“You’ve got to be uncomfortable and scared to grow as an artist.” - Esha K.

“The music industry is known for not giving women their dues. This industry should be about supporting each other.” - Esha K.

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion. 

SmArtist Shoutout
Bethany - Jr. Engineer

Show Notes
SmArtists, Esha K is an alternative-rock/indie vocalist and songwriter, influenced by artists like Fleetwood Mac and James Bay. Some notable accomplishments include performing at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, embarking on a self-organized mini-tour of New York City, performing nationally and internationally, and working with GRAMMY-winning producers on her releases. Esha is passionate about using her position as a woman and a person of colour in the music industry to bring a fresh perspective and sound to the alternative rock genre.

Key Questions I Asked
1. What was it like moving from San Francisco to London, UK for music?
2. How do we improve the experience women have in this industry?
3. What have you learned as an Artist Consultant?

Hot Topics
1. Dealing with the haters.
2. Getting out of your head.
3. We are passionate but we are professional.
4. What is your unique selling point?

My Favourite Quote
“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You can stumble in the marathon and then keep on going.” - Esha K. 

We are expected to trip up and make mistakes along the way. For most of us, this is uncharted territory so mistakes are inevitable. It is okay to move a little slower at times to avoid all the mistakes. Take some time to learn about your environment and make strategic decisions. 

Connect with Esha K:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Grammy U
• NAMM

Support the show

“We want to make sure the artists are being paid when their music is played.” - Quentin

“The only constant in the music industry is change.” - Quentin

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion. 

SmArtist Shoutout
Jellifish - Musician, Artist, & Engineer

Show Notes
SmArtists, Quentin Burgess is Music Canada’s Director of Communications, where he is responsible for developing and overseeing the organization’s communications and marketing strategies and for managing Music Canada's online development projects. Quentin has a technical background in music, previously working as a live sound technician in London, Ontario, as well as at sea onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships. He is a graduate of Fanshawe College’s Music Industry Arts and Audio Post Production programs and is a member of the Canadian Music Therapy Fund’s Board of Directors.

Key Questions I Asked
1. How do artists directly benefit from the work done at Music Canada?
2. What has been your greatest challenge with this work?
3. What are Music Cities?

Hot Topics
1. Keeping up with change in the music industry.
2. How record labels decide who they work with.
3. Contract literacy.

My Favourite Quote
“The opportunities in this business go to the people in the room.” - Quentin

It’s not the easiest thing to know which room to be in. That’s why you’ve got to knock on so many doors. I know I’ve used many excuses to not approach people and it has only affected me negatively. Talk to people. Be friendly. Listen to what other people have to say and grow with them. Being present and being kind will help you find those opportunities that you are looking for. 

Connect with Quentin Burgess:

• Music Therapy Fund
• The Mastering of a Music City
• Music Canada
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Support the show

“In the two years, I probably spent 75-80% of my time working on my craft.” - Chynna

“Always practice more than you think you need to.” - Chynna

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion.

SmArtist Shoutout
Katie  - Music Fan

Show Notes
SmArtists, Chynna Lewis is a Taiwanese-Canadian Pop/R&B singer-songwriter and producer based in Toronto. Originally from Taiwan, Chynna moved to Canada at the age of ten. In university, Chynna discovered her love for Soul and R&B music while fronting a Motown band called “The Touch”. Chynna has had the honour of supporting and learning from artists and producers such as Ed Sheeran, Jessie Reyez, Charlotte Day Wilson, Matthew Burnett, and Jully Black. After a decade of supporting other artists, Chynna is now embarking on her journey as a solo artist.

Key Questions I Asked
1. What kind of goals do you set for yourself at the beginning of your career? How about a few years in? How did your goals change?
2. What is your most challenging venue experience? What made it challenging? How did you handle it?
3. What is your release strategy with this EP?

Hot Topics
1. Making yourself vulnerable.
2. Eliminating your ego.
3. Breaking past your limiting beliefs.
4. Abuse in the music industry.

