For other independent artists releasing an album—there are several important factors that one should keep in mind:
• Be Prepared – If you don’t have the proper means or experience to produce and record your own albums, it can be a bad idea.
• Find The Right Producer – When looking for a producer, you want to find someone who can see the vision and tie into it.
• Always Ask! – Don’t ever be afraid to inquire and reach out to a producer, mix or mastering engineer regarding their availability and whether they can work within your budget. Regardless of industry status, or price point, some people love finding something new and inspiring to work on in between larger paying projects.
Like releasing an album, going on tour as independent musicians is another incredible experience—as it gives you a chance to truly make a meaningful connection with your fans. We’re just beginning a three-month U.S. tour called “WinterJam.” To prepare, we spent quite some time rehearsing, putting a new set together and prepping lighting for production.
Read More: Music Industry Advice: Rehearsal Insights from the Pros
Luckily, we have a great team that works with us—one thing that I have learned over the past two decades is that it always takes a village! On top of that, we’ve been touring for approximately 20 years and now have families at home—being away and traveling for extended periods of time is one of the hardest parts. However, a strong support system is key throughout all of this—we’re very blessed to have strong, incredible wives to support us and make it possible for us to live our dreams. We are looking forward to getting to connect with our audience face-to-face and share our stories. Music impacts all of us, so it’s inspiring to get to share that together and encourage each other to move forward.
After years of experience going on tour as independent musicians, our main piece of advice for other independent musicians touring would be to get out there and make connections with people—not just through your music, but off-stage as well. That’s where you build your fan base—your family and friends that will continue to walk this journey with you and help spread the word about your music—not just because of your music and songs, but because they care about you and you care about them. There are a lot of great bands out there and a lot of options, so be sure to appreciate the people who support what you’re doing and everyone else who helps make each show happen. It wouldn’t happen without them!
THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH is a Canadian Rock band featuring Trevor McNevan (founding member, lead singer, songwriter) along with Joel Bruyere (bass) and Steve Augustine (drums). They have released eight albums, one live album and three remix albums. With over 1.1 million albums sold, 10 Active Rock hits, numerous soundtrack slots, plus a massive presence in professional sports, the group has infiltrated every facet of pop culture. Continuing to receive ongoing ESPN appearances, as well as various NASCAR, MLB, NHL, WWE, NCAA and NFL airings (including the 2010 Super Bowl), TFK has songs featured in EA Sports’ NHL 2010 and 2013 video games and tallies about 30,000,000 monthly views in combined streaming across YouTube. Just since going independent in 2012, TFK has sold 350,000 albums, a million singles and garnered 54 million streams.
