When you set out to pursue a career as a musician, it can be difficult to know what that even looks like. There's a "mist" that surrounds the music business, and knowing what to aim for can feel like a complete guess. Even knowing if you're hitting your target can be elusive.

The truth is, the path from hobbyist to pro or indie musician to signed artist will look different for everyone. But some things remain true in almost all journeys: it's one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. One show builds on the next, connections spread and grow, and above all, the music matters most.

Siri Undlin of Humbird joins me for a transparent look at the slow and steady grind of working your way from being completely "DIY" as a fully independent artist to gaining the attention of management and labels and accessing industry support.

Siri is an impressively talented singer-songwriter. Over the last 7 years or so, Humbird has been slowly and steadily “learning things the hard way.” But with over 150,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, a growing fanbase, and heaps of critical praise across multiple releases of varying styles, it’s clear that Humbird has figured out a thing or two along the way.

In this episode, we chat about the origins of Humbird, what it's like to work with a manager and a label, the tricky transition of going full-time on your music, hitting the road and DIY touring, and why being a fan and supporting live music is still the best strategy of all.

Get a glimpse behind the scenes with Siri as she shares what her career looks like, the struggles, the breakthroughs, and the day-to-day of a hard-working artist on the rise.

Full Transcript and Show Notes

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🔗 Humbird

Featured Song

"Cornfields and Roadkill" by Humbird

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🙏 Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful. And thank YOU, for listening.

Theme Music: "Thankful" Courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠LUEDVIG⁠⁠⁠