All this stuff about quality will out is total crap.

I have seen the best songwriters of my generation die unpublished, utterly neglected. (Garth Brooks says stuff like that to reassure himself that his songs aren't as unmemorable as I find them.) In some cases, I've known guys who could hold a whole audience in the palm of their hands for an evening with their own songs - but it wasn't Britpop, or shitpop - or whatever the buzzword was this week.

The answer is, that there isn't an easy answer.

My only hit came because I knew someone else who had had a hit record who gave me an address - and it was a cool idea for for a song. All the top soap stars were queuing up to sing my song - in fact the asshole music company put my version of the song in competition with a soap star cover version - so it got a lower chart position than it should have done. These people aren't bright - just very powerful.

After that, my songs were listened to for a while but I didn't have the whole package - a live act, something photogenic(and by that I don't necessarily mean some thing sexy - but something memorable to photgraph that will make magazine editors say - I want THAT as a picture in my pages) - knowledge of how to get value for money in a recording studio - remember you are up against people like Elton John who is looking for a bigger tax loss than your recording budget for a lifetime.

Basically what I'm saying to you is USE your intelligence and originality. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. If it were about musical talent, or creativity - I'm sure half of these people on mudcat would be too busy signing autographs to spend time here.

So
1) network - make contacts particularly with other musicians - who knows where the lightning will strike! Don't make enemies wantonly - most musicians could start an argument in an empty house. Its not smart.

2)Practise doing mailshots making up news stories about your band - find an image that catches the eye. Work on the internet - the local press - get your act togetether. Find something interesting to say about you. If not make it up - the lead guitarists drug problem, the gig/song dedicated to your dying mother, the hidden tragedy of your brother on death row - there is no bad taste in this world of people with no taste. Who knows a big magazine might run a feature if you catch their attention.


Similarly practise what you are going to say in radio interviews - these guys might respect sincerity, but they take notice of professionalism. A radio interview is a creative opportunity - a chance to make yourself a bit more famous. Nobody is interested in the real you - probably not even your parents - but everybody wants to be entertained - whether they know it or not.


3) if you hear a record that sounds a bit like something you want to achieve - look who the producer is, and find out what you can about him.

If I were capable of doing all that - I'd be a clever man. Do what you can though. if you do, and it doesn't work out - well at least you gave it a shot! And there are worse things to do with your life.

thats all I can think of - best of luck!

al