While we’re all being bombarded with emails from companies trying to implement a “wrapped” feature (including my energy provider), it’s a great time to write up an action report of the past 12 months, and think about what the year ahead looks like.
Like many of us, I brush past the highlights all too quickly, and dwell on the failures, losses, and unrealised goals 99% of the time. This post is a tool for me to recollect the positives of the year, and to use those moments as fuel.
Biggest change? I’m a dad now.
Best measurable goal achieved? A publishing deal with Anara Publishing.
Best immeasurable goal achieved? Keeping everything afloat.
Favourite creation released? Head Like Leather.
Favourite creation unreleased? As You’re Rising (the opening track of my next album).
Here’s my action report for 2023. It’s something I usually write privately, but Black Dave’s tweet encouraged me to do this visibly, in the spirit of artists learning from one another’s experiences.
January
I’m waist deep in a web3 album launch, the tracks are coming out one at a time. I’m trying to be patient with the NFT sales. I head north to Glasgow to play Celtic Connections festival, all the while regularly working on new music. It’s a positive month.
hindsight: could have invested more time into connecting with web3 creatives, but overall, good effort.
February
‘Begging’ comes out on DSPs and gets a flattering response. No fireworks, just a clear ‘thumbs up’ from listeners. The PR machine is chugging away. I shoot a live session video with Instilled Live. I’m really happy with it. It feels honest.
hindsight: why didn’t I make a video for the song that was picking up traction? Seems weird.
March
I support my man Callum Spencer at a sold out show in Leeds. En route to the gig, my friend Mike Gardner shoots a music video in the snowy Peak District. I shoot a live DIY video with the full band. I come to accept that everything doesn’t have to look shiny anymore, as long as the quality is there. The NFT collection sells out. More shows announced. It’s a busy time. I’m running on fumes.
hindsight: I was pretty unwell that month and didn’t give myself any rest. That was dumb, and seems to have had a knock on effect the following month ↓
April
I play a Sofar Sounds show in Brighton. I’m pretty drunk on stage which is not my usual approach. It comes off okay. It’s a fluke. I drop some merch. ‘Begging’ is featured as the theme to a new podcast about the area I’m living in. I spend time bigging up the new album.
hindsight: I can feel that something is flat this month. There’s no genuine excitement. This would have been a great moment to try something different, something low risk like an informal interview with another artist, or dropping a NFT version of the videos I put out.
May
‘Cambistry’ is released on DSPs. I play two showcases at The Great Escape and connect with my publisher-to-be. I play my last local shows for the year in Manchester. It’s a fun month. Again, fumes.
hindsight: the money’s pouring out of my pockets. Good things are happening, but I can’t sustain this pattern. That being said, it’s confirmed for me that TGE is the most effective use of my time, IRL industry wise.
June
I get a tour of Arctic Monkeys’ stage at Old Trafford. It makes me feel like a teenage music fan again. I move back to Australia. I turn 30.
hindsight: the beginning of a weird headspace for a few months. I was saying goodbye to an awesome music community. It’s the way it had to be. I’d implemented a plan to make sure I’d be back in 2024. Smart move.
July
I finish the mixes of a third album, and chip away at some collaborations.
hindsight: with a baby on the way, it was wise to get things done. Again, I could have created more space for aimless fun in music. I probably needed it.
August
Music takes a backseat while I sort my life out.
hindsight: I became very doubtful of myself in this month. That shouldn’t mean “never stop working otherwise you’ll be able to hear the voice of doubt”. It should mean that I need to fill my life with other components, so that if I can’t access music for a period of time, I’m not left with nothing.
September
I host a BIGSOUND unofficial showcase in an attempt to reintegrate myself into the Australian music industry. I see many a friendly familiar face. I see just as many unfriendly faces, and unfamiliar faces. While there are some positives, the overall experience is underwhelming and leaves me feeling isolated and unheard.
hindsight: I knew what I was getting myself into. Sadly, by the time this event arrived, I was already in a fragile state, and it only made things worse. My suspicions were confirmed: Australia is a difficult place for me to pursue my goals, but the silver cloud is that the AU web3 community is thriving.
October
Our son arrives. Enough said.
hindsight: Let go of the career, the ego, the noise, and focus on this one thing. Just for now. Don’t try to juggle in this period.
November
I release a collaboration with Hayden J Barlow. I sign my publishing deal.
hindsight: I feel that my audience understood I’d be shifting gears at this point, and it wasn’t a detrimental thing. The best thing I could have done was make it clear to my audience sooner that I’d be stepping away from them for a few months, to lighten the load on myself.
December
I enrol for a diploma of applied blockchain for 2024. I begin filming improvised recording sessions of cover songs, mostly reggae, to blow off some steam.
hindsight: It took me over a decade to realise there’s ways of developing other skills that can actually compliment music, not detract from it. Don’t be stubborn.
A chronological breakdown of my year always helps me see that I tend to break down chronologically. If you’re an artist on the hamster wheel, try this format for yourself, and see if you gain some clarity around your workflow, your decisions, and the impact on your life and the quality of your art.
If you’re reading this, you’re either into my music, into web3, or you’re very lost. Either way, join my mailing list and let’s stay in touch ↓