Pretoria’s Cape Town is the Indie Summer Starter We Need
It’s not really a secret: we’re big into indie music. Yeah, indie’s a broad term, but at it’s core I think it’s about music that bucks labels and is better for it – whether that means smart, artful lyrics, off-kilter pop melodies that still get stuck in your head, or instrumentation that’s crafted for hand-clapping. […]
Ari’s Radikoj Does More – and Does It Well
I’ve always been a fan of artists and albums that try to do more. Yeah, I know that that’s a really broad statement. Here’s what I mean: I like when artists push up against the boundaries of convention in genre or song structure. I like when there’s intentionality behind work, when artists build on ideas […]
Like Lions Premieres “Older” and Makes Growing Up Sound Good
At the risk of sounding cliché, life is short. I think the older you get, the shorter it feels. Maybe that’s even truer for people who have pretty-much-chronic nostalgia issues (yeah, I spend way too much time thinking about how the past is gone forever), but I think the sentiment’s fairly universal. You, me, and […]
What Should Be on an Indie Artist’s Website?
You’re an indie musician. What do you put on your website? This is something I’ve been thinking about as I’ve gotten deeper into the world of indie music PR. First, let me put a flag in the ground: I think musician’s websites matter. With all of the platforms out there today – from YouTube to […]
How to Start a Music Blog: 7 Best Tips
Want to learn how to start a music blog? These tips will help. Hopefully. When I started Two Story Melody, I had little-to-no experience in the world of music blogging. Yeah, I knew how to write (for the most part). I also knew the basics of SEO, thanks to a background at a marketing agency. […]
How to Email Music Blogs (to Actually Get Covered)
Ever wondered how to email music blogs? Hey, good question. Getting a review in a tastemaker music blog can be a big plus for an artist’s portfolio. But getting featured is hard. Let’s discuss. I definitely can’t speak for everyone, but I do have a few personal preferences I’ve developed over time based on the […]
Austin Basham – The Story of You and Me for Now
Austin Basham is the rare songwriter whose songs feel broken-in and meaningful right away. Here’s what I mean: for me, at least, songs usually don’t mean much at first. They accumulate meaning over time, the way a snowball picks up snow as it rolls. They gather moments and memories – our own and other people’s […]
How Jase and Stace Wrote “If I Could”
Editor’s note: This piece was written by Jase and Stace, describing the songwriting process behind their single “If I Could”. Jase and Stace is a Brooklyn based duo with heavy influences of soul, rock and funk. The band consists of Wisconsin natives and long-time friends Stacy Werdin and Jason Ewald who released their first single […]
How to Write a Hit Song
Editor’s note: this article was written by Jason Davis, currently the president of Awaken Records, Care For Kids, and the Co-President of booking agency Higher Level Agency and founder of One One 7. His songwriting credentials include an ASCAP award-winning song for the most airplayed song of the year, and he’s worked with stars like […]
William Fitzsimmons’ “Distant Lovers” is Practical, Beautiful, and Devastating
The first time I heard William Fitzsimmons’ voice, he was singing Fleetwood Mac in my Discover Weekly playlist. I was captivated. There’s always been a delicateness to William Fitzsimmons music. Listen through any of his albums, and you’ll quickly get the idea. His vocals, almost whispered, shiver with a haunting gentleness that makes the words […]