My Favourite Quote
“You can hear something 1000 times but you may not learn it until you’re ready.” - Chynna

It never hurts to repeat those wise words to yourself and those around you. We may hear each other but we aren’t always listening. Sometimes the intended message slips and we continue to live our lives in the dark until the message comes back around to lighten our load. By being aware of this, we can become better listeners and better learners. 

Connect with Chynna Lewis:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube

Support the show

“I would rather have 50 contacts that know who I am than 1000 contacts that I’m throwing music at.” - Keith

“There will always be difficulties so make time to handle them.” - Keith

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion. 

SmArtist Shoutout
Allan Pao - Dancer & Music Enthusiast

Show Notes
SmArtists, Keith Profeta has loved music more than anything since he was a baby. He was jumping in and out of bands starting at 16, but never really found his true calling in front of the microphone. He started managing a friend’s band, handling all the behind-the-scenes work.  Never being satisfied, Keith started a fanzine to find more great music and reviewed 100’s band’s demos, offering them straightforward tips on how to get to the next level in their careers.  He was signed on to be a promoter for a couple of them eventually turning it into a full-time booking agency.

Key Questions I Asked
1. What were you thinking when you realized that you enjoy management more than being on stage?  What was touring the East Coast from New York to Florida as a young planner and manager like?
2. What should and shouldn’t bands do when communicating with promoters?
3. What are typical mistakes that artists make?

Hot Topics
1. Determining band splits.
2. What to know when starting a band.
3. Who can benefit from Indie Band Guru?
4. Try this networking hack.
5. Have you considered these branding tips?

My Favourite Quote
“Some of us get a little scared and you’ve got to power through that fear.” - Keith

 I gotta admit that I am constantly feeling at least a bit of fear as I continue down this path. In the beginning, it can be scary because of how newly vulnerable we are. As we get better we encounter greater challenges that may evoke fear. This fear can also be interpreted as excitement. Regardless of what level we are at, use this energy to do what you love doing and nothing can stop you. 

Connect with Indie Band Guru:

• Website
•  Instagram

Support the show

“Every artist that goes out to perform does it because it fulfills their soul.” - Ed

“The way you do anything is the way you do everything.” - Ed 

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion. 

SmArtist Shoutout
Nuno - Producer, Beat Composer, Mix Engineer

Show Notes
SmArtists, Ed Vincent is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of business, technology, and management experience. He founded an e-commerce business in 1999 which was sold to a competitor in 2001 and is a repeat founder including SimplyEngage, myProducer, & Predict Ventures. Ed’s passion for festivals and the interpersonal connectivity fostered at festivals led him to found Festival Pass which is the world’s first festival and live events subscription marketplace providing access to thousands of experiences around the globe across music, film, food & wine, art, sports, theatre, lifestyle, and tech & innovation experiences.

Key Questions I Asked
1. What is a Festival Pass?
2. What makes a phenomenal performance?
3. What might the future of performances look like?

Hot Topics
1. 18000 Events registered to this platform
2. Why artists should partner with Festival Pass

My Favourite Quote
“If you are successful, don’t be too full of yourself because you may not know all that created that success.” - Ed

You can’t be aware of all of the surrounding circumstances. There are far too many forces at play to keep track of all of them. All that you can do is decide to be the best version of yourself each day. This will attract like-minded people and bring you into desired environments. 

Connect with Festival Pass:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Support the show

“Do as much as you can to make the jobs of your team easier and they are going to do the same thing.” - Neal

“80% of your time should be spent on solving problems and 20% of them should be allocated towards identifying problems.” - Neal

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion.

SmArtist Shoutout
Martin Vish - Singer-songwriter, Cover Artist

Show Notes
SmArtists, Neal Ludevig is a producer, curator, environmentalist, artist, and entrepreneur based in Harlem, focused on amplifying socially conscious artist voices. His work has been covered internationally in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, CBS, ABC, TimeOut New York, NPR, and the list goes on. He was named an Emerging Leader by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and he received a Congressional Proclamation for his non-profit work via Harlem Arts Festival.

