Name: Nick Lopez
Age: 20
Style of Music: Pop
Bio: From San Francisco, currently live in LA. I am a singer/songwriter.
https://www.soundcloud.com/nicklopezmusic
https://www.instagram.com/nicklopezmusic
https://www.twitter.com/nicklopezmusic
1. What made you want to be a musician for a living?
Not sure what specifically sparked it, but it’s just came very naturally to me. I couldn’t envision myself doing anything else other than music as a career, it just feels right.
2. It’s common for musicians to be out of work for long periods of time. How can you supplement this time without work? How can you transition out of this period as quickly as possible?
Save your money! Songwriters and musicians should understand that there are good years and bad years. We don’t have a steady salary or a constant paycheck. So we need to be very aware of that when making financial decisions. To transition out of a down period simply requires hard work and a constant, relentless dedication to achieving your goals.
3. As an independent artist, what have you done to successfully create music that competes with major label big budget artists? What would you have done differently? What advice would you give to other independent artists when budgeting funds?
I take my time with each song I release. I plan out a strategic release ahead of time. I know which blogs I am going to target, which YouTube channels and Spotify playlists. I also try to get other artists featured on a lot of my songs, because a great collaboration can enhance the song from both a musical standpoint and also a marketing standpoint.
4. How important is the choice studio/engineer when it comes to recording the music that means the most to you?
Incredibly important to me. I hate bad mixes, so many of my friends that make music have horrible mixes, and it really just ruins their songs. They could have been great songs if the mix was done right, and now, there’s no chance. Everyone at Clear Lake has given me a consistent sound in the mixes that is an essential part of my presentation – you have to have a good mix to compete with the big dogs.
5. How important is image? How has social media played a role in your image and your career? What advice would you give to other independent artists?
Image is everything. You need to act, dress, and give off the vibe of an artist if that’s what you are trying to become. 24/7, you need to represent yourself as an artist, with everyone you meet. When you are recording at Clear Lake, you are an artist. When you are doing a photoshoot, you are an artist. When you go to the grocery store, you are an artist. The point is, you never know who is watching, so your presentation always needs to be at 110%. For social media, you should have high quality, cool photos that represent your personality. You need content apart from just the music, so people can really form an emotional attachment to YOU and not just your songs. This can be done via Instagram and Twitter, and constantly interacting with new fans who discover your music.
6. How do you go about making connections? What is the importance of the connections you make? How do you utilize them?
Making connections to me happens naturally. People try too hard sometimes to network, which is super annoying. You kind of just have to let it happen. It’s good to write down specific people you want to meet, and kind of map out who knows who in order to get to them, but at the end of the day, you need to make genuine friendships. That’s the only way your networking is going to pay off. Every “connection” I have made happened because I created a true friendship with that person. Just get out there, meet people, and be genuine.