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For this series, we are shaking things up a bit. Alfie is putting everything we’ve talked about so far into practice and has decided to bring you all along for the journey as he reenters the world as an artist. Each month, we are documenting every stage of the process with help and advice from experts along the way.

In this episode, we start in January 2025. Alfie is writing songs and hopes to get them made into demos to start thinking about releasing them. We will hear his songs go from rough ideas to fully formed tracks, with a masterclass in songwriting and home recording from Liz Horsman.

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Let us know what we’ve missed and what’s on your list!

We hope you have a wonderful New Year and look forward to seeing you with a new series in 2025!

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In my opinion, Gabrielle is a natural broadcaster, She effortlessly hosts this episode and brings in the topic of ’Superfans’. 

She talks about her experiences as a fan and as an Artist and shares great stories and anecdotes. We all examine different fan behaviours and the music industry's new found obsession with the ‘Superfan’. 

From Stan culture and fan conspiracies to golden circle tickets and gig etiquette; We also talk about Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift and much much more.

Thanks so much to Gabrielle for hosting this and thank you to all of you who support us and listen to the podcast. We really hope you enjoy the series finale. 

If you’d like to keep listening over the break we will be continuing to produce bonus episodes over on Patreon.

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This week we are joined by Joanna Ashmore. Joanna has worked in all areas of live music and we couldn’t think of anyone better to join us for this episode. Joanna shares her experience and some cool anecdotes from her time working in grassroots venues, to supporting Blur in her band and booking shows for some of our favourite artists.

She also gives great advice for new artists trying to get their foot in the door like how to approach promotors and the way to conduct yourself in these live settings. Joanna and the lads also talk about the importance of grassroots venues for artists and the wider community and so much more in this weeks episode all about live music.

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Tom has worked on some of the most iconic syncs during his time at Universal Records, BMG and Hypnosis such as the famous John Lewis Christmas ads and the iconic iPod adverts. However times are changing and brands are no longer making one or two big adverts a year, they’re making hundreds of pieces of branded content. Is traditional sync licensing able to keep up with the increasing demand? Or will brands and advertising companies start to opt for royalty free music? Tom tells us all about the inspiration behind his new company ALLOY sync distro. and what he’s doing to streamline the licensing process for commercial music in the social media age. 

@tomstinge @alloysyncdistro

https://www.alloysyncdistro.com/

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AI has proven to be both a blessing and a curse for many industries, but how is it affecting the music industry? You may remember the Beatles using AI for their recent single "Now and Then" to isolate John Lennon’s voice, or maybe you’re a fan of the new AI artist, Anna Indiana. However, AI-generated music first appeared back in 2016, and the lads take us back to the beginning to tell us all about it.

In this episode, Alfie and Fionnán chat about the legalities and ethics of AI, the alleged illegally trained AI machines by Udio and Suno, and YouTube’s plans to offer payments to artists willing to train their AI technology. It doesn’t just stop at music, though, as they also discuss the effects of AI on the gaming and film industries. All that and more chats in this episode!

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We’re sure many of you have been to or are going to one this summer, or maybe you’re even playing at one! So in this episode we’re going to try and cover everything you need to know. 

Alfie shares his festival memories and tells us about the festivals he’s played with Hudson Taylor. How did they end up playing so many great stages at festivals? Is it just luck or are booking agents integral to being booked?

Fionnán accepts a hypothetical slot at a made up festival next week, and together the lads go over how they could make it work comparing it to Hudson Taylor’s budgets from 2022 festival season.

The lads also go over some of the issues faced by fans trying to attend festivals, obviously they talk Glastonbury! They also check in on some independent music festivals in the UK to see if they are experiencing the same success.

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Fionnán's got some big news. He’s changed his artist name to Fionnán Barrett, which is his own name (obviously!). He’s been thinking about it a lot and reveals to us why he’s done it and why it’s important to define who and what you are as an artist.

The lads catch up and reflect on the first time sharing a line-up together at the Never Fade sessions in London and finally tell us about the first time they wrote together.

