One of the hottest trends in music in the new millennium is that of the independent acoustic singer/songwriter. Around 2002, John Mayer paved new ground for independent songsters by putting out his EP Inside Wants Out independently and built a strong grassroots following, and then made a big bang and garnered interest from labels at South by Southwest. When his hit “No Such Thing” started getting radio play and he became a mega star, it seemed that becoming an independent singer/songwriter was suddenly the coolest new thing.
Also, the advent of the internet has made it a reality for thousands of singer/songwriter hopefuls to strike out cross-country with nothing but some original songs and their trusty guitar and make money, many times quite a bit of money, traveling from coffee shops to clubs to bars. They sell posters and T-shirts and independently produced records. They get the word out about their music with internet radio and myspace pages and sell digital downloads of their tracks and ringtones. Since record labels don’t hold total control over music distribution now, the concept of distributing one’s own music independently has become popular and this has put much of the control back into the hands of the individual artists.
Here are some of the most exciting artists of the new millenium who have used independent promotional methods to build recognition and careers.
Tristan Prettyman - Tristan is a native the North County area of San Diego, and her material embodies that fun, easy, beach-music style. Her sweet, positive lyrics and cheerful fingerpicking guitar playing style make it the perfect music for either a long, relaxing bath accompanied by flickering candles or a cheerful summer afternoon backyard barbecue. You may not be able to make it down to the beach, but you can start spinning Triz’s CD and that’s all it takes to make it seem like you’re there. Tristan’s concerts give you the feeling of having spent that time hanging out with a good girlfriend, gossiping about guys and celebrities, rather than attended a concert. Her debut EP (The Love EP) was self-produced, and her two subsequent efforts (twentythree and Hello…x) have both been studio produced.
Ernie Halter - Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Ernie Halter sprinkles a bit of Soul into the acoustic mix. He self-released the home-recorded “Lo Fidelity,” and later studio recordings “Congress Hotel,” and “Starting Over.”
Matt Nathanson - Matt’s career is the fruition of a long history of promoting relentlessly and near-constant touring, building a strong, even fanatical, fanbase built from years of touring and above-the-call-of-duty efforts to personally connect with fans. His lyrics are symbolic and poetic - they go far beyond the standard Pop ABAB rhyme schemes and “You’re so amazing I love you so much,” themes that dominate the airwaves on mainstream radio. His initial effort was the independently produced “Please,” released in 1993, while Matt was still in college. Over the next ten years, his independent releases included, “Ernst,” “Not Colored Too Perfect,” “Still Waiting for Spring,” and “When Everything Meant Everything.” He then released, “Beneath These Fireworks,” on Universal and “Some Mad Hope,” on Vanguard. He also released a concert recording entitled, “Live at the Point.” The combination of his winning material and hilarious, personal banter in live shows have made Matt one of the favorites among the singer/songwriter fan community.
