December 31, 2016 - 3:41pm I must say... I've been crap at updating and posting anything here since the end of summer. This is always a good and a band thing. I've said it before, when you're busy you often neglect your website and socials (to an extent). When things slow down... what better time to update the ol' website! ... and things are not slow!! lol. *tear* I had a few other posts I wanted to do and maybe I'll sneak them in early next year... mainly talking about new music I've found (I listen to other bands aside from Tame Impala *cough*), but I'm anxious to start sharing my experiences working with, playing in, and managing my new band Never Say Die. As far as the managing thing goes... it's been a real eye opener and eaten up a lot of time since we launched in October. Bands/Artists I've worked with over the years are always asking questions and looking for advice... so it's one thing to give my thoughts from the sidelines, and another to get my own hands dirty and be part of doing the work myself. Even though we're only a couple months in, I have a better idea now how long things take, what's doable, and what you really should be outsourcing. Bottomline... things take time, things cost money, get advice from many people, and don't expect results instantly... which is a big one since a lot of people are impatient these days... or drag their heels getting the process going. ... again... just scratching the surface, but in the last 3 months, we've: launched the band, done a couple photoshoots, got the basics of our branding together (for the next 6 months hopefully), booked a US tour (dates up soon!!), launched an album pre-sale, and have our debut album coming out at the end of January... which is sorta quick, but we felt there was too much opportunity lost being on tour in the US without a physical copy for sale... plus it was ready. ... I love it though. I like making records but I feel energized... and partially feel like that 15 year old kid again promoting my band online... except it's on Twitter and Facebook, instead of ICQ and MySpace. ... seriously though... different decade but the fundamentals of *cough*shameless*cough* self promotion remains the same... plant seeds in the fall if you want to eat in the spring... or something like that... you know what I mean... On a sidenote before I go... the old studio.... The Pawnshop. Many people ask about it... a number of people didn't realize I even moved out last year. I'll be honest... I miss the area, I miss the food, I miss opening the door and how quiet it was every morning. ... but like most of us think back on old memories/relationships... I only miss "the good ol' days" of how it was... summer camp style... not that I ever went to summer camp... you know what I mean... For at least a year and a half before I finally gave my notice, I was already mentally set to move onto the next chapter. Once the pieces fell into place to make the move, it was an easy decision at the time... tougher than I thought at the end, but after a year of new experiences, workflow, and meeting new people... I really don't miss it, because I wouldn't want to go back to it... things are good(er) now and have only been getting better. Last thing I'll say is cliche... but I really am looking forward to next year... and I always feel like you've had a good year if you feel like you've spent the year setting things up for the next one. Life is about momentum and I feel the few people I know who are truely unhappy (admittedly or not) feel stuck or lost... everyday try to do what you can to move forward. Think onwards and upwards, everday... it's not about the size of the steps, it's simply about steps. I hope everybody had a great holidays and you're surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones tonight. Party responsibly. Don't drink and drive... and double check those Uber surge prices before you hit accept! See you next year. - Mike :-) P.S That pizza was from my birthday... decided 2 pizzas was too much pizza, so I got both pizzas on 1 pizza. #pizzahack
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... so it's that magical day where everyone reflects openly about their past year. I wonder what people did back before facebook... seems like everyone is talking about overcoming adversity of some sort... personal, financial, professional, etc... for me though, December 31 just means another year of taxes/bookkeeping comes to an end... if anything, people should reflect on their birthday... speaking of... I turned 30 a couple weeks ago... and thank you. :-)
I'm aiming to do a real 2013 recap next week. In short though, looking back over credits (and projects on the drives) for this year... and the iCal... it's been quite different than the last 4-5... less projects, but better projects, less headaches, yet bigger (more important) headaches... not to mention a few twists in the plot I certainly wasn't expecting at all... lol. People are funny sometimes... the winds of change were a'blowin' pretty hard this year... change isn't always easy, but it's much easier when they're pushing you in the direction you wanted to, and should be going anyway. I had a lot of time to think while out on tour... I moved to Toronto around 10 years ago now... I think I started at Pocket in Feb '04. Between there and freelance I made $4k that year. Total. ... but I never felt poor because I kept a full schedule... with what I felt was meaningful work with good people... and I never complained about it... and I wasn't ashamed to tell people of what I could and couldn't afford to do at that stage in my life... or what my priorities were... not always easy... but then again... meaningful work is part of my own "meaning of life". I'm very grateful for finding mentors and friends early on who were older than me... they've definitely shown me a few time saving approaches through their own experiences/advice... the music industry is still going through an awkward teenage phase in my opinion... but I feel I have a pretty good grasp on why some people can turn their passion into a living... and that's why I don't have a panic attack when someone says the word(s) "resume" or "job interview". I'm sorta just rambling here for a bit while Pro Tools backs up some stuff... off to a family dinner this evening which as far as NYE goes... sounds good to me. Happy New Years everyone and all the best in 2014! - Mike :-) |
Mike Langford - Official BlogBeing on both sides of the glass, I get the chance to wear many hats in the music industry. This is a place to share my thoughts, views, predictions, rants, stories and news! Categories
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