Creators on TikTok all want to know what the formula is for a video that will go viral. Similarly, Instagram users are always wanting to make a Reel that’s going to be the start of the next trend. Meanwhile, songwriters are looking for the direct route to a hit song.
I regularly have conversations with guests on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast that talk around this idea, whether it’s someone who has churned out hit after hit or the upstart that feels like they might be close to breaking through.
The bottom line is, if we all knew the answer to each of those challenges then we’d all be rich and succeeding and would be who everyone else follows to try to replicate our success.
Producer Fredrik Kristiansen just might have discovered the magic potion over in Norway and poured it all over his artist project, The Quiet North.
“Southbound” is the latest release for this talented creator, who has gone from zero to over a hundred thousand monthly listeners (on Spotify) in under six months, with the U.S. being one of the biggest audiences.
Released just over six weeks ago, this newest offering, “Southbound,” is a mid-tempo track that builds nicely to the chorus. Having previously heard two other songs by The Quiet North, I was a little focused on, “Who does this sound like.” Not wanting to divert my attention from the latest single, I quickly decided, “Probably someone, if I spent a lot of time thinking about it, but in the meantime, (1) I like the originality, and (2) I want to stay focused on what I’m hearing.”
The first verse sets the mood nicely and I do like the instrumental break between the chorus and the second verse. That’s tough to pull off in a song that’s “only” three-and-a-half minutes long, not to mention in a day and age of short attention spans and music industry execs who want you to keep the listener hanging on your every word.
By the time I’m in the second verse I’m feeling it – U2! I know it’s a bold comparison, but you’ll hear it. The hint of some ethereal melodies complement nicely for a song that has airplane imagery in the Spotify visuals.
Kristiansen is, in fact, taking us on a musical journey.
Two-thirds of the way through I’m picturing the song being performed live and a packed crowd jumping along as the guitar and drums really punctuate the rhythmic flow.
Once again, the stellar production is very much worth noting.
What are the secret plans that Kristiansen found inside a treasure chest and unrolled? Listen to the song and his previous work and study his craftsmanship.
I can picture a plane ride or someone in a convertible driving the Pacific Coast Highway and “Southbound” being the perfect soundtrack to their trip.
As I said, all creators are looking for “it.” The country song might just have a gripping tale that touches your heart. A DJ might latch on to a beat that pulls everyone at the club out onto the dance floor. The rock band that wants to take over the world might have someone who shreds on guitar. Or you might feel the embrace of a song by The Quiet North and decide that – as songwriters are so often heard telling me on the podcast – it “makes you feel something.”
What is Kristiansen doing from song to song? What are your tracks lacking? This – to again take from the podcast and a phrase I’m heard saying on there regularly – is a great ‘teaching moment,’ in addition to flat out being a song you’ll really enjoy.
I can tell you that “Southbound” is going to be stuck in my head the rest of the day, and that too, of course, is a great reward for Kristiansen and all music creators.
Use his zero to a hundred (thousand) ascent for inspiration. You and your song just might be next!
Now a Member of the Recording Academy, I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more for over twenty years. What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to? Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, so I can help and keep you moving forward.