An indie folk-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Sydney, Southey recently dropped the gorgeously majestic, ethereally rustic single 'Someday'.
His first new music in almost two years, 'Someday' lyrically explores the collective longing for stability and belonging all humans possess."I wrote 'Someday' in my bedroom studio in Surry Hills shortly after receiving notice that my landlord had decided to sell the property," Southey says.
"This could not have come at a worse time with the ongoing rental crisis here and I was really struggling to find somewhere to live.
"I wrote the song when I was feeling hopeful one evening, dreaming of the prospect of one day owning a home I could never be kicked out of."
Since his 2021 debut 'Run River' (that scenestr had the honour to premiere), Southey has continually fostered his own creative juices while also building his music DIY skills. He recorded and mixed 'Someday' in his home studio as well as filming and editing the song's lyric video (after crashing a drone in the process).
He's also assembled a loyal Twitch following, once garnering 500,000-plus viewers in a single stream; all of which makes him the perfect candidate to share five tips for emerging artists to level up their own music.
1: Go busking
When you perform on the street it's possibly one of the most vulnerable places you can be, but it also can be one of the most exciting places.Busking gave me the resilience I needed to get a lot further with my music career than I ever thought possible. It's a great place to test new material, hone your skills, and even find long-term fans. Give it a go, and start yourself of with a few dollars.
2: Automate the boring stuff
I hate doing admin, writing invoices, emailing venues. You can make a Google Form to input your gigs into a spreadsheet, and then automate it so if produces the invoice PDFs for you.Better yet, it's 2023 and ChatGPT can tell you how to set it up AND even code for you. I've recently set this up and I wish someone had told me to do it sooner. More time to write songs!
3: Set milestones and do something to celebrate
It's so easy to fall into the trap of releasing music, hitting your goal, may that be 100, 1,000, 100K, 1M streams, and moving straight to the next milestone.Stop and celebrate your wins! Plan something to do when you hit that goal, say going out for dinner with friends to celebrate or a trip away. It will help you appreciate what you've achieved.
4: Try new things
You can't be good at everything, but it doesn't hurt to have a go at making your own single art, cracking out the acrylics and brushes, or shooting your own music video.There's so much you can do yourself these days and so many resources available. Don't be afraid to DIY it. It might just turn out pretty great and you only improve.
5: Find artists that make you feel sh.t (bear with me)
You know that feeling, when you thought you were pretty good at singing, or guitar, or live looping, and then you see someone perform who just shatters your entire perspective on how good YOU are, and you feel pretty crap?It's a good thing (to be reminded from time to time)! Surrounding yourself with talented people inspires you to improve, work harder, make more music!.
Usually, the primary factor as to why they might be more 'talented' is that they've actually just put in more hours than you. So keep going. And when you feel like you're the best. . . well, it's time to find one of those people and get that hard truth again.
