Two things that make this great:

1. The photo, below, of Steve playing with said broken hand at my 2010 SXSW showcase.

2. “And also with you.”

To: Bob Lefsetz
From: Steve Poltz

Wow! You sure get a lot of action at your blog. Nice work creating a community.

I love playing at The Blue Door in Okc. One of my favorite rooms anywhere on the planet. I either go out for Oklahoma BBQ or Vietnamese Pho with Greg Johnson. We talk baseball and politics and music. He loves his Orioles. I look forward to my next gig there.

I’m pretty lucky. I’ve got friends all over the world who own music venues.  I work 200 plus dates a year. It only comes from repetitive touring and  giving 100% each night even if you’re sick with the flu or have a broken hand. Meeting the people after every show and playing heaps of house concerts. It’s not glamorous but it works.  I travel with only one guy – Chris Modl, who records every show and we sell that show 15 minutes after the gig ends on CDs or 2 gig thumb drives.

I love my job. I’m like a traveling salesman. If I play a good show then people usually buy my wares. T-shirts etc.  If I suck then I have no one to blame but me. I have no mgmt and only my own label 98 pounder records.  I LOVE my booking agent Roggie out of Austin at Rajiworld. She has a great understanding of what I do.  I have different agents I love in Australia and my homeland of Canada as well.

People who come to my shows aren’t coming because I co wrote a hit song with Jewel. They’re coming because there’s a trust factor involved.  That’s why your letter speaks to me. It’s a great time to be a musician. There’s a revolution happening!

And you know it Mr Jones!

Peace be with you… And also with you.

From Istanbul,
Steve Poltz

And here’s how strongly I feel about it.

You can pre-order hard copies of the new Silver Seas album Château Revenge here. If any of you are inspired to buy a CD and you don’t like it, I’ll buy it back from you.

I’m totally serious.

Why?

Daniel Tashian is by far and away one of the most talented songwriters and performers alive today. And as someone who receives hundreds of records in the mail each week… I don’t say that lightly.

What’s more, Château Revenge is easily my top pick of 2010. I’ll be surprised if that changes.

Confession: I didn’t love it at first. But those are the best albums, aren’t they? The ones you grow to love, the ones that sneak in and grab you by surprise. That’s what makes music timeless.

Simply put, I believe in this band (LOL, you think?). Heck, I actually believe that music can change the world — that Daniel Tashian’s voice can change the world. And if I can help, awesome.

What’s the Drawback? Using your newsletter/blog power to diss perfectly amazing talent.

Don’s latest version of All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Seventh Edition includes all kinds of Music 2.0 updates and is MANDATORY.

Take it away Don….

OUTLANDOS MUSIC: Radiohead, Trent Reznor, Jill Sobule… with historically built-in fan bases, these artists make giving music away for free, DIY fundraising packages and social media marketing look easy. But what if you’re a complete unknown? Where do you start?

DONALD PASSMAN: MANY ARTISTS ARE NOW STARTING WITH A VERY GRASS ROOTS LEVEL. THEY BUILD A FANBASE BY GIVING AWAY THINGS (PINS, STICKERS, ETC.) AT THEIR SHOWS IN EXCHANGE FOR AN EMAIL ADDRESS, THEN THEY STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEIR FANS ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUILDING A FOLLOWING UNTIL IT REACHES CRITICAL MASS.

OM: Because so many artists have been quick to attempt the above model, “free” may, in fact, be dead. Now that we expect it; where’s the value in that? Which then begs the question, what’s the new “free?”

DP: THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE. THERE ARE OVER SEVEN MILLION BANDS ON MYSPACE. OTHER THAN A FLUKE DISCOVERY THAT CATCHES ON VIRALLY, IT’S BASED ON HARD WORK AND BUILDING A FOLLOWING, AS NOTED ABOVE. ALSO, THE RECORD COMPANIES PUT MONEY AND EXPERTISE INTO MARKETING. TO DATE, NO ONE HAS BROKEN THROUGH ON A TRULY MAJOR LEVEL WITHOUT A COMPANY BEHIND THEM. THAT MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, BUT FOR NOW, THAT’S THE CASE.

OM: Honing one’s craft versus social media efforts: if you had to assign percentages between only these two things, denoting over all time spent, what would they be and why?

DP: THE COMMON DENOMINATOR TO ALL SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE IS A BLEND OF TALENT AND DRIVE, WITH (FRANKLY) DRIVE HAVING THE EDGE. THERE ARE MODERATELY TALENTED PEOPLE WITH MAJOR CAREERS WHO ARE VERY GOOD AT MARKETING THEMSELVES, JUST AS THERE ARE MAJOR TALENTS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN SUCCESSFUL. IT TAKES BOTH. YOU NEED THE GOODS, BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THEM.

OM: Be honest. If a fledgling artist (whose music you loved) came to you and asked your advice, if they should quit their day job and try to make it, so to speak, in this day and age, where fledgling artists are a dime a dozen and for the most part labels no longer nurture careers, would you say “go for it” or “don’t quit your day job?”

DP: I WOULDN’T GIVE UP THE DAY GIG UNTIL I HAD A PRETTY GOOD SENSE THAT THERE WAS A “THERE THERE.” IF THERE’S MOMENTUM, SOME MONEY COMING IN, THEN IT’S TIME TO GO FOR IT. THERE’S NO MAGIC FORMULA; EVERYONE HAS TO MAKE THAT DECISION ON THEIR OWN.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW!

DON

I don’t care how friggin spectacular you are… if you don’t have anyone to tell, it might as well not be true. It’s a chicken and the egg deal. Almost. Because, you CAN have real, passionate, loyal fans at every stage of your career, from fledgling to Trent; if I like you, I’ll help you. Period.

Think of it like this: the way you make me feel about your product handily trumps the actual product. In a heartbeat.

So… how do you do it? Um, it’s called MARKETING.

Singer-songwriter Seth Glier recently quoted a fan who said it best:

“You know Seth, I know we don’t see each other a lot but I consider you a friend…..Coldplay is JUST music to me.”

And Seth is hands-down one of the most spectacular self-marketers I know.

It works like this, in this order:

1. Make friends and fans.
2. Do/make something that’s meaningful to you.
3. Tell your friends and fans about it ASAP… DO NOT polish it to death or worry about it not being perfect (any successful entrepreneur will give you this exact advice). Get it out there as fast as possible. Make it pretty/hone your skills later.
4. Inspire and ask your friends and fans to help you/buy your stuff.
5. Rinse and repeat.

It really is that easy.

Don’t believe it? Here’s something I probably shouldn’t tell you. 21 people work for me for free. Our online views have increased 127% in four months. 6000+ people read our newsletter. And we’re in the black after less than two years. Certainly, I hope it’s because we’re doing great work but for sure, friends and fans made this possible. As in, 65% them. No joke.

Did someone say the value of emotional value? I’m just sayin.