Independent Artist Audit

On this episode, I sit down with Philadelphia based Caroline Quinn, who was featured in part 10 of the Independent Artist Audit.  She covers her path from musical theater to songwriting, the viral run of "ALIEN ON MY MIND", her feature on the Independent Artist Audit and the Halloween release of her new single "Lilith."  This episode is packed with great information on building your artist image, taking studio music live and growing an audience online.

Episode Highlights

• Her recent show at MilkBoy and the indie rock scene in Philadelphia
• Moving from acoustic solo to backing tracks with a full band and live performance dynamics
• The similarities and differences of cheesesteaks and deep dish pizza
• Her theater background: Carnegie Hall at 14, then musical theater at Montclair State University
• Summer stock in Maine, burnout, and losing her love of performing
• Phoebe Bridgers as the reason she started songwriting, plus Berkeley online songwriting courses and her first full song, "Cry"
• Meeting and working with producer Ross Bellenoit, and recording at Turtle Studios, Birchbox Studios and Morningstar Studios
• I pitch her several ideas for stage names, all of them terrible
• Our paths crossing and her reaction to my review of CLANKER and we go through some comments on the post
• We do a deep dive on her track CLANKER that was featured on the Independent Artist Audit
• How she recorded her vocal for the track "Twenty Five Years," a song about body image and self hate, in one take
• "ALIEN ON MY MIND" going viral on TikTok in spring 2025, that lead to 150K streams of her song
• Instagram growth from about 3,300 to 11K+ followers through embracing weirdness, "feeding fans" and jump-scare edits
• "Lilith" releasing on Halloween, how she handles hate comments, and album plans for January on vinyl (title not yet announced)

Connect with Caroline Quinn

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caroline_quinn/
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Y0muXMkSFnDw4eMguwGo4?si=VPQut8sTSv-O_cFwEZrilw
• Bandcamp: https://carolinequinn.bandcamp.com/music

Connect with the Show 

• Matthew McGrath on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewmcgrathmusic/
• Follow the podcast: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/podcast
• Submit Your Music for consideration: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/links

On this episode of the podcast, I sit down with Songbird, the pop singer-songwriter from New Jersey whose music has reached TV and whose independent career is built on constant writing, self-booked shows, and a lot of family support. We talk about how she went from childhood piano lessons and family singalongs to Nashville sessions, a stage name that stuck, and the shark-inspired idea that became her song she’s most proud of, Dry Land - which is the track that was featured in part 4 of the Independent Artist Audit.

Episode Highlights:

• Songbird’s background and early musical life, how she grew up in a musical family, with a musician dad who introduced her to music and how he’s been her biggest champion
• How she became Songbird, she tells the story behind her artist identity
• Writing her first songs and how her songwriting has evolved 
• The origin of Dry Land, how the song started as a shark idea because she loves sharks and wanted to write something more descriptive and metaphorical than her earlier literal writing
• Why Dry Land works emotionally, even though it came from her own inspiration, listeners have connected it to other meanings in their lives
• Recording process and vocal prep - how she preps her voice for recording and performing
• How Dry Land was recorded and produced with some collaborators in Nashville
• She tells the story behind the making of the “Dry Land” music video
• The story behind getting a sync placement on Temptation Island
• Her process for booking her own gigs 
• Why she values community, we both emphasize how important it is to support independent artists with real engagement
• She lists her top 5 favorite vocalists
• A Jersey debate - she explains the Taylor ham vs. pork roll question from her perspective

Connect with Songbird:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songbirdofficialmusic/

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/78oS3MKZ0n6AtoQVqsOyWB?si=bJRecUeoR5asPp42TC_ElA

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/songbirdofficialmusic

Connect with the Show:

Follow the Podcast: https://ffm.to/2dayqn2

Submit Your Music for the Independent Artist Audit: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/

On this episode of the podcast, I sit down with a rapper/singer duo from central California called A.P.L.O. and Boodah Akil.  Their track “Sun Girl” was featured on part 3 of the Independent Artist Audit.  We have a fun discussion about how they met, the making of their album Studio 85, their feature on the audit and dive even deeper on “Sun Girl”.

Episode Highlights:

• Each of their musical backgrounds, which coincidentally involved each of them making music in their cars before ever having met
• The making of their album “Sun Girl” and why they chose to keep their individual artist names instead of creating a duo
• Promoting their album and how it evolved from simple disco themed reels into more cinematic skits, on location shoots, and entertainment-first content approach.
• A deeper dive on their track “Sun Girl”
• Future plans, including social media content that is “absolute cinema”, a deluxe version of their album and performing live.
• They talk about local wins, including Wild 106 radio support, listener Shazams, and a comment from the station that helped push one of their songs into regular rotation.
• They reflect on the album artwork, the friend-group-in-the-park vibe, and the way the visual branding connects to the music and the whole summer concept.
• We do a tier ranking of “terms of endearment” and they hilariously rank the greeting types (i.e. bro, brother, dude, buddy)
• I try and guess what A.P.L.O. stands for and we eventually find out
• What keeps them going as independent artists

Connect with A.P.L.O. and Boodah Akil:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/young_aplo & https://www.instagram.com/boodahakil

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7hRllRajDE83leW6gcnrtS?si=NkhlVdtESW2jxajtc0LNHA

Linktree: https://beacons.ai/youngaplo & https://linktr.ee/boodahakil

Connect with the Show:

Follow the Podcast: https://ffm.to/2dayqn2

Submit Your Music for the Independent Artist Audit: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/

On this episode of the podcast, I’m sitting down with Australian singer-songwriter Caleb Foster.  Caleb was featured on part 2 of the Independent Artist Audit.  We have an engaging discussion about his musical upbringing, life as a full time gigging musician, his feature on the audit and dive even deeper on his song “Should’ve Stayed Home”.

