Hey Neil,

I like your sound. I don't have any one artist that is coming to mind as a dead ringer for your music, but I get a lot of little bits that reminder me of other things.

The music itself strikes me as a bit reminiscent of Oasis but with a little more of a driving quality. Your voice reminds me a a bit of Rod Stuart. 

There's a classic pop star out there that it's reminding me of that I'm struggling to recall.

All of that said, the one thing I would stress from a marketing perspective is that you don't need to worry so much about who you actually sound similar to as much as you need to think about what artists your USP is similar to. After all, it is the experience that your music offers that is key, rather than specifically sounding exactly like someone else. For example, the Clash and the Sex Pistols sound pretty different, but they both appeal to the same audience, people attracted to an anti establishment, rebellious spirit and/or music that is both raw and catchy at the same time.

Hope that helps a little.

Glad to hear you're getting good results so far.

I think finding people with an affinity for music that is sonically similar is ideal, and makes some obvious sense. But going back to the USP thing, I think what is most important is that you ask yourself what people will ultimately "get" out of listening to your music. What is that feeling / benefit / experience, and then ask yourself what other artists offer something similar. That is a better way of finding an audience that is likely to invest. I think few people actually seek music that is sonically similar to other music they like. It's really the emotional payoff that they seek.

For example - Bob Dylan and Donovan sound similar, and yet fans of Bob Dylan were famous for hating Donovan. Reason being that what was truly special about Bob Dylan (aka his USP), was completely the opposite of that of Donovan. You could say the same about Guns n' Roses and Poison, Nirvana and STP, and the list goes on and on.

Don't get me wrong, it would make little sense to target people that made Reggae music if you were a Death Metal artist, but you take my point I'm sure.

Hope that helps.

Cheers.

Hey Neil,

I think what you have is good. It's clear, concise, and accurate.

However, if I have any criticism it's that it's just a little boring. The only thing for me to sink my teeth into is that it's modern Britpop. I think it is actually, and that's a good summary. But your music strikes me as more dynamic than that. I also suspect that there might be a good personal story that can make that more exciting.

When I start off with a client I usually interview them for 1 - 2 hours, and just mine their story for interesting items that I think will be relevant to their audience. I think that could be what is still missing.

So yes, it may be fair to call it modern Britpop, but why should I care about THIS modern britpop artist. Because he's explosive is not enough. Know what I mean?

Any ideas?

I hope you don't mind the direct feedback. I'm just playing the coach role here.

I think the post looks good and reads well. But if I was to pick it apart, it just kind of scrolls past like a list of things that happened. There is nothing overwhelmingly exciting there (keeping in mind, I only scanned it). That said, I wouldn't be surprised if it worked because it's smooth and professional.

I guess I'd restart the conversation by asking you a question... what is cool about Britpop?

Hey Neil,

Sorry for the slow reply. Busy few days.

I may be way off base because I just don't know the music that well, but based on your answer to the question, what about something like...

EJ Mann marries the grit and swagger of classic Britpop with a fresh, modern, and insanely catchy collection of indie rock songs".

I'm not saying that's brilliant, but it at least illustrates the goal of the question. get into the mind of the fan and demonstrate that what you offer aligns with the qualities they value and the experience that ultimately seek.

Sounds good Neil, keep us posted on how things go.

That's awesome Neil! And thanks for coming back to post your wins. I do love hearing about them 🙂

The forum tends to lend itself more to people's problems than it does wins, so it's always nice to hear about the wins as well.

If you were able to quantify the increase in sales from your LTO I'd love to hear it. For example, the percentage increase in sales from the LTO as compared to a relevant period of time, or some other metric that makes sense.

We can't all make thousands of dollars per promotion, but what is most important is that the needle is moving in the right direction. It's beneficial for both you and me to hear about the actual percentage increase in sales. I often hear from people who make significantly more in one 3 or 4 day LTO than they do all year from music sales or especially streaming.

Just curious if you have any stats like that?

That's awesome Neil, I just sent you an email about your numbers as well. Cheers.

Hey Ricky,

I love hearing that you're just getting started in your 50s. This idea that people can only find success if they are less than 25 years old is a dated idea that was a byproduct of the old music industry. Non of that matters with direct to fan. So best of luck pursuing your dream!

Can you do me a favor though... We try to keep each forum thread specific to one topic. I don't want your request to get lost in this thread. Would you mind reposting your request for feedback as a new topic?