Strive We Must – By Fran Ashcroft

Strive We Must
By Fran Ashcroft

“Strive We Must”, read the little motto stuck on the front of my piano, back in my songwriting days. I thought it was funny, but the underlying message was a serious one – a reminder that if you don’t plug away at things, those things tend never to happen.

Persistence is often the difference between those who make it and those who don’t, and especially true of bands. I’ve come across so many who could have been great but just didn’t have the follow though.They all believed the myth that someone else would come along to do it for them; a record label, agent, publisher, recording studio, or producer. So if you’re considering doing production deals with anyone, it’s important that the artist is prepared to get behind their own work, and not leave it all up to you – otherwise you become an erstwhile manager into the bargain!

But I’m of a mind to suggest the production deal is dead anyway – just like international licensing, both of which were mainstays for plenty of producers and studios not too long ago. The market for finished masters has been completely demolished by the rise of home recording, and the fall of traditional record labels -  which means we have to work faster and smarter (on digital? As if!).

So now more than ever, it’s crucial to remember -

A funny thing happens when you don’t promote:

Nothing.