Touring by yourself, breaking new music in the UK, connecting with your natural audience

Today’s roundup of music business news and inspirational stores for musicians and other creative professionals:

  • Dalton Caldwell compares being a solo professional to touring by yourself as a musician in the early 2000s. I’ve seen this connection a lot lately, that creatives who would have started bands in the 90s are launching businesses instead during this decade. Expect a full essay on this in the next few weeks. [Dalton Caldwell]
  • Speaking of touring by yourself, our friend Jenn Bostic just wrapped a UK tour that included some great live sets on Terry Wogan’s BBC2 show and on local radio shows across the country. More anecdotal evidence that it’s far easier to break an act in Europe, where tastemakers love promoting new music. I’m passionate enough about this story that I will actually link to the… [Daily Mail]
  • Another homecoming story, from Galway singer-songwriter Julie Hawk. She’s more nervous about playing her hometown than about the 2+ years of gigs she cranked out in London and elsewhere in the UK. [Connacht Tribune]
  • Mark Doyon’s essay on connecting with your natural audience echoes the journey I describe in Grow Your Band’s Audience. [Music Think Tank]
  • David Hooper challenges you to stand out from the crowd and submit a really great press kit with CD—via postal mail. [Music Marketing dot com]

Have a story you’d like to see in the Daily Report? E-mail tips [at] spinme.com.