We also hear exciting news from one of our listeners who shares exciting news about signing a US sync deal and loads of other stuff because as we know, Alfie loves to talk!

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Many artists scheduled to play The Great Escape boycotted the festival in solidarity with Palestine, however Irish trio Kneecap didn’t. Alfie and Fionnán discuss Kneecap’s reasons to not boycott the festival and why they instead pointed the finger at the company behind the sponsorship, Live Nation. 

Whilst on the subject of Live Nation, CMAT was among artists and performers who publicly announced that they won’t be playing their planned sets at Latitude because of their sponsor, Barclaycard. 

This episode the lads try to answer the question, do boycotts work? It’s good news as this year artists have proven that they have power to make positive change. But does it come at a cost?

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You will have no doubt heard her work. She’s written for Diana Ross, Jojo, Britney Spears, One Direction, Ella Henderson.. the list is endless! And she’s on this weeks episode to tell us all about her incredible career, her songwriting process and the changes she’s passionate about making to the music industry. From fair pay for songwriters and gender equality.

This was such an inspiring episode for us to record and we’re so grateful to RuthAnne for her time and expertise. 

Enjoy! And do join us over on our socials. We love hearing from you!

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During the break, Alfie went on tour for the first time ever as a solo artist. He transparently tells us about the budgets, how he booked, promoted, and played the shows, and breaks down exactly what his hourly wage was for the tour. Alfie gives advice on how to deal with hecklers, and we even hear from the heckler themselves!

Fionnán, on the other hand, has been busy preparing for future gigs and the imminent release of his second single, ‘Fall For You,’ while putting the final touches on his upcoming EP. He tells us about the pressures on his mind as he approaches these releases, such as social media and costs.

The lads bring us up to speed on what’s been happening in music over the last few weeks, focusing on the plight of grassroots music and the sheer cost of pursuing such careers. Is this the cost of gigging crisis?

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Thank you for your support this series. We can’t wait to be back for Season 3!

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Alfie has been on national TV and radio promoting the podcast and his debut single. While being interviewed isn’t new for Alfie, it is his first time doing it solo! He tells us about the differences between this trip and his days with Hudson Taylor, how this week of promotion came about, and shares his advice on conducting oneself during interviews and promo days. Meanwhile, Fionnán has been busy gigging and has gained newfound confidence on stage. With a few gigs under his belt and a refined on-stage setup, he offers valuable tips and reflections for fellow new artists.

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The lads discuss how important it is to stand up for what you believe, whilst also considering the financial, logistic and social implications for artists after making such a big decision. Alfie and Fionnán have many questions this episode: Where have all the protest singers gone? Will Israel be banned from Eurovision just like Russia? Where the f**k is Bono?

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We delve into the punk scene of the early 2000s and hear what it was like for a young man in a hardcore punk band signing a million-pound record deal. Frank shares fascinating anecdotes and offers valuable advice for songwriters and artists. He also gives us insight into his writing process and shares an entry from one of his notebooks.

We thoroughly enjoyed making this episode and extend a huge thank you to Frank for spending the hour with us.

Listen to his new album ‘Dark Rainbow’ and make sure you see him and the Rattlesnakes when they’re in your town.

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Meanwhile, Fionnán has hit the studio for the first time to record his new music. During his week off, he also directed a music video for Alfie’s new single! They share the story behind the video, including how it was funded, and delve into the importance of preserving music videos as an art form.

However, it’s not all sunshine on How To Break An Artist! The episode tackles the significant financial challenges artists face at all levels. The lads explore what can be done to support our favourite artists in an era where attention seems to be the new currency.

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Fionnán offers valuable advice for aspiring directors and details the process behind creating his music video "Therapy." Meanwhile, Alfie provides a different perspective, discussing the pressures and costs associated with music videos while reflecting on his band's earlier productions.

Later in the episode, they are joined by director, photographer, and creative director Wolf James Creative (Debbie Scanlan), who shares insights and stories from their extensive experience working with artists such as Kyla La Grange, Nina Nesbitt, Jamie Duffy, and Hudson Taylor.

