19th! Thank you for listening :) 

I sat down with songwriter and musician, Joey Denbutter to talk about the latest collection of songs ("Nonsense", "SAD", "Better Days") he's released under his band project, Dakota Mill. Joey also runs a home studio based in Guelph, Ontario where he produces and does audio engineering for other artists and projects.

Recently, I got together with Joey and Kitchener based media agency, Canadian Daydream to film and record a live and acoustic version of y latest single, Northern Lights. Check the video out RIGHT HERE.

On this episode we talk about ... 

• The process behind writing Dakota Mill's latest single, "Nonsense"
• The services provided by Joey and his studio
• How he got into writing music and pursuing a career in the music industry
• The difficulty in getting your music heard 
• How to set up a home studio in order to produce and record quality files, even if you're not a trained professional
• How practicing recording and engineering can change your approach to songwriting 

Dakota Mill's Socials and Streaming:
I: @DakotaMillmusic
W: www.dakotamillmusic.com
Music: Dakota Mill Spotify

Reach out to Joey:
I: @Joey_Denbutter
W: www.joeydenbutter.com

Episode 14 releases December 5th, 2022

I jumped on a call with Vancouver based musician and songwriter, Wesley Attew, who recently launched his artist management agency, Arcadia Artist Development. Wesley's latest singles ("Courage", and "End of The Line") have harboured nearly 200,000 collectively, and foreshadow the release of his upcoming album. 

On this episode we talk about ... 

• Wesley's songwriting evolution of the years
• How he's built a team he can confidently write, produce, and record with
• Producer Jeff Zipp at Light Machine Records
• The importance and benefits of co-writing with other songwriters
• His artist management agency, Arcadia Artist Development
• His upcoming album
• Submitting to playlists and marketing your music as an independent artist
• Canadian music grant opportunities (mainly B.C. and Ontario)

Reach out to Wesley at:
I: @wesleyattewmusic
TT: @wesleyattewmusic
W: https://www.wesleyattewmusic.com/

Welcome to Episode 11 where I discuss some marketing and playlisting strategies you can use for your music as an independent artist. It is important to have a strategy before you release that new song or album, but it can be hard to know where to start, and where to look for help, especially under a tight budget.

I hope this episode helps in your strategies to promote your new and already released music!

On this episode I discuss …

• Free playlist submission platforms that I use every week
• Check out my website’s blog post of FREE PLAYLIST SUBMISSION PLATFORMS (updated regularly) 
• Paid playlist and blog submission platforms that I use on every release 
• Marketing agencies I’ve worked with and what they provide 
• How to send your music to blogs, and magazines
• Grant opportunities for funding
• Music competitions that help generate accolades, write-ups, and more

On Episode 10, I speak with singer-songwriter, Lauryn Macfarlane.

In this episode, we will cover:

• Her performances at the Peterborough Folk Festival (2022)
• The SOCAN songwriter house in L.A. 
• FACTOR grants and the application process
• The challenges behind songwriting as a career
• Working with producers to fill out your acoustic structures 
• The standard of releasing high quality music 

Reach out to Lauryn:

• W: Laurynmacfarlane.com
• I: @laurynmacfarlane
• Spotify Link

Thank you for listening! 

Episode 11 releases October 31st, 2022

On episode 9, I speak with singer-songwriter, Duncan Ivany of The North Coast Band, who just released their debut album, Field to City (September 2022). The band is comprised of brothers Duncan and Connor Ivany, who are also organic farmers, and conservationists in Ontario, Canada. On this show we discuss the writing process of the album, how they self-produced and arranged the music, and what they did for mixing and mastering to tie it all together. We also discuss Canadian options for pressing CDs and short run vinyl for your tour.

Show Notes for Before the Tour at Huntersheridanmusic.com/podcast

On this episode we talk about …

• The process behind writing their debut album
• Their September and October Ontario, Canada tour dates
• The benefits of co-writing 
• CD and vinyl pressing
• Approaching self-producing for your album
• Short run vinyl pressing in Canada with Indie Pool, Red Spade Records, and Microforum 
• Mastering your music with Montano Mastering
• Social media promotion strategies

Check out the North Coast Band on …

• Youtube
• Spotify
• Instagram
• Website 

Thank you for supporting the show! 

