Things On My Mind

So with social media and what seems like a million and one new web sites, apps, videos, on line what ever you can think of, a person could go mad.
You set up a site and get things rolling, then promote it on line spend more and more trying to get people to listen, like, share, watch, and hopefully buy your music.
You set goals, you plan, re plan, change plans, make phone calls, book shows, fliers fliers and more fliers.
When is too much too much? You know, The burn out you get trying to hustle you shows, web site, facebook, iTunes, youTube channel, and your music.
What about the T shirts and CD? Didn't even start on that ... what now?
Well one of the most effective things you can do is start out with a simple band logo. Something clean simple and that says every thing about your music as you can in one quick flash. Sadly that that seems to be our ever shrinking attention span in this digital world.
Old fashioned hard work, hands one, one to one, in person interactions are what will make things happen.
 Some times, like I am in now, no matter how many phone calls or emails you send you just can not catch a break and line up a gig.
So what do you do when you hit a wall like this?
Start planning your own shows in or at nontraditional locations. At different times, with other groups or artist.
Hey, why not even plan on on line web cast shows.

When you are looking at odd places to play the best bet is go out with a hand full of demo CD's, a business card, a one page sheet with a quick write up on your act and even throw that on the back of a band promo photo printed off on a 8 X 10 page.
With all of these in Tow for setting up shows the most important things you need are very simple.

1. Act or artist name on every thing.
2. Contact name and phone numbers, email
3. Web site addresses (keep it simple 3 should be more then enough)
4. A quick list of your last shows. A simple list of place, date, time and if you have how many people came out (draw).
5. Always smile and say thank you! no matter the out come.

When you can go out and meet face to face you will get better response from Booker's, bar owners, venue coordinators and any one else that is a gate keeper to a place you want to play. It shows a more professional attitude and you just handed over more information to get you the show then and phone call or email will get you. The person you deal with or talk to will have something to go over, listen to, and have in hand or site on their desk to remind them you are serious. 

Its just like looking for a job. Your promo kit is your resume. Make it look good. Get it in their hands. Smile and be thankful of every ones time. 

Also one thing to think about if you get that show right then and there do you ask right of way if they know of any other places that are looking for bands to play? That is a hard one you never know they may see it as taking business away from them down the road. 

At the end of your show make sure you thank the person who let you in to play, and ask if you can come back again in the near future. Always good to try and play the same place a few times, you start building regular fans easier if they know where you are on a regular basis.

Any How things to think about. Things to try.

you may have a better spin on some of these.

Drop a line if you have something you could add to this!

Keep on Rockin!

   

Been way too long.

Life as we all know can get busy and complicated.
I've been away from this blog for a bit too long.

So what have I been up too.
Well I've played a few open mic nights, played a few shows, played a few battle of the bands, and set up a very quick fund raiser show on the May long weekend.

The battle of the bands I took part in was fun. I met a bunch of people and made a few very good contacts. One of those contacts was with a private studio owner. It was cool we've been chatting a bunch here and there. I got in for a quick session and recorded 2 of my songs. So i now have 4 songs done solo, one voice and one acoustic guitar. I am hoping I can get back there soon and pin down 2 more songs. The 4 i have done are up on my reverbnation web site / page. you can check them out here www.reverbnation.com/kevinfrey  You can also find one of them up on iTunes. Plus I have a second one on iTunes and half of each sale of that one is going to a Youth shelter group in my area.

The fund raiser show was kind of neat. I opened the show and had a good friend Jenessa Dawn play second, Followed by local country duo The Command Sisters, and local rockers REND Finished it off.
With only having about 4 days to get every thing in place I had a little help from The Town of Stony Plain, they let us use a great out door stage. The stage Hosts for the last number of year the Blueberry Bluegrass festival.
The sound gear was lent to us by Music Center Canada in Spruce Grove. Many thanks to Allen for helping us out and lending his banner for us to show he helped.

So not to sure what else to say right now. I don't want to bore the snot out of any one. I will try like mad to keep a bit more up to date on things.

