Bridge The Atlantic

Joining us out of Detroit is singer/songwriter Jena Irene Asciutto. Jena finished second in the 2014 season of American Idol, and has since signed to Original 1265 Recordings, released an EP and full length album, “Cold Fame” and is currently studying for a degree in Creative Songwriting.

“Cold Fame” was written and recorded after Jena spent six months of her teenage years as a contestant in American Idol, and the record displays a range of sounds and sensibilities that take us through the life of a modern young woman. In this interview, Jena talks about her decision to sign with an independent label, the new album, and the advice she'd offer to her fellow musicians.

Highlights:

• Jena shares how she’s trying to be less of a people pleaser, and be more direct and assertive
• Jena tells us why she decided to sign with an independent label post-American Idol rather than a major
• “I wanted to be really open and honest with my audience on Cold Fame” - Jena Irene Asciutto
• “Throughout the writing and recording process, I was still second guessing myself” - Jena Irene Asciutto
• Jena shares how American Idol only allowed her to show a couple of sides of herself, but now she doesn’t need to think about turning parts of her personality on or off
• “Being known for just one thing would be a miserable life for me!” - Jena Irene Asciutto
• “It’s good to be friends with your fans!” - Jena Irene Asciutto
• We hear about Jena’s record “Cold Fame” and what she’s learned about herself as an artist
• Jena shares her advice on making decisions as an artist
• We talk about what artists should be looking for when choosing a record label
• “A label are investing in you, but make sure that investment is in what YOU want to put out and is in the REAL version of you” - Jena Irene Asciutto

Guest Links:

• Website: http://jenairene.com
• Instagram: @jenaasciutto1
• Twitter: @jenaasciutto1
• Facebook: /jiamusic

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

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• For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.com
• Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlantic
• Subscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunes
• Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic

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In this week's B-SIDES episode, we're talking all about your gut feeling. It's something that comes up a lot on this show, so we decided to dive a little deeper into some times that we didn't follow our gut, and why we wish we did, and also times when we DID follow our gut, and what the outcome was. Hopefully you can learn from some of the mistakes and successes we've had, and start listening to your gut more. Enjoy!

Highlights:

• We talk about the importance of trusting your gut when it comes to making decisions in your creative career
• “Follow that gut feeling, and whether or not it works out, you’ll know that you were true to yourself” - Marcio Novelli
• Marcio talks about times where he didn’t follow his gut, and how things turned out as a result
• Marcio on listening to his head rather than what his gut was telling him - “On paper it made sense, but something didn’t feel right”
• We talk about being swayed by who people have worked with rather than the vibe we get from them
• Ross shares a story about taking on a project despite his gut telling him it wasn’t a good fit
• Ross shares some advice he received a while ago that he now things is bad advice if taken too literally
• We talk about how both your head and your heart can be misleading when it comes to making decisions
• Ross shares how he went with his gut and seized an opportunity to work with Terra Naomi

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

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More:

• For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.com
• Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlantic
• Subscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunes
• Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic

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Joining us this week out of Atlanta is Bryan Calhoun. Bryan is the creator of The Music Business Toolbox, which breaks down in easy-to-follow steps what both brand-new and experienced music industry professionals need to do to get to the next level.

Bryan has spoken on panels and taught workshops at all of the key music industry conferences including SXSW, MIDEM and CMJ. He’s also worked with artists including including Kanye West, Questlove, Nicki Minaj and Drake over his 25 year career so far. In this interview, Bryan shares the traits he sees in successful artists, the importance of allocating a budget correctly, and the importance of consistency in today's music industry.

Enjoy!

