A quote from Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins) has been rolling round in my head he said “Artists that break through now have grown up thinking that being famous is the goal,” he said on stage at SXSW.
I interviewed a 17 year old a few years ago for a job in office administration, and I asked that old interview chestnut “where do you want to be in 5 years time” her answer
“I wanna be famous” impressed by her ambition and self confidence, I asked her what she does that could bring her fame (and I assume her belief was that the fortune would follow the fame), I then discovered that she had no particular skill, talent or passion to build on. I asked her how she thought people got ‘famous” and was shocked that she said “luck”.
In the short lifespan of Ragged Moon (and our previous incarnation!) we have come across a few people of all ages that believe luck and a scatter gun approach will bring them the sought after fame and fortune. That ‘getting signed’ means you have ‘arrived’. The reality could not be further from the truth. There is no substitute for the hard graft, business sense and talent that it takes to make it as an artist. By making it I mean making a reasonable living, or supplementary living as a musician.
I love being around artists that have drive and ambition, and that can bring that enthusiasm to all aspects of their musical career. The work ethic that sits behind the practice - connecting with the fans and building a fan base, getting up on stages night after night and delivering the same set and having an audience believing the performance is heartfelt and genuine, understanding the complex business of the music industry and the multitude of revenue streams that are necessary to quarry in order to make ends meet - doing all of this and maintaining a style that weathers the storms and trends of a fickle public is a truly impressive thing to behold. Not many manage it, but I can honestly say when you meet people with that hunger, passion and energy to succeed in this industry- not for the sake of fame, but for the love of their craft it is truly inspiring.
Living as a professional musician doesn’t have a destination, it’s more like a journey. There are spectacular moments the hard work never stops there. For some of the ‘one hit wonders’, you wonder what has become of these people. Rarely if ever does the hit generate enough income to retire on but for those whose work is their passion, it can be better to aim for a career that has more longevity. That is to say, they may not be the most famous person in Britain, but for those fans who know and love their music, they will have a loyal following for the length of their career. (Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits etc.)
Many stories of artists who were ‘discovered’ are highly embellished (made up), for publicity. People looking for success can be mislead by these tales into thinking that some angelic label rep will one day emerge from the shadows at the back of a venue and offer them riches beyond their dreams. They omit the years of work that lead up to a strategic and contrived meeting with ‘the right person at the right time’, and the years of sales and graft that can come to pay back the generous advance and pop star lifestyle.
Over this summer we have had the privilege to work with some exceptionally talented, hard working and focussed people, both those signed to our label, those about to be signed, those performing at the awesome Stroud Fringe Festival, The Sacred Music Festival, Hellens Garden Festival and the many artists that have been through our doors to record this summer. Musicians, I salute you.
