NashvilleHype!

This is a small lesson for you artist out there.  Some of you may already know what I’m about to say, but it’s not a bad idea to think about it again.  For those of you who’ve never heard the term ‘making news’ - this is really important to your career and you need to remember it.

Artist who are covered often on this site aren’t just my personal friends.  I know, NashvilleHype! covers certain artist a lot more than we cover others.  And, we haven’t had as many new artist on site as we used to.  That’s because quite frankly, they’re getting harder to find.  And the artist we cover a lot know what ‘making news’ means.  I’ll use Rachel Farley as an example because I have Rachel on a lot and her example is a good one to teach what making GOOD news is.

Rachel is of course an extremely talented young lady.  Rachel has a unique voice, her own styling (she isn’t playing copy cat to another vocalist).  And Rachel is ALWAYS working.

What seperates Rachel from the pack in coverage isn’t these things alone — it’s that Rachel has interesting things happening in her career.

Yes, she tells me if she’s playing a show and where she’ll be.  Ok, that’s not so interesting really because Rachel is playing shows every weekend.  But when she tells me she’s playing a show with my friend Aaron Tippin, that’s interesting, because now 2 friends of NashvilleHype! are involved in something together.  Add in the fact she also played on the same stage as Ashlee Hewitt at the Supercell Benefit and now we have 3 NashvilleHype! artist connected.

When she also tells me she’s writing with Rissi Palmer, and our friend Glenn Sweitzer just shot Rissi’s new video, now we’re talking — a way to tie several NashvilleHype! artist together in one news story.  Rachel has just ‘made news’.

I know, that makes it sound like it’s all about NashvilleHype! and not Rachel, right?  Wrong.

NashvilleHype! is somewhat like an eco-system in that success breeds even more success with NashvilleHype! being the common factor.  It’s not a restricted club, not by any means!  We’re equal opportunity.  If it interest us, it’ll probably interest others.  Maybe not all, but we’ve not been shy about telling everyone who our demographic is and who we write for — first and foremost, the industry professionals who read this page and second, the public who might become a fan.

For instance, Ashlee Hewitt does well on Nashville Star, people google her and find her here - while here reading about Ashlee, people see a write up of Rachel, visit Rachel and become a fan of hers as well.

The industry works in similar ways.  NashvilleHype! is pretty well known by the quality of artist we cover.  And those artist are typically the ones who are working hard and have a few things going in their direction, keep in touch, and make news.

Jaida Dreyer makes news.  One minute she tells me she’s showcasing for a major label, the next time she tells me she’s performing for John Rich, the next minute she tells me she’s signed with Byron Gallimore — all ‘news’ worthy items.  I could write every step she makes, but how boring.  What would be the point?  Would the industry care?  Would you?

You have to make news or have something going on to be interesting - not only to me, to everyone else.  If you don’t have any news and you’re just going through the everyday everyday of being an artist, you need to learn to make news that others would find interesting.  Create it from thin air if you have to, but make it completely truthful.

For instance, if you’re playing your 100th show at some club, that’s boring, and we aren’t writing about that.  But if all the proceeds from your 100th show are going to St. Judes Childrens Research and you’ve got a good draw (not your 5 friends and a dog) - that means you could raise some real money and help some people — there’s a good chance you’re going to make it on if possible.  By making your boring 100th show a benefit for sick children, you’ve just ‘made news’.  Get it?

You’ve got to do something interesting. Something worth writing about. You’ve got to have something going on - all the time.

Here’s another example, Kelly Ray Davis doesn’t have a label - but the Road Hammers, who are signed to Montage Records (who are supposed to be a ‘major indie’) here in Nashville, are opening for HIM!  That’s freakin news!!  When an awesome band like the Road Hammers are your opening act and you’re not even on a label, that’s tearing it up!  No wonder we said, “if given half a chance, Kelly Ray Davis will rule the world”.

NashvilleHype! has to ‘make news’ all the time. We have to constantly have great artist making great news to have an audience. Why read us if we didn’t? Why would anyone in the industry pay attention if we didn’t?

Sure, we’ve written about artist in the past that we don’t hear anything from afterwards — neither them, nor their career. But thankfully, we’ve been really blessed with several great artist making great news.

Make news and receive press.  Receive press and attract fans. Receive NashvilleHype! press and attract the industry and fans.

Bottom line is, If you aren’t interesting, we aren’t interested.