Do you have time to join a very long queue?
Humans feel safe in groups. Psychologists refer to this primal instinct as herd-mentality and from my experience, whilst many artists stand out in a room of bankers and lawyers they struggle to break away from the pack of their creative peers. Before you stop reading this and think we're suggesting some kind of isolated nomadic lifestyle, just consider whether your artistic aim is to stand out from the crowd or simply to blend in. Many acts spend years trying to be 'the next' someone-or-other but this rarely work as people tend to connect with authenticity and originality. Soaking up inspiration from established and popular artists is brilliant but if you're bringing nothing new or original to the table you run the risk of offering people just a second-rate version of what’s already on offer.
Finding your niche can be hard as you need to firmly establish what it is that makes you different from everybody else but it is a necessity for market success. Once you know what that is, you need to go to town on this angle as being forgettable is not a winning formula in entertainment. Seasick Steve is a great example of someone who had carved out his own niche in the general market. I remember seeing his debut performance on Jools Holland and thinking 'wow...I've not seen a 3-stringed guitar player before'. Fusing this rare approach with talent and a massive beard (before hipsters made this 'cool') worked for Steve whilst acoustic singer-songwriters battled it out for a few spots in the limelight. He even talks about his 3-string during his intro and this makes sure you remember him. This might strike you as a gimmick but he serves up a satisfying dollop of blues-guitar with half as many strings as you’d usually play so everyone’s a winner.
From one famous bearded American to another, Colonel Sanders found his niche in the world of fast-food establishing a globally recognised brand. Whilst the rest of the pack would serve a varied menu catering for a family with different tastes (and vegetarians), KFC just serves fried chicken as the name would suggest. People are often tempted to try and offer something for everyone but nailing your colours to the mast can help you to embrace the reality that whilst not everyone will like what you're selling, there are a lot of people who will and your energy needs to be put into connecting with these people. A lot of musicians travel a well-worn path creativity because they are scared-stiff of somebody not liking them. It’s more important in my book that you get remember for something than you get labelled middle-of-the-road or unoffensive…
In 2011 I met Daughters of Davis, a sibling-duo from the south coast of England. They could sing beautifully, had some mesmerizing songs and charisma in abundance. They had played around 200 gigs in the year leading up to our meeting but not achieved the elusive break they were yearning for. Whilst they had as good a chance as any other act to ‘make it’ based on their talent, personality and dedication but it wasn’t all coming together as hoped. In a strategic move, rather than play by the rules, we decided to make a song and dance about something other than just their music...we focussed on their story.
Everyone is using the same 12 notes but your story is truly unique.
Earlier that year, the girls had packed in their jobs, sold most of their earthly possession to buy a rusted campervan off eBay. The thinking (the little that took place) behind this was that they would rock up in a new place every few days, find a gig, sells some CDs, make money and move on. The reality however was 8p value noodles and busking to avoid starvation with a week passing before enough funds were earned before fuel could be put in the tank. One crowdfunding campaign later however we had the funds to make a documentary DVD of their life on the road. People related to their good humour, dedication to the cause and the overwhelming struggles. Suddenly the press, funding bodies and corporate sponsors were interested in Daughters of Davis...not primarily for their music, but because of their story. The band found a niche and often get referred to as ‘the campervan’ sisters’ by people who forget their name but recall their adventures. To further illustrate the importance of this, a well known Radio 2 DJ offered to write a forward for their upcoming book...whilst she loves their music, she too is a motorhoming enthusiast.
How are you winning a place in the minds of those who experience your music? If you can solve this riddle, you’re on to a winner!
A few through for you to chew over.
1. Finding your niche is important in your sound, style, story and approach. An innovative business model can be just as important as a dying your hair purple.
2. The Beatles were inspired by music from around the globe and then brought new influences into popular music...where are you getting new inspiration from? If you’re just listening to what everyone else is listening to, you might just end up regurgitating the same styles and sounds as everyone else.
3. If you’re not truly living an adventure, start today. Many artists have to make up stories to try and sell records. Your life can be newsworthy...and for the right reasons.