I'm not naming any names as this is my personal query, but...

I have a pal who is a genuinely great roots/folk/blues artist, but is not playing the venues and getting the sales figures he deserves due to not being able to crack into national radio, mainly Radio Two.

His music would be perfect for Bob Harris/Paul Jones/Nick Barraclough's shows, but how does one go about getting from here to there?

Money is very tight so hiring a pricey PR company (again) is out of the question at present. His latest album is exceptional though, and deserves to be heard. It's not pop, but it is top-quality roots stuff that is accessible enough to have a Wilco/Ryan Adams style crossover breakthrough.

What can I/we/he do to get things moving in that respect?

Wilco and Ryan Adams...sounds like part of the so called "Americana" thing to me. Google "Americana" since there is a website and whole musical culture around this style. Sorry, I can't remember the exact web address. Great site with tons of info and gig lists etc to get things going.

You are in for a tough time...competition is very stiff.

Georgia Wonder emailed Bob Harris through the BBC website and then got played two weeks in a row on the Saturday show. It can be done, just keep firing emails off for starters.

From what I`ve experienced this week, I would suggest the old method of getting oneself into town and just starting to play, and expect to get moved on a lot.
The "buskers", as it were, that are ignored, are the ones still constantly singing "Wonderwall" and "Losing My Religion".
(That said , I must give kudos to the lad I heard singing "This Charming Man" on his lonesome).

Be seen and heard.
Tell him to not be afraid of being a pain, it`s very important to not expect things to be happening, but also very important to spot a genuinely not interested client and to avoid wasting time on them.
I am also starting to believe that Myspace is so full it is starting to clog the system, a good reference point, but all to easy to dismiss suddenly.

Some good relevent reviews on there too, Moi.

Hi Mart,

I read your post a couple of times and would like to ask if you literally mean this guy should be busking?

If so, please can you expand on this a little. Methinks that would be a royal waste of time.

Going on the initial post, this chap already has an album - why go busking?

Much obliged Sir..
Adios,
Pete

It may not be helpful but rather than send a CD to the DJ send it to the producer of the show.

Fewer people do so there is a better chance of it getting any attention - better chance being 1:1,000,000,000,000)

Hi Pete;

Yes I am suggesting pinpointed "busking" strategically placed.
I am not suggesting standing outside Tesco`s with a hat.

I have seen a lot of new acts, or on the brink acts, recently and I am seeing a general lack of nerve and charisma and risk taking about.

Without R2 support, for the style of music in question, the record buying audience may not be the gig going type, in this instance and a bigger market needs to be tapped in other ways.

Thanks Mart. It's an interesting thought - I'd like to discuss this further, offline if possible.

Perhaps you can email me at:

audiodrifter@hotmail.co.uk.

Adios,
Pete

Or even to both...?

Belt & Braces, innit?


Adios,

Thanks for the link, Moi.

The fella in question's last album was very well reviewed on americana-uk.com, and actually made the end-of-year top ten list for a staff writer or two.

In fact, the album has had reams and reams of brilliant press, I have yet to see a review for it pitched at less than at minimum 4/5 or 7/10.

Ryan Adams is a fan, he bought both of his albums and has said how much he likes them.

By the end of the year, he'll have played 175+ live dates. But the problem is, most of the live dates are in pubs and most of the reviews haven't translated into sales as the label he's with (although working in partnership with and not signed to at present) is too small to invest in PR, and, although distributed by Proper, don't have enough industry presence to get records racked rather than just listed for order.

We've talked this over for hours. In an ideal world, a deal would come along and they'd take the album and run with it, a ready-to-go-product, and invest in the PR and plugging necessary to get it the exposure it needs and generate sales and a build.

This has yet to happen-not that he's been pushing for it to, but that's another matter-so we figured the best way to go in is at the top. Try to get national radio, then put together a deal with a decent booking agent who can get him out of the toilets and pubs and get him into the venues he deserves to be playing, and build from there.

There is a small but close-knit street team in place, who have been great, but we're a bit blindsided as to what to do to tip the balance at Radio Two. I think getting the street team to put sporadic mailouts to the DJs involved (I know for a fact that producers Phil Swerne of the Bob Harris show and Shiela *name escapes me* of the Nick Barraclough show have copies, so maybe it would be better to mail the producers first) and go from there is a really good idea.

Any more suggestions would be great. I've been working with him on and off, at at present he's juggling all the hats of managing, booking, promoting, writing, recording, webmastering, surviving and just about everything else off his own back unaided. I'd love to see him able to take a bit more time to be the artist rather than being everything else all of the time.

Red, you are trying to play the majors at their own game. Start with smaller FMs that will give you a shot. Get the album on itunes et al. Put some bigger gigs on yourselves to escape "the toilet gigs", expose through regional press, try and get a support with a bigger Americana act. Build it up and THEN worry about going national/international.

Unfortunately, the type of promo campaign you are talking about is going to cost in the order of 10K just for openers on one single and that's without any advertising or a video. And I can also tell you that Radio Two exposure does not automatically translate into sales...many an act has done nothing even after being playlisted with excellent records.

It is a very tough environment indeed at the moment.

If you want to discuss a national radio / press campaign around album & Single for nearer