A Tale of Two Tasks

My father and I sat in my childhood bedroom and talked about my music career. We’d just spent the last hour analyzing graphs of how my music was performing on streaming services, trying to pick apart what was working and what wasn’t.“Putting it out on Spotify is one way, but there’s got to be something bigger,” he said. I’d had some success on streaming services, gathering a few million plays on Spotify and Apple Music for my blend of melodic and chill electronic music.But recently, after venturing out into more experimental territory with my sound, I was finding out that the music I really enjoyed making wasn’t performing all too well.

As we chatted, one thing was becoming more clear: I wasn’t going to make a living as a musician at the rate I was going.

So my dad assigned me two tasks:

1. Recreate one of my more successful songs and see what happens.

2. Think about a new way to get music out to the world.

The first challenge was pretty straightforward, albeit a bit uninspiring. More on that later. But the second task was less clear. My dad suggested I could reach out to someone at Netflix and launch a series based around my music. In the back of my head, I thought, “That’s just not how this works…”

Nevertheless, I put both tasks on my to-do list. Every few weeks, Task Two would pop up: “Spend one hour thinking about different ways to release music.”

I would look at it, then push off the due date for a few weeks. Eventually, after several months of procrastination on Task Two, I deleted it from my to-do list. It just didn’t really seem possible in today’s streaming-entrenched era.

Despite removing Task Two from my to-do list, it would come back into my life when I needed it the most.

My Dad, the Experimenter

In 2018, I quit my job at a music production software company to go full-time on my music career. Since there's no real career path for independent musicians, my dad offered to lend me a hand. We would meet every two months to set goals and measure the progress in my career.My dad was an experimenter. As a chemical engineer, he spent most of his life running simulations, tweaking parameters, and analyzing data to make sense of the world. He worked for decades writing software to solve problems some thought were too large to tackle. In his free time, he built binary clocks from scratch.With the knowledge he gained from running his own business -- alongside his borderline obsession with spreadsheets -- my dad guided me on my journey. He was especially keen to help as it had been a dream of his to be a record producer when he was younger. Alas, life took him in a different direction, but he kept up with his love of music and curiosity for how it was created.We chatted during one of our meetings after I had released my ‘Last Chance At Life’ album — an experimental foray which aimed to push the boundaries of electronic music. My manager Steve and I spent countless hours perfecting the tunes and accompanying storyline, complete with a 10 chapter story and a unique piece of art for each song.But when the time came to promote the work, I hit a brick wall. Calling it an uphill battle would be an understatement.Seeing the difficulty I was having promoting this avant-garde music, my dad suggested I use a more data-driven approach to my music.

Task One

One of my best performing songs on Spotify, Cul de Sac also happened to be one of my dad’s favorites. The tune had landed on a few big Spotify editorial playlists and racked up a couple million plays. He had a feeling that a similar sounding song would achieve similar success, so he suggested I try to recreate it.I was skeptical but decided to humor him.I got to work on Task One by making a new song with almost the exact same structure, instrumentation, chord progression, drum groove, and vibe. After a few days, Afterglow was born. It was surprisingly fun to mimic my own sound. Usually, I’m inspired by other musicians, but drawing inspiration from myself was actually more fulfilling than I thought it would be.Once I finished the song, it was time to figure out how to package it up. I had released Cul De Sac on a label called Stereofox and decided that they would be the perfect partner to help me recreate the song’s success.I worked together with Stereofox to craft up a four-song EP to be bundled with Cul De Sac, calling it the 'Untangle’ EP. It’s a collection of four songs meant to be listened to on a walk out in nature to help you work out the kinks in your mind.Little did I know, I would be needing quite a lot of help in that department very soon.

The Pandemic Strikes

As 2020 rolled around, I had big plans. I was going to tour the US and Europe, playing my music to live audiences and connecting with fans face-to-face. But as we all know, those plans were quickly dashed by the pandemic.Instead of dwelling on the negative, I decided to focus on what I could do. With live performances off the table, I doubled down on my online presence. I started live streaming performances from my studio, engaging with fans on social media, and collaborating with other artists remotely.I also revisited Task Two: finding new ways to get my music out to the world. This time, I was more open-minded. I started researching emerging platforms and technologies that could help independent musicians like myself reach a broader audience.

Enter the Metaverse

One of the most intriguing concepts I came across was the metaverse. It was still in its early stages, but the idea of a persistent, shared virtual space where people could interact and create content seemed like a perfect fit for musicians like myself.I began exploring ways to leverage the metaverse to promote my music and connect with fans. I collaborated with virtual reality artists to create immersive music experiences and hosted virtual concerts in metaverse spaces.These efforts paid off. I saw a significant increase in engagement and interest in my music, especially from younger audiences who were more accustomed to consuming content in virtual spaces.

The Future of Music

Looking back on my journey as an independent musician, I realize that the music industry is constantly evolving. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, and it's essential to adapt and innovate continuously.

I'm grateful for the support and guidance of my father, whose unconventional approach to problem-solving has inspired me to think outside the box. I've learned that success in the music industry isn't just about making great music; it's also about finding creative ways to share that music with the world.As I continue on my musical journey, I'm excited to see what the future holds. The music industry may be ever-changing, but one thing remains constant: my passion for creating music that inspires and connects with people.