oh my gosh, there’s so so so many. I’m gonna do 5 cuz I have like…whole playlists of love songs ok?? I may be ace/aro… but love songs are some of my favorites? They’re usually soothing & fun to sing, and also love doesn’t have to mean romantic…. although these songs are pegged as romantic I don’t really view them that way??
All of Me - John Legend
Blankets & Sheets - Rival Summers
Honey and the Bee - Owl City (this lil video is so cute too… I used to watch this channels videos so much >.<) I can think of 3 other OC songs off hand too but…. I’ll limit it.
Oh Darling - Plug In Stereo ft. Cady Groves
James Dean & Audrey Hepburn (acoustic) - Sleeping With Sirens
Seriously, I can think of so many more… Lauv, He is We, Parachute, Never Shout Never, We The Kings, Vance Joy….. so many…
AND THIS IS ALL JUST ENGLISH! ALL THE CUTE KPOP MAN D:
Stop comparing your career to outdated music business models
Earlier this year I traveled to Detroit in order to interview an Leo Bautista, a young man who is better known to the world as Rival Summers. Leo’s fans had requested I feature him on my podcast several times in the months prior through emails and tweets, which in itself wasn’t entirely usual, but the volume of requests far exceeded any other artist week after week. Anyone in entertainment will tell you that is the kind of thing you need to pay attention to, so - I did.
I was largely unfamiliar with Rival Summers before scheduling the conversation, but the ten hour drive from Minneapolis to Detroit provided ample time for me to become immersed in Leo’s discography. He’s single-handedly creating (and recording - Leo often plays most, if not all the instruments on his albums) a style of pop rock that takes just enough cues from the soundtracks of John Hughes film to feel timeless in their own way. It is immediately accessible and undeniably catchy music that people of all ages can relate to, but there are layers to the material that provides a depth many in his genre struggle to achieve. There is also an ever so slight edge to it all, making Rival Summers a project that could just as well be found on Warped Tour as it could opening for bigger radio rock artists in arenas. In short, it’s something special:
After realizing all of this over the course of my drive you can probably understand how surprised I was to hear Leo tell me, on record, that was a bit disappointed with how his last EP, Undeniable, had performed. The album was the product of nearly five years’ work, and Leo’s fans had contributed money through a crowdfunding campaign to allow him a full month of recording time in California alongside one of his music idols, My American Heart frontman turned producer Jesse Barrera. It was a month that Leo says changed his life and career. For the first time he was able to fully focus on music in a place that inspired him in a way his home in the midwest could not replicate. He was more or less on his own and doing the thing he loved because people who believed in his art cared enough to support his continued development without knowing what would come from doing so.
Undeniable, a name Leo chose because it is what he inspires to be in music, was released in April of 2016. Leo did his best to promote the record online, receiving several mentions on blogs and a few positive reviews, which his fans then promoted through their networks with retweets, likes, and shares. Everyone who heard the record seemed to enjoy it, if not love it, and that made Leo happy. Still, in the back of his mind something was missing. Despite all the love and support from his fans Leo was not seeing the opportunity to take the next big step in his career that he believed the album could create. Add to this the fact he parted ways with his creative partner at the time, which hindered touring as a full band, and it is easy to understand why there seemed to be a negative for every positive.
Leo eventually came to realize he was wrong all along. Like anyone striving to turn their passion into a career he unknowingly allowed himself to get caught up with the business of art, which has a nasty habit of making people undervalue their creativity based on how they believe the world outside their audience feels about their work. Leo’s fans had told him Undeniable was a record they needed and were willing to support before it was even created. He was empowered by an audience he built through his own hard work to further chase his dreams and build a career. The record may not have brought a label deal his way or provided a management contact with a massive network of powerful influencers, but it reaffirmed his relationship with his audience and brought numerous new believers to his craft. Touring may hurt in the short term, but we are quickly approaching an age where digitally-inclined talent can build thriving careers without going broke on the road to play for 30 kids a night. Leo has the ability to try alternative paths because his fans are already dedicated to seeing him flourish.
You probably realize this by now, but Leo is not alone when it comes to this problem. Entertainment as a whole has changed very quickly in the last ten years. The ways we tell people to think about careers in entertainment however, have not. In today’s industry anyone with an engaged audience can build a meaningful, financially stable career as long as they are willing to work hard and constantly give back to those who support them. Today’s artists can create Patreon pages that allow fans all over the world to give as little as $2 a month to see their continued success, which can very quickly turn into hundreds or even thousands of a dollars per month total, all without an artist having to leave their home. Today’s artists can use StageIt and similar platforms to host concerts from their living rooms. As long as an artist has a fan base that wants to hear more from them it is possible to completely circumvent the traditional music industry model and find major success, including platinum records and sold out shows around the globe.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the host of the Inside Music Podcast, as well as a ten-year music industry veteran. You can follow James on Twitter.
my top ten albums (and one ep) of 2016, so much good music came out this year it was hard to pick only ten albums! there's not really an order after my top 4. :)
1. better weather- With Confidence
2. california- blink-182
3. undeniable- Rival Summers
4. revolution radio- Green Day
5. death of a bachelor- Panic! At The Disco
6. x infinity- Watsky
7. distant like you asked- Like Pacific
8. be nothing.- Boston Manor
9. the home inside my head- Real Friends
10. better ash than dust- Stick To Your Guns
Every now and then, if the conditions are right, if the right selection of people is brought together to see the right band, a shift can occur at a show. A night turns from just another night with just another concert, to something truly special.
Saturday, pop band Rival Summers brought something truly special to The Warehouse in Marine City, Michigan, to celebrate the release of their newest full-length album, “Undeniable”. Coming from a band that holds community in such high regard, of course, this was no surprise. From start to finish, it was a night full of nothing but good vibes (However cliche the phrase might be, nothing could better summarize the feeling in the air that night.). Good vibes, and a seemingly endless supply of incredible local talent.
Head below to see photos and a review of the night.
There was something for nearly every music lover, that night. Jason Singer, frontman of Michigander, brought a one-two-punch combination of the soft tones of an acoustic guitar and one heck of a powerful voice.
Alternative rock four-piece The Beautiful Gorgeous had a stunning array of songs all backed by a captivating, unique sound.
Fifth and Main brought a rocking set with a fun, folk-y twist.
As Rival Summers capped off the night, it was with a collection of pop songs that truly epitomize the word “bright” - regardless of how fast or slow their tempo might have been - all carried with a phenomenal stage presence.
All of this was tied together with the all-too-apparent joy and appreciation radiating from vocalist Leo Bautista, an overwhelming happiness that was returned just as much by the crowd.
For a few hours that night, gathered under one roof out in the middle of nowhere, Michigan, existed a community, a passionate collection of friends and strangers alike, the strangers all too easy to befriend. It was a show that was an absolute testament to how powerful live music can really be, and how effortlessly and closely it can bring people together.