Episode Highlights:

• Caleb's musical influences, blending gospel, folk, pop and country styles
• Transition from a career in coffee, finance, and education into full-time musician
• The story behind his impromptu gig on a train after a car breakdown
• The role of social media, streaming, and fan engagement in promotion of your music
• Importance of professionalism, communication, and soft skills in the music business
• We discuss his unsolicited voice memo pitching me the inspiration behind “Should’ve Stay Home”
• The creative process for "Should've Stayed Home," including emotional journaling prior to recording
• Vocal techniques, range, and influences from other artists
• His process for recording and working with his producer
• Strategies for keeping his voice healthy and warm-up routines
• Why engaging with your fans on social media is crucial and the significance of thick skin
• Future plans, including residencies, collaborations, and moving towards more of a focus on his original music

Connect with Caleb:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calebfostermusic/

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ynw73mUaAkjg1VErWrMT0?si=guMi5IDFQEWbRlLyd21XyA

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/calebfostermusic

Connect with the Show:

Follow the Podcast: https://ffm.to/2dayqn2

Submit Your Music for the Independent Artist Audit: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/

On this episode of the podcast, I’m sitting down with two members of the band Goo, which is the band that was featured in the very first Independent Artist Audit episode.  I have a delightful "chinwag" with Kurt and Tanisha, we cover many topics and this episode is full of insights from a band that is currently on their first headlining tour in Europe.

Episode Highlights:

• Their musical journey as a band: How they met, their individual musical backgrounds and what lead them to where they are today 
• Tour life: We discuss their experience on their first headlining tour as they’re currently touring around Europe supporting their debut album “Oh Wow, Oh Well” as well as their pre-show rituals.
• The inner workings of their songwriting process: They discuss their collaborative style for songwriting and how everyone in the band contributes.
• The making of their debut album “Oh Wow, Oh Well”: We hear about their track selection, the writing process as well as how it was recorded and produced.
• The first installment of the Independent Artist Audit: We hear their side of being featured as the first artist on the independent artist audit.
• Deep Dive on “Tiny Dinosaur That Only I Can See”: We go even deeper on the song featured on the audit and discuss how they recorded it as well as how they played it live on BBC Introducing and hear how the song title came from the most unlikely of places.
• Advice for up and coming bands: They talk about their proudest moment as a band and give their advice to up and coming bands on what it takes to be a successful band.

Whether you’re a fan of their music or an independent artist trying to navigate the modern landscape, this conversation is full of takeaways.  I hope you enjoy!

Connect with Goo:

• Instagram: @whoaregoo
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7fJGD539mLVYgU1cPtlY3Y?si=Gk4Pje4qQDSwokq1h-VZlw
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/googoogoo

Connect with the Show:

• Follow the Podcast: https://ffm.to/2dayqn2
• Submit Your Music for the Independent Artist Audit: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/

On this episode of the podcast, I sit down with two members of The Car I Drive - the band that helped me complete my "500 follower challenge".

We discuss their musical journey, how a geographically split band collaborates and the inspiration behind their track, "In Orbit".

Episode Highlights:

• The Origin Story: How they met, their individual musical backgrounds, and the unexpected story behind their band name.
• The 500 Follower Challenge: How my song review challenge landed on their radar, their reactions to it and we go through some of the comments left on the reel.
• The Modern Indie Grind: Why they choose a single-focused release strategy over traditional albums, and how they make a long distance band dynamic actually work.
• The Lightning Round: I wrap things up by throwing a few totally unexpected questions their way.

Whether you’re a fan of their music or an indie artist trying to navigate the modern streaming landscape, this conversation is full of takeaways.  I hope you enjoy!

Connect with “The Car I Drive”:

• Instagram: @the.caridrive 
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PVoX0Bsiwfx9Owi2jMn9z?si=0jGhcB4QSaK_aZbAvuem9A
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thecaridrive
• Support on Bandcamp: https://tr.ee/BKCF-IN8fI

Connect with the Show:

• Follow the Podcast: https://ffm.to/2dayqn2
• Submit Your Music for the Independent Artist Audit: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/

Welcome to the very first episode of the podcast! Every movement has a beginning and in this episode, I take you behind the scenes to share the story of how it all started. From a lifetime passion for making music to navigating the modern independent artist landscape, I break down my personal creative background and the exact moment I decided to pivot into reviewing music and connecting with other artists.

Discover the backstory of the "500 Follower Challenge," the spark that forced a massive leap out of the comfort zone, and how a simple desire to build a community evolved into the Independent Artist Audit series.

Whether you're a long-time follower from Instagram or just discovering the community, this episode sets the stage for the deep dives into the artist journey, songwriting, music production and promotion, and the independent artist life.

Inside this episode:

• Matthew's creative background and musical roots
• The struggle of being an independent artist
• The story behind the pivot into reviewing music and featuring others
• The 500 Follower Challenge: The challenge that started it all
• The birth and evolution of the Independent Artist Audit