Key Questions I Asked
1. What are promoters looking for when booking artists? How would you recommend getting some experience performing if promoters won’t book you? How can artists grab the promoter’s attention?
2. What are some self-management tools artists can use?
3. What types of red flags should upcoming artists be aware of?

Hot Topics
1. From STEM to STEAM.
2. Selling yourself as an artist.
3. The importance of maintaining relationships.
4. Negotiating your first gig.

My Favourite Quote
“We all have the power to move our careers forward.” - Neal

We all have decisions to make. The life that we live is a result of the decisions that we’ve made in the past. It will take time to bring forth significant change. It typically takes consistent effort. This effort is something we all have to put in if we want to continue to move forward. Even maintaining your position requires effort. Know that you’ve got the power to put in the effort.

Connect with Neal Ludevig:

• Snarky Elephant Productions
• Neal Ludevig Instagram

Support the show

“When a musician comes on stage they have to give everything, they give their entire soul.” - ‘Sacco’

“What we are trying to build is a community for people who play an instrument regardless of whether they want to make it their career or their hobby!” - ‘Sacco’

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion.

SmArtist Shoutout
Kevin Chew - Music Enthusiast & Festival Goer

Show Notes
SmArtists, Emmanuel Saccoccini is from France and has been living in California since 2011. He has co-founded two creative digital studios, one in France and one in Japan and the US. He’s co-created and co-produced many interactive ad campaigns, with awards including an Emmy Award with Arcade Fire with their album "Reflektor" for Google Creative Labs, over 10 Cannes Lions, over 20 FWAs, 9 Webby Awards, and the list goes on. In 2020 he co-founded FUZZ a mobile app to help young musicians discover and match with like-minded peers to start a band.

Key Questions I Asked
1. What is the background behind Fuzz? How much does it cost? Who is your ideal user?
2. What makes a performance memorable?

Hot Topics
1. Connecting musicians solely to make music.
2. Why are so many artists falling through the cracks?
3. Options for artists that aren’t often considered.

My Favourite Quote
“The danger of direct fan monetization is that you may stretch yourself into becoming a brand and lose the focus on the art.” - ‘Sacco’

I understand where Sacco is coming from but perhaps that is part of the goal which makes danger the incorrect word. If you are in this to build a business, as I am, then you have to apply branding techniques to your business if you want to be relevant. If your goal is to create art simply to create art then please spend no time on branding because it is a lot of work. It is part of what makes this a business.

Connect with Emmanuel Saccoccini:

• Join Fuzz
• Instagram
• Facebook

Support the show

“There is only one reason that you should choose the music industry and that’s because you love it.” - Barry Coffing

“A better term for organic reach is your artificial limiting is set to 5%.” - Barry Coffing

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion. 

Featured SmArtist Shoutout
L. Marquee - Musician, Artist, & Engineer

Show Notes
SmArtists, Barry Coffing started musicsupervisor.com with his musician and filmmaker friends in a basement bedroom. They used their song catalogues and short movies that needed music. When they needed outside songs, they decided to build a better mousetrap. After asking the right questions they figured out the easiest way to execute this process. 10 years later they’ve grown to 10,000 indie labels, 200,000 tracks, and thousands of placements. With their Springboard Festivals and music conferences, they’re finding the best indie music in the world and they’re bringing it into the marketplace. 

Key Questions I Asked
1. Is the Music Biz in a Great Depression & is a Big Boom Coming?
2. Biggest lessons learned from having major publishing, distribution, and record deals?
3. What makes a song great?
4. What techniques can you use to get your song onto the radio?

Hot Topics
1. What it’s really like being on the road as a massive artist.
2. First steps to take towards building a brand as a new artist.
3. What it’s really like being Emmy nominated.
4. What numbers does YouTube do?