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We hear about some of the biggest artists and songs from TikTok such as Jvke - Golden Hour and Cordelia and try to pick apart how they went viral. Is there really a formula to it or is it luck?

Can a viral moment really launch your career?

We also recap on the times artists have felt pressured to have a strong presence on TikTok by looking back on Halsey's public plea to her label to release her music regardless of its “virality”. We are joined by the founder of Zebr, Josh Deal. Josh is a former session drummer turned music industry wizard who has created one of the most exciting social media marketing companies in music. He tells us all about how his company took off, how he stays motivated and gives some amazing and inspiring advice to anyone looking to get into the music industry. 

Alfie and Fionnán also touch on the UMG vs TikTok situation that has seen all UMG catalogues removed from TikTok, and discuss whether this is in the interest of their artists and if artists are really at the heart of their decision making.

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In the second half of the episode we’re joined by independent artist Alexz Johnson. Alexz is an accomplished artist, navigating her career without the backing or approval of a major label or team. She's even her own manager! She's truly DIY and is absolutely killing it. If anyone can inspire you to push forward as an artist, it’s Alex. She takes us through the surprising chapters of her career up to where she is now. She was an amazing guest and left Fionnán with dimples he was so happy!

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In this episode, Linda explains what music PR is and how the job has changed over her 20-year career and shares invaluable insights and advice for new artists considering their first PR campaign. 

We hear about the shocking data found in Why Not Her's gender and racial disparity reports and whether anything has improved since the reports were first conducted in 2020. This year's report highlighted that only 3% of the top 100 songs played on Irish radio were by Irish female-identifying artists, among other disappointing facts and figures.

We also hear about how we can make meaningful changes as an industry, such as policy change across the broadcasting industry, the importance of education and men speaking up for equality across the airwaves. 

We encourage our listeners to sign Linda's petition, which aims to stop public funding to radio stations until they agree to a fair and equal balance in playlisting. 

Sign The Petition Here

Why Not Her Data Reports

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Fionnán shares his release plans and goals, and Alfie finally hints at new music as he shares what it's like to be an independent solo artist for the first time. The lads delve into issues with streaming and pick apart the upbeat end-of-year messages sent to major label employees from their label bosses. Is it all talk, or are they on to something?

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The lads chat about everything from the real Crazy Frog story to Taylor Swift's lyrics but don't worry; it's not all Christmas cheer! Alfie tells us about his experience as a performer at Christmas time and the reason Hudson Taylor Whelan's Christmas tradition came to an end.

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Alfie talks about his experience working with managers in Hudson Taylor and as a solo artist. Fionnán tells us what he is looking for in a manager and how he currently manages himself. The lads discuss the potential ways the currently unregulated industry can better protect artists.

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The lads discuss the current value of music and try to pinpoint the very beginning of free music. Was it the iTunes single of the week? And lastly Alfie chats to Gabrielle Aplin in the kitchen about her career and how she has released music over the years.

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Fionnán has had three coffees and is buzzing about quizzing Alfie about Hudson Taylor's publishing deals and what he would do differently now. Alfie shares his advice with Fionnán and tells us about the advice he received from a respected music industry individual that later came back to bite him and how Michael Jackson came to own The Beatles catalogue.

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Back in the studio, Alfie and Fionnán discuss adrenaline, burnout and the importance of looking after yourself after hearing industry stories sent in from artists. They catch up following the release of Fionnán's first single and share their creative processes. The lads speak about all things songwriting, from royalties to plagiarism, collaborations to cowrites and artists selling their catalogues.

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The three lads have an open conversation about Greg's career from Artist to Songwriter and what he stands for in an ever-changing industry. This week, they cover major label budgets, the downfalls of going viral and whether the algorithm hinders music.

Greg reminisces about the open music scene in New York and the community that came with it and offers advice on how we can support artists now, including some brutal but loving home truths.

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Thank you for listening to this independent podcast.

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