When I saw a song come through for review consideration by Ariana Colletti I thought, “It’s already a No. I just wrote something about a track from her in mid-July.” But the newest song was too good to NOT write about, and so it’s the basis for this week’s post.
It didn’t hurt that “Too Far” wasn’t being released until last month anyway, which allowed me to schedule it out and leave space in between the previous track from her that I wrote about and this one.
Her voice is hauntingly gripping right out of the gate – just 16 seconds in, to be exact. And she continues forward almost effortlessly, with great vocals, great diction, and conveying the emotion of the song. The balance was tricky to strike – between “feelings of sadness and confusion while still holding love for someone from your past” (according to Colletti) – but she pulled it off nicely.
The piano supports her captivating vocals nicely as I see myself again drawn towards a track with a less is more approach. Call me sappy but my heart can be touched more directly without all kinds of unnecessary layers added to a song.
This could be the product of Colletti noting that she worked with a GRAMMY-winning producer.
Let’s go back to the part where I said she’d just released a single on June 23rd. And now “Too Far” was released less than two months later (on August 18th, to be exact). There’s something to be said for setting the bar too high, so to speak, meaning, having a successful release and then feeling the pressure of matching if not exceeding it with the next single.
However, on the recent milestone 500th episode of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast with five-time GRAMMY nominee Kenny Wayne Shepherd, I asked his perspective on this very thing, what with his having gone through that way back when his first album was so successful. He referred to learning about the existence of the proverbial “sophomore slump,” yet was fortunate enough to not fall into that.
The lesson here is that each release has to stand on its own. You can neither get caught looking in the rearview mirror nor rest on your laurels. In Ariana Colletti’s case I applaud her for keeping herself pointed forward. She has been rewarded by “Too Far” already having more than 1,100 streams on Spotify.
This type of momentum can help tell an artist that they’re doing something right and motivate them to know that they’re on the right track and keep going. Maybe it’s their own songwriting, perhaps it’s a good collaboration with a co-writer, and/or there’s also the possibility of having found the right producer. I’m being Captain Obvious here, but finding just the right formula is crucial to best position an artist for long-term success.
As I believe I have written before in one of my past weekly blogs, what an artist like Colletti is also accomplishing by churning out one good song after another is the all-important goal of getting listeners wanting more. They’ll become loyal to you, they’ll follow you on social media, they’ll look for your live performance dates, they might even tell others about you, and yes, of course, they’ll purchase your music (and possibly even merch, if you have such). They will be who you can count on to pre-save your next single or to support your crowdfunding campaign. When you hear the expression ‘audience building,’ all of what I just listed is what you’re working towards. I hold up Ariana Colletti as Exhibit A of someone who is on her way there. Bravo on a job well done.
What’s the basis for my viewpoint on all this? For close to 20 years now I have been working with clients who are indie music artists from around the country (as well as authors, entrepreneurs, actors and filmmakers, podcasters, and small business owners). I invite you to tap into all the experience by calling me through the Owwll app so we can have a chat about you and your pursuits. Let’s talk about any challenges you’re facing and how we can get you continuing forward.