What is musical success anyway?

What is success anyway? Most of the bands I loved never sold many records or made any money - Voivod, Celtic Frost, Jerry Goodman, Andre LeFosse, Badfinger, Acid Reign etc were/are certainly not rich through music.

So success is really making music you are happy with, its the only way to define success and stay sane.

I think its amazing that my album Ghost connected to an audience of a few thousand people. Its never going to mean anything to the mainstream but to me they are numbers I didn't expect and I've made some good friends along the way.  The support of Echoes Radio, Classic Rock Prog, R2, the dividing line guys, word of mouth from the audience and hundreds of bloggers and podcasters has made a massive difference. I am eternally grateful (and surprised).

So now I have a new album almost done - just overdubs to do really. We'll add bass, drums and violins next (mellotron is already on there). I hope it connects to the audience like Ghost did, I really do but its not written as Ghost 2:The Cash In - its really different, REALLY REALLY different. Electric guitars - more percussion, thrashy bits. All sorts. There are still the melodies and the odd timings but I don't believe the route to success is to repeat the past.

The trick is to do music you honestly love and are excited about and hope others feel the same. Thats all you can do. You can't patronise your audience, you need to take risks  - who cares about safe music (those that do will be off listening to bands remaking Porcupine Tree/Marillion records anyway).

Prog On

My song 8.19 is on the CD with this mag:

And Kev designed me a new album cover:

(Its the future)

Hope to see some of you at the Peel sarf London tomorrow - I'm supporting Credo.....

MS

New album nearly done....

I think we are getting there with my new album. To be honest I'm worried about releasing it in the same year as the Fierce And The Dead album. I don't want to push my luck but I'm really keen to play you what I've recorded....

The track listing so far is:

Rusty
Nightbus
20 GOTO 10
Rushden Fair
Up
Scapegoat
Frost
Sand (Part 2)
Relic
30 END

It may change but so far this feels right. There is still some recording to do but basic tracks are down - its overdubs then mixing then mastering to go.

Lets get the Fierce And The Dead record done first....

But heres the thing....(no, its not "proper prog")

My music is niche, but, BUT many 1000's of people have downloaded/torrented/shared and paid for my album. Hundreds of thousands of people have heard it on the radio in America and thousands of people have read about it in magazines. Hundreds of bloggers, hundreds of podcasters.

That's weird isn't it?

One of those "proper prog" types said the other day that he couldn't see a market for my music. This is wrong, I make a living from this music. People do buy my records and tell their friends about it (and I'm very grateful they do).

My audience tends to be a mixture of Post Rock/Prog/Acoustic Musicians/Guitarists/Social Media people who have followed my story and people who are just interested in new music. A lovely cross section of people.

I know its not proper prog, I've no interest in doing that - I do have a healthy respect for that scene and I love a lot of the classic records (massive King Crimson/Floyd fan). The "proper prog" guys are the same people who would have complained that King Crimson Red wasn't "proper Crimson" because it didn't sound like the first album, they don't like change and fear it. Sure prog is still short for progressive?

Most prog fans are open minded and it's largely a bloody lovely community, my stuff crosses over between Post Rock and Prog (apparently) so its not clear always who the audience are but I'm really pleased about how my music has been accepted. I don't think of it as any genre but I think it reflects my influences - Radiohead, King Crimson, The Smiths, Husker Du, Carcass, Mahavishnu Orchestra etc. As played on a acoustic guitar without vocals but with a sampler.

His point was Ghost was too polite, but it isn't - I don't think - it's not a safe record, it's not a rewrite of Porcupine Tree/Genesis like the bands those guys like. Surely it's better to try and do something new? And if it doesn't "rock" like a "proper" band surely that's interesting?

I want to make edgy records, just not in an obvious way. I want people to discover the layers in the music, make records with depth. I know a lot of people don't like my stuff but there is most certainly an audience for it, it's just a case of working out how big that audience is, it's already bigger than I thought it was.   When you make records in your kitchen you don't expect hundreds of thousands of people to hear it!

I'm really proud of Ghost, I'm making another record at the moment which some people will love and some will hate (and this seems to polarise as you become better known).

I couldn't make this record without the support of my listeners. I'm really passionate about this music, it's very, very important to me.

And if you fancy downloading my album and helping me to make another album it would be hugely appreciated.....

The Future (and goodbye Ghost)

Today I sent off the last few promotional Ghost CDs and I believe I've done everything I could do to promote it. It sold far more than I could ever have imagined and I feel I've connected to a small and loyal audience, which I am incredibly pleased about. Its been played on the radio all over the world and the press/blogger/podcast community have been amazing. Thanks so much for all your support, I think we proved a point there.

I've achieved what I set out to do and become a professional musician in the process. This time last year my back injury was so bad that I thought I'd never play again! I never wanted to be on TV or a "Rock Star" it always looked like a path to very difficult social situations. I'm quite a shy person really. I've hit the level of obscurity I always dreamed of (Rushden people aren't known for our ambition)  :)

So where do I go now?

I've achieved what I wanted to achieve, so what goals should be next? The Fierce And The Dead album is out next month and that signs off another project. Hopefully we'll get to play the songs live and do some more recording. It all depends how the album does, although the reaction to the single has been incredible. We're single of the week on Alarm Press.

My next album is nearly done, me and Kev Feazey will finish that soon, hopefully. That concludes the "guitar trilogy". Thats me done.

Yonks stuff is backed up ready for release, but that's more a "research and development" project at the moment. We'll see what happens there....

Where next?

First lots of acoustic gigs for the next year or so, then I think it may be time to stop playing these songs and do something else (I really want to establish a live reputation first though).

So what next?

Hopefully working on more social media projects, I love helping musicians connect to an audience. The social media stuff I've done in the last year has been great and I'm very proud to have been part of those projects.

Some time out from music for a bit possibly? A job that is exciting that doesn't involve music?

An electric solo album with a band? An Ableton Live electronic type album, with no guitars? A new band, with vocals? One off collaborations? An ambient project?

None of the above?

I don't know but one thing I have learned is that I am not keen on a lot of the social climbing required within the music industry and whilst I'm happy in the musical niche I'm in I'm not sure I can see myself expanding beyond that (unless some sort of soundtrack thing happens). I'd rather watch an old Doctor Who episode with my wife than go and hang around backstage at a gig or music industry event, most of those people don't interest me. I like spending time with my audience though, they are lovely.

There are only ever going to be a certain number of people who like what I do, its finite.  I'm lucky that the people who do like what I do are a) lovely people and b) very supportive. But its never going to be mainstream music, most people aren't interested. Its a niche within a niche within a niche. I feel very lucky to have the audience I have but I'm not sure its possible to expand it that much. I don't know to be honest and if you want to tell your friends about my music that would be AWESOME :)

What will happen in the next few years I don't know, the industry is moving so fast and I think what will happen there will be lots more artists with small loyal fan bases using the methods I've been messing around with in the last few years.

Lets see what happens, one thing I've learned is that you never know whats round the corner......

What would you replace the rather dreary God save the Queen with as the national anthem?

King Crimson - Red

Ask me anything

New Fierce And The Dead single

Finally the new Fierce And The Dead  single is out and its pay what you want from:

http://thefierceandthedead.bandcamp.com/album/10x10

The Fierce And The Dead are the band I play guitar in. Please tell your friends, word of mouth is so important for us.

It only took us a year to get this far.....

Our album is out in May. Thanks loads to everyone who has downloaded and paid for my solo stuff in the last few weeks and watched the online streaming gigs, its unexpected and hugely appreciated. The online gigs are are archived here and you can buy CDs from here.

Thanks loads

Matt Stevens