It's funny. I am a drummer and have a decent singing voice. People have complimented my playing over the years and I have been encouraged to take it further. And my response has always been, nah...I can't deny that it is exciting to perform, but I always looked at it that if I did that, it would be a job and it would ruin it. But I did say that it would be nice to be in a one hit wonder band. Just get a taste and then move on with life...
Imagine loving to create music and they want to get you into that system in order to make the kind of music that carries their message. Imagine all the money they invest into you, that you have to payback both as cash and with influence. They don't give a fuck about anyone's art. If you tell them, naw man, I don't make political music, and getting told "well...you do now." Imagine being Lil Wayne and having to kiss Birdman on the lips and call him Daddy to be famous.
One of the best stories about (the band) Rush was their label's pressure to write an album that was more 'accessible' and their response was 'no', even though that could have ended their run right there. The irony was that 2112 was a huge success. But they took control of their own destiny - pros and cons. I don't know if anyone could do that today.
I love that story! There is a more recent version of that, circa 2001/2002 (?) ... I don’t remember the details all that well, but Wilco was dropped from their label for recording and delivering “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”; their label refused to release it, convinced it was commercial suicide. The band was demoralized but eventually got their album released by some minor indie record label, and of course it became their biggest selling album by far.
If you follow a music artist that’s on a big label long enough you will notice after about five years their music changes. That’s for the successful ones that get the freedom after they have proven themselves.
Some never get those freedoms!
That doesn’t necessarily mean the artist is bad, they might have a bad deal or not get promoted.
It's funny. I am a drummer and have a decent singing voice. People have complimented my playing over the years and I have been encouraged to take it further. And my response has always been, nah...I can't deny that it is exciting to perform, but I always looked at it that if I did that, it would be a job and it would ruin it. But I did say that it would be nice to be in a one hit wonder band. Just get a taste and then move on with life...
I loved video games, went into reviewing and when I quit I didn't touch video games for a decade.
I went into learning how to develop video games for my college degree, and it destroyed the magic of video games for me.
Same for my son.
Every game I have played in the last few years has a level where the main man character has to wear a dress. I am not kidding.
Imagine loving to create music and they want to get you into that system in order to make the kind of music that carries their message. Imagine all the money they invest into you, that you have to payback both as cash and with influence. They don't give a fuck about anyone's art. If you tell them, naw man, I don't make political music, and getting told "well...you do now." Imagine being Lil Wayne and having to kiss Birdman on the lips and call him Daddy to be famous.
One of the best stories about (the band) Rush was their label's pressure to write an album that was more 'accessible' and their response was 'no', even though that could have ended their run right there. The irony was that 2112 was a huge success. But they took control of their own destiny - pros and cons. I don't know if anyone could do that today.
I love that story! There is a more recent version of that, circa 2001/2002 (?) ... I don’t remember the details all that well, but Wilco was dropped from their label for recording and delivering “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”; their label refused to release it, convinced it was commercial suicide. The band was demoralized but eventually got their album released by some minor indie record label, and of course it became their biggest selling album by far.
If you follow a music artist that’s on a big label long enough you will notice after about five years their music changes. That’s for the successful ones that get the freedom after they have proven themselves. Some never get those freedoms! That doesn’t necessarily mean the artist is bad, they might have a bad deal or not get promoted.