GOING SOLO....NOT ALONE - WORDS OF ADVICE FOR SOLO ARTISTS
Being a woman in the music industry is stressful in any capacity; as a producer, songwriter, musician, etc. Probably the most difficult role for a woman to play in this biz is that of a solo artist. If you are in a band, you have...band mates! That’s like having a bunch of BFF’s to help shoulder much of the burden of running a music business. But when it’s just you….whoooooooah. It can be rough. It’s not only required that you navigate the treacherous waters of the industry but you have to do it alone. It's more about surviving mentally and emotionally. What can a solo artist do to not feel….so alone?
Work With Others
As fun as playing your best drum machine may be or learning to make your own beats in a DAW, it is no replacement for the synergy that can happen when you create with a fellow human being. Working alone can keep you stuck in a rut as we tend to create the same way until someone pushes us to do otherwise. Find other writers that are interested in collaborating. See if you can find a few songwriters that have their own unique style or have special strengths. If you are a beat maker, write with an acoustic guitar player or a pianist or find a beat maker if you are the pianist, etc. If you usually write lyrics and melodies first, work with someone who will feed you a chord progression or a fully produced beat. You’ll be amazed by what comes out of you! I’m not saying it will be easy but that is the point. This is to stretch you and develop areas in your skills that might be weak.
Create a Separate Persona
Even if your artist persona is “YOU”, it’s important to think and share this artist persona in a way that reminds you that you are not the artist the world is seeing. Some artists like David Bowie or Prince or Lady Gaga took it to the extreme, creating a character of sorts that is instantly recognizable. You don’t have to go crazy with the character but by simply separating YOU as the artist and YOU as a human in your mind will help you detach from bad press, negative comments or the inevitable stress that comes from being a solo artist. Remember, you decide what parts of you to share with the world.
Prioritize Self-Care
Being a workaholic is definitely overrated. Especially in the “you gotta hustle” advice being thrown at artists from every angle. Here’s the secret; hustle does not mean sacrificing every other thing in your life to focus on that one thing. That “one thing” is doomed if you burn out every wick in your candle, burn every relationship bridge and fry your soul from lack of nourishment. How’s that for dramatic? But it’s true! What if the advice was simply to prioritize self-care over everything else? What if you exchange the word “hustle” for “be consistent”? That could mean that in your 24 hour day, you have an hour set aside for the gym, an hour set aside for vocal work, 30 minutes set aside for writing exercises, an hour set aside for meditation, contemplation or reading or whatever helps you relax. Perhaps it’s 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes at night. Write it in your schedule. Put it on your To-Do list. Whatever helps you feel more likely to make it happen, do it.
