Independence Day

I have a steadfast bias towards Independence. In all fairness, it’s the only world I’ve ever known within the larger music business ecosystem. And sure, I’ve worked with plenty of major label artists, corporate talent buyers, and others who operate from inside the guts of the machine, but I’ve only personally known the life of the outsider; the independent hustler.

Truth be told, I’m not Independent because I’ve always stood on some fundamental principle of virtue. In fact, I probably would have walked a very different path if one of the many labels or management companies I applied to in my early 20s would have recognized just an ounce of potential.

But they didn't, so I grinded it out... for years. Inserting myself into every role you can imagine. And that grind and self-determination became the biggest blessing in disguise for myself and many others I’ve met along the way.

Obviously, independence has its setbacks— a lack of reliable paycheck, 401K, and health insurance. But we do maintain control of our lives, our schedules, and our income (kind of).

You see, we eat what we kill, so this life isn't constructed for those who want the 9-5 mundane, predictable lifestyle. It's built for those of us who are stimulated by hard work and progress, and we're committed to creating the life we desire for ourselves and our families. But we embrace it because we truly love it. As Mark Twain so eloquently put it, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

But aside from our love and passion, the most important aspect of the independent lifestyle lies within the name— “Independence”. We trade all other perks for that freedom. We don't respond well to bosses or a predetermined schedule. But we have the luxury of picking up our kids from school and spending the afternoon with them. And in exchange, we might be working from a hotel bed at 2AM in the middle of our vacation.

Recently, I met with a successful podcast and content producer, who decided to start her own business a couple years ago. And although she loves the freedom, she struggles with the challenges of trying to stretch a dollar out of fifteen cents.

The ideas come easy, but she just yearns for the proper resources, which will allow her to execute. So, maybe the corporate route is a better fit in her situation. But I still suggested she ride out independence for a while, because as her current projects see the light of day, word of mouth of her great work will spread, and more opportunities will come a knockin’.

It’s hard to trust the process while you're barely surviving in the epicenter of the earthquake, but as the debris settles, you can see how each piece of great work leads to your next break. But that’s independence. And faith is the only antidote for the rough terrain of uncertainty and insecurity.

So I can’t blame you if you’d prefer the safer predictable path of a routine paycheck combined with ample leverage and resources. But remember a couple things—

1. Every corporate decision has to be measured against your bottom line. In the words of the prolific legend DJ Quik, “If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense.” But as an independent, we have the luxury of looking at long-term value, which can be measured in many different ways; not all of them being financial (or even obvious to others).

2. Your professional value is only as good as your current position within the company you work for. And if the higher ups decide you’re not the right fit, much of the good will and leverage you’ve created goes right out the window, along with many of your "relationships". It’s a fickle game.

As an artist, your options are similar. If you’ve built enough demand, you may be able to utilize the machine to increase your brand visibility. But you’re going to have to pay a hefty toll in order to cross that bridge, as any major record label will gobble up the majority of the pie. And again, maybe your decisions are based on more than just the size of the bag, which means staying indie is a better fit.

I had another recent meeting with LaRussell, one of the most impressive artists I’ve met in a long time. If you're not following him yet, you should @LaRussell. He has every label and manager clamoring over him, but to this point he’s opted to bet on himself. He currently shoulders the entire cost of production, manufacturing, and marketing, and even rents his own venues in order to throw his own shows, in addition to building a venue in his own backyard.

He sells tickets direct to fans through his own offer based platform. High risk, high reward. And when everything succeeds, he owns it all (after he generously gives ownership splits to his well-deserving team). But he’s the first to admit, it took a ton of risk, losses, and recalculations to get to this point. Independence takes toughness and perseverance, so prepare for a long, arduous journey into the trenches.

Just remember, nothing worthwhile comes without struggle. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

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Til next year.