Slaving to the grind

Over the past few months - off and on, when I can stand it - I have been taking diving lessons in a strange and unfamiliar ocean: radio.

Which is to say, I have been contacting radio stations - all over the world - and submitting my music to them for consideration for airplay.  NZ, Australia, the USA, South Africa, the UK, France.  Other places too.

It’s been character-building.

One day you check and double check the websites of 20 radio stations: is my music a good match for this station……and do they accept music submissions from independent artists?  Then you write to those 20 radio stations: 20 emails, complete with Electronic Press Kit and links to your music (all in the correct format, of course)......and you get this is response response:

“There was a temporary problem delivering your message to…”

“Thanks……but no thanks”.

“We listen to every submission sent through this web form, but due to time constraints cannot always provide individual feedback.”

The next day you send out two emails……and you get two responses:

“Your song has been playlisted”.

No rhyme.  No reason.

Scam artists and AI bots clog up my Inbox with promises of money, grandeur and increased  sexual prowess.  

“Are you underperforming sexually?”

No one ever asks if I am overperforming sexually?

At any rate, I am regularly reminded of a quote from Hunter S. Thompson:

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.”

I have no complaints per se - after all, I am the one who chose to embark on this little adventure.  But I would be lying if I said that it isn’t a bit soul-destroying at times.

And so I am learning - just as I have had to learn in other parts of my life - the importance of savouring the little victories.

• An automated reply - at least I know my submission got through

• A brief reply from an actual person - at least they’ve bothered to take the time to respond

But even better, is getting an email from an actual person, confirming that a song has been playlisted by one or more of their shows.  Or a Facebook notification advising that an independent radio show is going to feature one of my songs.

One DJ played one of my songs in the same show as John Mellencamp, Black Sabbath, Pantera and Megadeth.  I’ll take that.

It's a strange feeling: feeling grateful to people on the other side of the world - people whom I'll likely never meet - for listening to my music......and for giving other people (whom I'm probably even less likely to meet) the opportunity to listening.

It’s a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll…

…or was it a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll?

Either way.