On my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast I will, at times, tell the audience that I really like a certain song by the guest on that episode. I will emphasize that it underscores how much I took to it when I heard it. Although, to clarify, I add that it doesn’t mean that I don’t like the songs by other guests that I don’t talk about, and that it’s just more so a statement on how much of a good impression the one I’m referring to made on me.
That was a mouthful, but you’re with me, right?
I imagine you can relate just based on your own experiences, say, with a movie or a Netflix series you saw. If you loved it so much that you couldn’t keep it to yourself, then that implies you told others that they “have to see it.” That doesn’t mean that others that you watched were bad, but that this one just really got you wanting to engage in some good old-fashioned word of mouth.
In the world of independent music artists, they count on that word of mouth. There are also services such as One Submit where they can send in songs for review or airplay. And that helps get the word around more about the singles, EPs, and albums that they’re doing.
This week I’m here to spread the word about Boy Named Andrew’s song, “Home” (featuring Ethan). It’s one of 13 songs on an album released last August and it’s three minutes and 23 seconds well spent.
Overall, the track is really strong. I love it starting right in with vocals. And then, musically, at 31, 32, 33 seconds the splash/interlude/transition? That, my friends, is a nice touch. The temptation is for listeners to latch on to the hook or some lyric that really touches them, but what they did there definitely had me nodding in a complimentary manner.
Unlike a movie that has scenes that you walk away from and come back later, “Home” will keep your attention. Less than a minute after what I just described above, there’s a change waiting for the listener. I, for one, dug the surprise turn that it took into dance (81 seconds in), before a really cool turn back to where it was.
Put it all together and you’ve got a multi-genre track with a lot of variety and thus appeal.
In fact, on the episode of my podcast that’s coming out the day after tomorrow (NHTE 570 on January 15, 2025), I talk about knowing what you want to do in a song you’re writing AND what you DON’T want to do. Learning from others through the weekly interviews is helpful right alongside listening open-mindedly to music similar to yours. Boy Named Andrew, or, at least, this new album from August, shows up as Pop. If that’s your genre, consider this review and their track as a good case study.
Sometimes writer’s block can also be getting stuck in a rut. So, not “I’m drawing a blank,” but “I feel like I keep saying the same thing” or “writing the same style.” If you need to break up what sounds repetitive to you, “Home” is a great example of how you can mix things up.
Boy Named Andrew was also smart to have a feature because now Ethan will promote the song, which is one more person promoting it that wouldn’t have if it were “just” them hyping this track. That doesn’t mean get someone as a feature on every track, but know that there’s more than just, “He (or she) has a really great voice that adds some depth to the song.”
Keep all of the above in mind when you go to your producer and he/she asks you, “What are you listening to these days? What have you heard lately that you like? What’s something that caught your attention that we might want to try on your new project?”
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all. (And this, of course, is where I would put the winking emoji.)
In the meantime, bravo to Boy Named Andrew. Admittedly, I had no prior knowledge of the artist, but they now find themselves squarely on my radar due to the good impression that “Home” clearly made on me.
For more than twenty years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more. What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to? Let’s get on a short call together so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.