My Favourite Quote
“You’d be shocked by how much money you’d save by hiring a professional...you think a pro is expensive? Hire an amateur.” - Barry Coffing

This can be as much of a learning curve as you like. Once you’ve refined your process then consider spending your hard-earned money on a professional. The point here is that for a little extra money, you will have a much smoother experience and you will likely learn a lot more from the experience. At the end of the day, you were more productive with your time, money, and energy.

 Connect with Barry Coffing:

• Music Supervisor

Support the show

“If I want to do it, it comes from me. It’s not just going to happen.” - Darryl Hurs

“Even when you become big in Canada it doesn’t translate to anywhere else.” - Darryl Hurs

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion. 

SmArtist Shoutout
Brad Beard - Photographer & Music Video Director

Show Notes
SmArtists, Darryl Hurs has a 25+ year history in the music business including launching and running one of Canada’s largest indie music festivals and conferences. He was recently hired as the Director of Market Development for CD Baby CA. Past positions include design and branding/marketing for Live Nation as a freelancer where his projects included a corporate rebrand and logo design, launching VIPNATION.com, work for U2, Nickelback, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Dave Matthews, and was a booker for one of Toronto’s top live music venues known as The Rivoli. 

Key Questions I Asked
1. How would you describe your experience with the various partnerships you’ve had over the years?
2. Who were some of the first people on your team? What did you offer them?
3. Expand on Indie Week in November, 101 Music Conference in April, Screen x Screen in February, and Music Pro Summit in September. 
4. What were some major obstacles that you’ve overcome with your diverse experience?

Hot Topics
1. What upcoming artists are guilty of and how to fix it.
2. Framework for upcoming artists to follow.
3. The Best Theory.
4. Overcoming self-sabotage for upcoming artists.
5. 18-Month Release Plan.
6. Sneaky promotional tricks.

My Favourite Quote
“If you overdeliver then they will come back and continue the relationship.” - Darryl Hurs

I’m not sure how many times I’ve heard how important it is to provide value to others. Give more than you receive. It’s not like this is a hidden secret that only successful people have access to. There are people out there who take advantage of those who give more than they receive. By giving you will learn how to deal with these people. 

Connect with Darryl Hurs:

• Indie Week
• CD Baby

Support the show

“If it was easy everyone would be doing it.” - Kade

“The more you prepare the higher your probability of getting hired is.” - Kade

Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities -  profit off of their passion.

SmArtist Shoutout
Cooper Hughes - A Music Enthusiast!

Show Notes
SmArtists, Alex Kade is a Musical Artist-Entrepreneur and Electronic Music Producer, currently developing his EDM group "Alex Kade". As a producer, he has remixed and co-written with a plethora of artists. KADE also educates musical artists on how to better market their music, their brand, and themselves using organic social media methods, as well as paid advertising. He's accrued over 51K followers on TikTok and over 3K on IG for his EDM project.

Key Questions I Asked
1. What have you learned from doing so many collaborations and from playing drums for so many different groups? Did you learn any tough lessons because of your collaborations?
2. How can you legally create covers and remixes? Why should upcoming artists and music producers include covers and remixes in their arsenal?
3. How did you make $10,000 off a single release? What steps did you take to set yourself up for success?

Hot Topics
1. What all artists need to know to have a solid foundation for career success.
2. Tips on what to do with your merch.
3. Pros to being active on Discord.
4. Important questions to ask about your branding.
5. A VERY creative launch strategy.

My Favourite Quote
“There are a lot of free things that you can do before investing money.” - Kade

Please don’t rush to spend your money. There are so many people out here providing real value to you for FREE. Invest your time find the community that works for you and dive in. Find another and do the same thing. The more time that you can put into this the faster you will grow through your own and shared experiences. Be patient. Do the work. Are you interested or committed to doing this? Let me know here!

Connect with Alex Kade:

• Instagram

Support the show