I saw something recently that argued that “innocent until proven guilty” has been reversed in recent times to where people are starting to feel like, “guilty until proven innocent.” The music industry version of that might be – as tough as this is – that when you start getting into the song review business you can easily get pulled into a posture of assuming the songs are going to be bad until someone convinces you otherwise.
It makes you stop and wonder if that’s the mindset that venues carry as it relates to the overwhelming number of indie artists contacting them regularly to get booked to perform.
This week I was happy to have another artist buck the trend as “That's When It Hits Me” by Ariana Colletti got my attention for all the right reasons.
This one held my interest right from the get-go. There's some nice movement early and she doesn't waste time getting to the chorus. It builds nicely while stopping at a nice landing place rather than adding too much unnecessarily.
At a time when it’s vital that vocal technique combines with top level production to get your lyrics to stand out on a busy (borderline overcrowded) indie music landscape, it was great too that Colletti’s diction impressed so that the lyrics are understandable.
In addition, the song has a really interesting bridge too!
Last Wednesday’s episode of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast featured the highly decorated Jeffrey Steele, a Nashville-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who has written for the likes of Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, and many more. If you’re going to hit that level, you need to get the reps. You need to finish songs and get them out. Colletti is only 17 years old, yet “That’s When It Hits Me” is already her third song on Spotify, with all of them having been released in the first six months of 2023. That, my friends, is getting things done and keeping yourself moving forward.
I didn’t discover her age until after I’d heard the song. The point here is, no matter what your storyline is, it’s always going to come down to the song itself. The hook needs to be in the song, not your age, not what reality show you appeared on, not who you opened up for, but what people are going to listen to. And remember, as much as you want audiences to be the people who are going to listen, it’s the decision makers that can potentially open more doors for you that are going to have an even more impactful thumb (up or down).
All this being said, I’m encouraged that I’ve had to deviate three weeks in a row now from my usual blog content since an artist has left me saying, “I like it,” after listening to a song they’ve submitted.
Releasing music is easy. Everything is so accessible nowadays and the barrier of entry is exceptionally low. That’s the good news. Releasing good music, however, and it actually getting heard, are completely different than just putting something out there.
Write good music. Listen to what is getting the green light, both in terms of airplay and positive reviews, and keep getting the reps. Remember, Colletti has already immersed herself into the scene as noted above. Take a long look at where you are and put yourself in a position to be noticed.
For close to 20 years, I have been helping indie music artists from around the U.S. Read this article about how you can get on a call with me through the Owwll app so you can take advantage of all my experience and get your questions answered about your music career and keeping yourself going forward. I’d welcome the opportunity to talk about what you’re doing and share some insights with you.