Well Jenny, what would you like to hear? Would you like the story of how one of my clients just has had the "longest running hit song in Australian country music history?"
Marc-Alan Barnette
Ok we're listening.
carroll kiphen
All ears here ??
https://soundcloud.com/jennystokes-nz
http://evansandstokes.com
https://www.facebook.com/evansandstokes/
Okay, let me start a new thread for it. Don't want to take over this one.
Marc-Alan Barnette
I just lost a twenty five minute typing job telling the story of this. I'll just post this from Facebook and try it again in the morning. Pretty long day.
Marc-Alan Barnette
Ok. What's the link on facebook?
carroll kiphen
Hey Carrol,
I did a 25 minute write up on the whole history of that and then lost it. Made me nuts. That sort of thing is one of the real problems I have with the internet, putting a lot of work into something and then just losing it because you didn't save or anything. I was trying to find the link and it just dissapeared. So I'll try to do it again tomorrow. I've had a long day.
Go to Facebook and search for BENN GUNN. That is the artist's name and the video is on there. That was what I was trying to link up when I lost the post. Will do a full thread tomorrow. When I'm a bit fresh.
MAB
Marc-Alan Barnette
This might be what you are pointing us to, MAB. What a fun video! And what a weird mix of accents! Hard not to sing country in an American accent, but then he goes totally Australian when he's singing about particularly Australian things.
https://www.facebook.com/benngunnfans/videos/457799388078781/
I may or may not be an enigma
http://mysteriousbeings.com
"Lightnin' strikes in Byron Bay." What a memory that is. Loved seeing that. Forked lightning over the ocean. That was fabulous if that was the one you're talking about MAB. What a great feel-good song. It's no wonder it's been sitting at the top of the charts. Australia pride and all that
https://soundcloud.com/jennystokes-nz
http://evansandstokes.com
https://www.facebook.com/evansandstokes/
Hey guys, glad you found it. Sorry for the disconnect tonight, have just had a very long day, and couldn't bring myself to write up everything again. Will do that tomorrow.
The short of it is that it is an example of what I talk about all the time, about writers finding their own artists, working with them, and cultivating songs, helping build their careers instead of trying to pitch songs in a market that really doesn't do that anymore. The writer, besides the artist, Benn Gunn, is Andrew Cavanagh, one of my clients from Cairns Australia. He came to Nashville three years ago, worked with me for four days, writing several songs and recording them here in the studio. I worked to get him to not look so much to Nashville and find his own pathway in his home country.
He met Benn Gunn, who is a National artist in Australia, online, and over the next year or so, they wrote several songs together, one of which was this one, "ONLY IN AUSTRALIA." they worked on it, and I gave them some advice on the song and helped them record the tracks here in Nashville. They did the vocals in Australia. At the release of the single last year it worked up the Australian country charts and hit number one. I got the message tonight from Andrew, that the song has now been the longest charted song in the history of Australian charts.
The overall point is that we no longer can continue in the old ways if we want our music and ourselves to advance. We have to create things on our own not waiting for publishers, producers, labels, etc. The key to everything is building relationships and this is one of the ways to do that. I'll do my best to detail it out in the morning, illustrate one of the ways music can be approached in today's marketplace. I'll start a new thread and hopefully some of you can find some avenues you didn't think of.
Just another way to discuss music. Thanks for finding the link.
MAB
Marc-Alan Barnette
By the way, the guitar player on that track is Chris Luzenger. He works on many of our songs here in town. You've probably heard him if you've ever heard a Garth Brooks song. He has played on everything Garth ever recorded. It also shows how an interesting video can enhance a song without costing a lot of money.
MAB
Marc-Alan Barnette
Thank you for sharing MAB, very interesting and uplifting. Hope some writers here can do the same thing, nothing is impossible for a hungry sole. Best wishes,
Speak soon
Music is an international language, say it with a song. deaconmusic4u@gmail.com
Thank you Marc for sharing.
Thanks guys. Glad you got something out of it. The main point is that there is not ONE way to do this. And while it may not always be the traditional "radio success", there are other ways of determining success. You kind of have to make it up as you go along. Good luck on your own journey.
Marc-Alan Barnette
Hey guys, you know the reason I am here is to offer help when I can. If you have questions on your own musical journey, feel free to ask me. I'll offer suggestions if I can, and try to give you some ideas of things to look at. Don't have to take it, but it is worth what you pay for it. I've just seen most of the holes songwriters and artists fall into, and might be able to keep you from breaking a leg. If you have a question or thought, PM me or start a thread. I'm kind of like Beetlejuice. Say my name three times and I'll show up.
MAB
Marc-Alan Barnette