Episode 10 releases on October 17th, 2022

On Episode 8, I speak with audio engineer and podcaster, Jordan Moore. Jordan runs a studio in Hamilton, Ontario where he records and mixes audio recordings of various genres, and manages his podcast network, including Before the Tour. Jordan is a veteran of live sound and really understands what it takes to record professional quality material without spending money on studio space and time, so I wanted to talk to him about techniques that take your home studio set up to the next level. We also chat about the importance of taking time off and finding hobbies to separate and manage your work/life relationships.

In this episode, we will cover:

• Jordan's podcast network, The Pod Cabin
• Jordan's Podcast, Influential Barbecue, and his BBQ page, The Backyard Brisket
• Jordan’s journey from performing and touring into mixing and recording
• Affordable gear for beginners
• Tips for higher quality home recordings
• Tips for sending music to mixing engineers
• How to reduce room sounds and “noisy” recordings
• Condensor vs. dynamic microphones
• The use of Filepass.com for sharing bounces and mixing notes quickly, and remotely
• Stereo vs. mono recording, EQ and compression tips
• Our annual Ontario duck hunt!

Reach out to Jordan at: Jordanmooreaudio.com

Thank you for listening! Episode 9 releases October 3rd, 2022

On Episode 7, I sit down with poet, Maria Giesbrecht, who just released her first collection of poems titled, ‘peeling oranges’. We discuss the process of writing the collection, where she finds inspiration, the challenges in promoting your writing as an independent artist, finding a publisher, and how she managed to make her debut collection a Canadian bestseller on Amazon.com.

In this episode we discuss: 

• The process of writing a collection of poems. 
• How to find an editor that works for you.
• How to have your original writing published. 
• Tools she has used to grow her social media and online presence. 
• Her inspiration of other authors and poets.
• How poetry and songwriting are closely linked.

Purchase ‘peeling oranges’ at a local Guelph, Ontario bookstore or through Amazon at the link below:

• https://www.amazon.ca/peelingoranges

Support Maria through her social media pages: 

• I: @Theguelphpoet

In episode 6, I speak with singer-songwriter, Mattie Leon about the recording process of his third album with producer Mark Howard (works include The Tragically Hip, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Avril Lavigne). We also dive into the transformation of his writing style over his last 3 studio albums and explore his tips to songwriters who are looking to enhance their demo capabilities, pursue marketing and sync opportunities in media, as well as approaching label and management representation.

In this episode, we will cover:

• Mattie’s experience writing his third studio album with producer, Mark Howard. 
• Live recording vs. separate tracking recording styles. 
• Mattie’s style development and approach to songwriting. 
• Structuring your releases with marketing and recording as an independent artist. 
• Various Canadian based marketing agencies to reach out to as an independent artist. 
• How to structure a budget for a release. 
• How to manage your version of a successful release campaign. 

Reach out to Mattie at:
W: Mattieleon.com
I: @MattieLeonMusic

Check out Mattie’s music at:
Spotify
iTunes
Youtube
Soundcloud
Bandcamp

Thank you for listening! 

on Episode 5 I speak with producer and songwriter, Luke Roes on his transition from writing and recording with his band, Ivory Hours, to his solo project and music production. We talk about the process of recording and producing his first two singles in his home studio and how he approached writing his debut full length album.

Check out all of Luke's music and social media accounts right here!
 
In this episode, we will cover:

• Finding your voice on social media.
• How to promote your music online. 
• Luke’s process of producing his recent releases and upcoming album.
• Mixing with Canadian engineer Dan Brodbeck.
• The power of meditation and discipline. 
• Why songwriting is an important tool.
• Mastering with Joao Carvalho
• His process of writing for Ivory Hours

Reach out to Luke through:
Instagram
TikTok
Website

Stream Luke’s music here

Thank you for listening! 
New episode releases on August 22nd, 2022.