C an you share a tip or trick which could be useful for other musicians?



My best tip for composing is not to get stuck with your most-loved beauties. Sometimes you write a song and get stuck. Don’t be afraid of changing the previous riff to get things going. Even if you think it is a good riff. You can always save it!

A second tip is to apply the same technique as when you write an essay. Keep writing and complete a song. That way you get a structure but maybe with not such satisfying riffs. Start over but evolve the riff you have already written. Repeat until satisfied.

Do a professional recording and production. I don’t have the tools or knowledge to do it. That’s why I hire a producer and engineer. If you’re serious about your music, show it by not releasing bad quality recordings.

The same goes for equipment. Of course, talent for playing your instrument is most important. But when discussing and listening for details, there is a clear difference between a $1,000 and a $300 guitar.

Marketing as an underground band is to be everywhere. Nobody will ask for you or find you if you are not present everywhere. Take your opportunities, make things happen. Don’t expect major results. It will take time for people to notice you.

Mathias (Rexius Records) gives his tips related to programming drums and music marketing:

Programming drums is not hard if you spend a little time with it. It’s SO important however to study a real drummer (if you’re not one yourself). First of all, real drummers make more sound than just the hits themselves. There are ghost notes and other small details that are really important to pay much attention to, not to mention how important velocity is. Sure, you can humanize a lot of thinks with just one click, but to really get it right, you need to do it yourself, and it takes time. Therefore, study different drummers with different feels to start thinking like one. I look like an idiot when programming drums because I play everything in the air before I put it into the system. It’s the same thing with a guitar player on the bass. He/she might hit the right notes, but it won’t be the same as if a real bass player had done it. Learn or let someone else do it.

Regarding marketing your music, don’t make the mistake of starting on the day of the release itself. This will most likely lead to you wasting your chance of getting your music out there. Marketing is a huge part of everything and needs planning in advance. Who’s your audience, in what countries, cities, villages do you have the most chance of reaching out? If you play black metal, it might be Norway and if you play speed metal, maybe Finland. These are just examples but very important to figure out before the release. You need to have a plan. Also, if you’ve never released anything before, you won’t be able to pitch your music to Spotify. In that case, release a “dummy” (anything to get some streaming and get an artist page on Spotify). This is a strategy that can be used if you want that chance.