Highlights:

• Bryan is an advocate for independent musicians and labels, and is always fighting for the underdog
• Bryan shares the common traits that he sees in successful artists - both independent and major
• “What I’ve noticed in all of the super successful artists and executives is that they have a really great sense of intuition” - Bryan Calhoun
• Bryan shares a story about Kanye West’s website back in 2005, and how Kanye’s intuition enabled him to be an innovator in his field
• “The biggest mistake musicians make is the way they allocate their budget” - Bryan Calhoun
• Bryan shares that you can’t spend 95% of your budget on recording and only 5% on marketing - because you won’t have the impact with your record that you’re hoping to if no-one knows about it!
• We hear about why Bryan started The Music Business Toolbox and how it can benefit artists
• “I saw problems artists and independent labels were making through creating music… I realised I could package resources up and guide people through the business” - Bryan Calhoun
• Bryan talks about the importance of releasing consistent content in order to build more connections with your audience
• “Be diligent about paying attention to the details” - Bryan Calhoun

Guest Links:

• Website: musicbusinesstoolbox.com
• Instagram: @bryancalhoun
• Twitter: @bryancalhoun
• Facebook: /musicbusinesstoolbox

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of Nashville is award winning singer/songwriter and American Idol winner Kris Allen. Kris was crowned the winner of Idol in 2008, and since then has released 5 studio albums, amassing hundreds of thousands of sales and millions of streams.

Kris is now releasing music on his own label, Dog Bear Records - with both releases so far charting in the top 20 on Billboard’s Independent chart. In this interview we hear about Kris’ American Idol experience and how it’s impacted on his career, how a car crash has changed his life both personally and musically, and the advice he’d offer to his fellow musicians.

Highlights:

• We learn Kris is missing a rib, is very honest, and is not a morning person (but who is?!)
• Kris tells us what he learned from his American Idol experience
• “American Idol taught me that I could belong in the music industry” - Kris Allen
• Kris tells us how he had to re-learn how to play guitar after a car crash in 2013
• “I took a lot of things for granted - when something gets taken from you, you either cry about it or learn to rise above it” - Kris Allen
• We hear how Kris believes he’s become a better songwriter and a better person as a result of surviving a car crash
• We hear about the songs Kris has been working on, and that there will be a new album in 2018
• Kris shares the advice he’d offer to musicians who want to participate in a talent competition like American Idol
• “Be yourself, and don’t expect anything. And remember the TV world is very different from the music world” - Kris Allen
• Kris tells us how he wishes he had trusted his gut more early on in his career
• “My gut has always been right for me, and it’s the thing I trust most - especially nowadays” - Kris Allen
• We talk with Kris about how advice can often be valuable, but you should always listen to your gut
• “When I think about what I do, this is my life, this is my career…I’m the one who has to live by the decisions” - Kris Allen

Guest Links:

• Website: http://krisallenofficial.com
• Instagram: @Kris_Allen
• Twitter: @KrisAllen
• Facebook: /KrisAllen

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

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More:

• For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.com
• Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlantic
• Subscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunes
• Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy holidays!

In the final instalment of our 2017 holiday special, we talk about planning for the year ahead, and the importance of taking breaks. We share some tips on how to set goals and achieve them, as well as some past interviews where we talk about this in more depth. We also play Two Truths & A Lie with Nettwerk Music Group's Terry McBride.Enjoy!

Highlights:

• We talk about breaking large goals down into smaller goals to make them more manageable
• "Every large task has multiple steps to achieving it - identifying the smaller steps can make a huge difference to getting things done!"
• We recommend our interview with Pam Lewis-Rudden for advice on music licensing
• "If you’re struggling to keep on top of your goals, reach out to other artists and creatives and see if you can become accountability partners"
• We recommend our interviews with Stephen Christian & Suzanne Paulinski for more advice on time management and goal setting
• We play a game of Two Truths & A Lie with Terry McBride
• We talk about burnout as creatives, and how breaks are important to help prevent this

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy holidays!

In part 3 of our 4 part holiday special, we talk about holiday sales and promotions, and offer some tips on how to make the most of the holidays for promoting your music and merch. We also play Two Truths & A Lie with music industry champion Damian Keyes and Canadian broadcasting legend Alan Cross.

