24/1/25
The king is dead, long live the king!
It's a weird feeling being a British person, but married into a liberal American family and staying here in California whist the LA fires and Trumps inauguration are all happening.
I have been listening to the NPR news (which is like the US version of the BBC) and really getting a flavour of what this new political era means to millions of Americans.
Meanwhile, me as a more kind of middle of the road political view can see the benefits of the 2nd coming of Trump and also empathise with the fears and outrage that the mere mention of his name seems to invoke in my in-laws.
I stay away from talking about politics and religion in this situation for obvious reasons, but what also is very interesting is how the two have become very connected recently.
Christianity seems to be increasingly popular amongst many celebrities of late with Russell Brand being the latest convert and along with it seems his political stance…from lefty, vegan, eastern religious ideologies to Trump supporting, canivore born again Christian.
I myself have rediscovered Christ during the recent advent and find myself rooting for Trump…coincidence?
So, if you haven’t already subscribed to my YouTube Channel then take a look.
I am doing daily videos and each week I’ll highlight one which I feel is the most important and we can take a deeper dive.
This weeks video. This one seemed to initiate some interesting connections.
It felt like the right time to talk about this subject of feeling like giving up as it's around the ‘hump' of January when a lot of new years resolutions start losing their novelty and people start to get distracted from their goals.
I do these videos largely by ‘feel’ and what intuitively Iam being guided towards.
So it's always nice to get a heartfelt comment from a new subscriber saying that it really helped them.
What was more interesting was I responded to their comment without knowing who they were and blessed them…Imagine my delight when I then looked at their channel to see they were a child of God who was preaching on her her videos!
Now this video only has 44 views at the time of writing but just that interaction to me is worth more than fleeting virality, it's about genuine connection, no matter how small your following.
This Week’s Focus: How To Get Free PR As A Musician
This week, I’m sharing three game-changing tips to get the kind of PR that a lot of musicians literally pay thousands of £’s for…(I know this because they've told me.) for absolutely free!
Here’s how
1.Get your story straight! - This is THE most important step and cannot be overstated! Once you have dialled in your ‘story’ and really found what makes you unique and interesting (usually it's the stuff you actually think is boring to others) then everything else gets much easier
2.Write and release! - Now either write a killer press release using your finely honed copywriting skills - or use AI!
I use it like a dictaphone then ask it to ‘act like an expert music business copywriter and create a compelling press release that sounds human.’ Or something like that. Then just simply finesse the results to sound like you and BOOM! you got a pro looking Press release for nada.
3.Go Local - Now find your local press and find the entertainment features editor if they have one. Email or call first and whet their apetite with your story, if they like it then they will ask you to send it over.
Then wait until they interview you and then print it.
Bingo! you have free press which you can leverage to get more and use for content.
I did this exact process and when it went to print, a large local radio stations producer called me up and invited me to appear on their flagship breakfast show to play live and do an interview! So I know this works…just got to have a great story (and talking of great stories!….)
Story Time
This week on my daily walk, I had a rather odd encounter.
I like to take the same winding country road whenever I can. It’s not overly busy—mainly cyclists, a few cars, and nature all around. But something unusual happened that left me scratching my head.
As I was walking up the road, I noticed a squirrel lying in the middle of the path. It looked like it had been hit—probably by a car or maybe even a bike.
There was no doubt it was no longer with us, but it wasn’t flattened, just, well… lifeless.
I figured I’d do the decent thing, so I carefully picked it up by the tail and moved it to the side of the road onto the grass.
Then I continued my walk, making a mental note to wash my hands thoroughly when I got home.
Later that same day, my wife and I went out for another walk along the same road. As we approached the spot, I began telling her about my earlier squirrel-related adventure.
But here’s where it got strange.
The squirrel was back.
Not on the grass where I’d placed it, but almost exactly where I’d found it before—in the middle of the road. It was almost as though it hadn’t been moved at all.
I stopped mid-sentence and said to my wife, “I’m certain I moved that squirrel earlier. I mean, absolutely certain.” But there it was again, in what seemed like the same spot.
It looked slightly different this time— a bit more worse for wear, I suppose—but it was unmistakably the same squirrel.
I have no idea how it got there. Maybe a bird tried to carry it off and dropped it… Or maybe I was unknowingly caught in a small country-road mystery.
We left it where it was and continued on our walk.
Sometimes life throws you little puzzles like this—odd moments that can’t quite be explained.
And if nothing else, it reminded me of two things: always wash your hands after handling wildlife, and life’s mysteries are best enjoyed with a sense of humor.
3. Resource of the Week
Tool: My voice recorder on my phone
Why It’s Useful: Well do I really have to tell you? So many times I get an idea for a song, a melody or just a funny thought, I reach for this feature on my phone.
I have built up quite a library now so start to get anxious that my phone will stop working and I'll lose all those ideas.
Time to back it up I suppose!
Quick Updates from Me
New Service: I’m offering a 20-minute free session to help you get started with your Google Business Profile. Click here to book.
Personal Update: It’s my 52nd Birthday on March 7th ( I know, it's hard to believe as I look so young!) and Iam thinking of something special to celebrate.
I really like the idea of trying out one of the driverless Google cars in San Francisco! What would you do on your birthday?
Start your own online Vinyl distribution ElasticStage is the worlds first online vinyl store. As a partnership with them I can highly recommend their services. This can actually be a game changer for independent artists and can add a lot to your income.
(I also receive a very small commission if you sign up)
Final thoughts
What’s your challenge as a musician trying to grow your audience?
Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to help you tackle it!
Remember:
Rejection is correction. Ridicule is fuel. Keep thriving.
Until next time,
Spence C