2024 - The Year of The Album
The year of the album. You heard it here first. The aim for this year is to finish writing and recording our debut album.
I think it’s a reasonable goal considering we have two tracks almost finished in the studio (Take This Moment and Keep Losing), 5 songs that are ready to start recording plus others that are in progress.
I am very excited about this. This is going to have our best work yet. Our sound has matured a lot since our EP and we are taking a simpler approach with this next collection of songs.
I’d like to pose the question to you -
How many songs is an ideal amount for an album ??
The album is the biggest goal for the year, something that has been an aspiration for a long time.
This is the big original music year. Say it out loud, be accountable and it shall be so.
So what are the steps to create an album you may wonder? Well, it is pretty similar to creating and releasing a single but on a larger scale.
For us, this is what we have to do:
Step 1 - Start thinking about the overall sound of each song and the message of the album
Step 2 - Record the songs that are ready to be recorded in their main format - vocals, guitars, keys, bass and drums.
Step 3 - finish the remaining songs and get them ready for recording
Step 4 - think about production - What extra instruments are needed? Eg. a string / brass arrangement - live or sampled.
Step 5 - Decide who will mix and who will master the tracks.
As an independent artist you are not only required to go into the studio to record your songs, you also have to act as your own manager, publisher, designer, PR, administrator, marketer and accountant so the hard work starts after making your product. It can feel like more than a full time job.
You might think one of the biggest difficulties of being an independent artist is the amount of rejection, however what’s more frustrating is being ignored completely. No acknowledgement at all.
It’s difficult to pursue your goals with confidence when you get no response from radio stations, publications etc.
I recently shared two articles on my Instagram stories last week from Independent.ie, which outlined the fact that Irish female artists only receive 3 percent of total airtime on Irish radio stations. So not only is being an independent artist difficult, multiply that by 100 if you’re a woman.
There are multiple female Irish household names on the scene but how many times can you say you’ve actually heard them on the radio? To name a few:
Imelda May
Wallis Bird
Gemma Hayes
Soda Blonde
Pillow Queens
Lisa Hannigan
Ham Sandwich
Cathy Davy
Not to mention the great artists you haven’t even heard of yet due to lack of airplay.
Why are radio stations giving the majority of our airtime and royalties away to international artists, whose gigs we can’t afford when they do come to Ireland?!
In spite of this there are so many female Irish artists who are fighting hard for their careers and paving the way. The Why Not Her movement is making strides in promoting female Irish talent and putting pressure on radio stations to change their ways.
The overriding feeling is that we will not give up, we will keep fighting to be heard.
I hope after reading this you take the opportunity to listen to, share and request more female Irish led songs on the radio. <3