Enjoy!

Highlights:

• We talk about offers and promotions you can offer on your music and merch during the holidays
• We talk about the benefits of running a Boxing Day sale for your merch
• We play a game of Two Truths & A Lie with Damian Keyes
• We talk about how you can sweeten your digital download offers by adding additional content
• We talk about our upcoming Buy-One-Get-One-Free T-shirt sale!
• We play a game of Two Truths & A Lie with Alan Cross

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy holidays!

In part 2 of our 4 part holiday special, we talk about ways you can market your music during the holidays, and other ways you can make the most of the holiday season as an artist. We also play Two Truths & A Lie with singer/songwriter Troi Irons, and Said The Whale co-frontman Tyler Bancroft. Enjoy!

Highlights:

• We talk about how you can promote your music and make the most of the holiday season as an artist
• We talk about how you can promote your music as a gift, and give music away for free during the holidays
• We play a Holiday-themed game of Two Truths & A Lie with Troi Irons
• We talk about the benefits of writing or covering holiday songs
• "Think about what YOU might like from your favourite artists if you’re not sure what to offer!"
• We play a Holiday-themed game of Two Truths & A Lie with Tyler Bancroft

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy holidays!

In this first part of our 4 part Holiday Special, we look back at 2017 and talk about some of our favourite interviews from the past year, as well as playing Two Truths & A Lie with past guests Riley Smith and Bif Naked.

Enjoy!

Highlights:

• We look back at 2017 and talk about some of our favourite interviews from the past year
• We share some of the highlights from 2017, including our interview with Justin Pierre and Melissa Cross
• We play a Holiday-themed game of Two Truths & A Lie with Riley Smith
• We talk about how Nathan West's interview crashed our website
• Bif Naked plays a fun Holiday-themed game of Two Truths & A Lie with us

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of Ohio is singer/songwriter Trey Pearson. With his band Everyday Sunday, Trey Pearson has sold hundreds of thousands of records, and amassed millions of streams. He has scored 5 #1 U.S. singles and 20 Top 10 hits. His song “Wake Up! Wake Up!” was the most-played Christian rock song of 2007, and his 2009 album, “Best Night of Our Lives,” broke onto the coveted Billboard 200 chart. Trey has toured in all 50 states and 20 countries, playing with musicians such as Switchfoot and Relient K.

Recently Trey came out as gay, and made national news. His announcement started a national conversation with a television appearance on The View. It has been covered by The New York Times, Billboard Magazine, CNN and more, as he became the most trending topic worldwide on Facebook. His first solo EP “Love Is Love” was just released, and in this interview we hear more about that, Trey's experience of coming out as a LGBTQ musician, and more.

Highlights:

• We find out if Trey feels pressure to achieve similar success with his solo material to the success he achieved with Everyday Sunday
• "Music has been very therapeutic for me" - Trey Pearson
• "I'm insanely proud of this new album and I'm more proud of this than anything I've done before" - Trey Pearson
• We hear about the passion Trey feels to be a positive and supportive role model in the LGBT community
• Trey tells us about the reaction his coming out received, and how he handled being all over national news
• Trey shares how he sees his media exposure as an opportunity to make a difference in people's lives
• We hear about Trey's recently released debut solo EP "Love Is Love" and what we can expect from it
• Trey tells us about the influences behind the new record, and what he wanted to achieve with it
• Trey on his new EP: "It's pop music but it's honest pop music and very vulnerable"
• Trey offers advice to LGBT artists who are worried about the impact coming out could have on their career
• We hear what Trey would do differently, looking back on his career to date
• Trey tells us about his relationship between his faith and his sexuality

Guest Links:

• Website: http://treypearson.com
• Instagram: @treypearson
• Twitter: @treypearson
• Facebook: /treypearson

Sponsors:

• Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses
• Music Entrepreneur HQ

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• For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.com
• Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlantic
• Subscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunes
• Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.