Almost forgot, Been tinkering with live web casts. have done 3 shows so far and the only disappointment I have so far is trying to get people to stop in and watch for the 15 minute mini shows I've been doing. I'll be back at it for one more on Tuesday the 23 of July 2013. In the evening about 8 pm local time. Here is the direct link to the show information http://www.stageit.com/kevin_frey/tuesday_night_busking_from_home_3/25862
You can sign up and log in for free. I will be doing my show for the first while as basically free. Pay what you can and there will also be a tip jar if you think I'm doing good. (don't let them know I said this ... but they give you a hand full of tokens to start with) The tokens on the site is what you can buy tickets with or leave tips with for each act you watch. I'll try and do up a review on stageit.com as soon as I can and after I've gotten a better feel for the site.

Keep on Rockin!
Have a great Weekend!

Another song on iTunes

So I have been tinkering and got one more of my songs up on iTunes.

I put the song "I Want A Change" up on iTunes. It hit the online store on the last day of 2012 I believe. It is up there, on amazon.com and at cdbaby.

What I am trying to do with this song is help out a local charity organization. They are running way behind what they need to keep youth going with shelter and the basics like food and clothing.
The group is YESS, you can check them out at www.yess.org

So what I have started is $0.50 of each down load of the song will go to them. I will be doing this for the whole year of 2013.

This is the store link https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/i-want-a-change-single/id591050217
This is the cdbaby link http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kevinfrey2

Think of it as helping someone who needs a chance. The song will last with you for a life time, and costs less then that cup of fancy coffee that will only last 10 or 15 minutes.

Hope you all have a great day.

And many many thanks for helping out!

Cheers!
Kevin

Song Up on CD Baby

So I've been thinking about this idea for a while.
I want to help out a local charity of some sort.
Trying hard to think of many ways to go about this, from playing shows, to part of merchandise sales and a tone of other things. One idea I had is in the works, we'll see if it pans out. I went and drafted up a letter and sent it off to a few bigger named artist inviting them out my way to play a show. I have a place that holds 300 and is a ticket master location, So who knows it might happen.

Another thing I had thought about is putting one of my songs out on iTunes and all the other places and have a part of the sales go to the place I have picked.

So here is the idea.
$0.50 of each down load sale of my song "I Want A Change" will be going to YESS from now till the end of 2013.
I want to run this for at least a year and see how it works out.

Now you can get the song right now on CD baby, iTunes, amazon and the others will be coming on line soon I am hoping. But to get things rolling you can hit up the link here http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kevinfrey2

A bit about the song. I wrote the song in 2006 and did a home recording on an old 4 track tape recorder. From there with the very basic tools and toys I moved it onto my computer and did all that fun stuff that I could. I do plan on one day getting it done in studio and with a full band. But for now the idea is to help out YESS in the first and simplest way I can think of.

So I now ask for your help. Pop in there get the song and spread the word. Let me know here that you got the song and I will do a Random Draw each month for a CD with a bunch of my songs on it, Totally custom for you! I may even throw in a bonus personalized thank you ... maybe a song maybe a video ... lets see if we can make this roll!

Cheers!
And Keep on Rockin!
Kevin

Been Thinking

So I know its been a while since I last posted anything here on the way of promoting a band. Life has had me busy.
I am working on a few different things these days. one of the ideas I have floating around in my head is a quick guide to promoting your band. Kind of like a great big check list of things to do and things to think about.
I am going to try and get something up for the beginning of the new year. I am going to try and cover as many things as I can, keep it reasonably simple and try and give you as many cost effective tips as I can.
Sort of a Promote your band on a shoe string budget kind of deal.

In the mean time I am getting geared up for another battle of the bands and trying to stash away a bit of money so I can get back into a studio to record a few more songs.
If your wondering one song is up and running on CD baby, iTunes, amazon mp3, and a handful of other sites. You can also find it now on soundcloud. My Way To You by Kevin Frey

I've also been working on some side projects, one of them is painting. I set up a quick blog and started posting pictures of my painting on www.thepainthabbit.blogspot.com
The little paintings are reasonably quick to do and I have started taking them to the odd show as a very different kind of merch to sell. All one of a kind and signed. There are also a few pencil drawing in the mix too. Just one more outlet for ideas to flow. who knows I might end up painting an album cover.
Why not add this as a merchandise idea to you sales table?

For now have fun and Kepp on Rockin!
Cheers,
Kevin