So here’s something I didn’t expect to learn this week…
A 3-piece British band called The Molotovs (yes, very punk name — and they live up to it) just announced the release of their first single.
Nothing strange about that, right?
Except... they’ve already played over 500 gigs.
Yeah. 500 shows before they uploaded anything to streaming.
They’ve busked the streets. Played pubs, clubs, and free gigs. Opened for the Sex Pistols (yes, the actual ones), The Libertines, and done full-blown tours across the UK and Scandinavia. They’re launching their single with a free street gig outside a record store in London — where fans can buy the vinyl inside the shop. Brilliant.
No PR campaign. No begging for playlist placements. No clever TikTok trends.
Just straight-up sweat equity. And it’s working.
(Oh and BTW they’ve also recently signed to an independent record label)
HOW?
Because they’ve built a real fanbase first — the kind of people who’ll queue up in the rain to hear a song they already know, even if it’s never been officially released.
It gave me hope.
Honestly, it reminded me that the “old-school” approach — you know, actually playing live and connecting with real humans — isn’t dead. It’s alive and kicking and probably wearing a leather jacket.
Of course, not every act should do this. I get it.
If you’re a faceless electronic producer from a dark basement in Stavanger... maybe street gigs aren’t your thing.
If you make ambient whale music for crypto-anxious tech bros... this ain’t your route.
But for most bands? Most singer-songwriters? Most duos, trios, and misfit collectives with songs in their heart and cheap guitars in their hand?
Take a damn note.
Because before The Molotovs ever released a track, they’d already done what most artists forget to do:
➡️ Earned attention.
➡️ Practiced their craft.
➡️ Built a tribe.
That’s a fanbase who’ll buy tickets, merch, and vinyl before even hearing the track in hi-fi. That’s not luck — that’s strategy disguised as hard graft.
It’s the opposite of dropping a track into the Spotify void, then posting “out now link in bio” and wondering why no one’s listening.
So yeah, this isn’t about copying everything they’ve done.
But maybe... just maybe... playing 100 gigs before you post 100 reels might not be the worst idea in the world.
Respect to the Molotovs.
They're not just lighting fires.
They're showing the rest of us how to start one.
—Spence
P.S. Wanna talk about building a loyal fanbase without becoming a social media dancing monkey? Hit reply. I’ve got some ideas. And if you’re in a band that wants to be heard, let’s make sure someone’s actually listening.
This Week’s No-Brainer: Radio Airplay That Pays You
A lot of musicians waste money on marketing that doesn’t pay back.
Radio does.
It’s real people hearing your music. It’s real royalties hitting your account. And it’s far cheaper than you think.
Let’s crunch some numbers so you can see how this actually works.
How Much Can You Make?
Let’s say your song gets played on 2,000 of the 5,000 stations in this package.
Each station plays it twice a week.
That’s 4,000 spins per week.
The average royalty payout varies, but let’s go super low at $0.10 per spin (it’s often higher).
💰 $0.10 x 4,000 spins = $400 per week.
If your song stays in rotation for just 4 weeks, that’s $1,600.
And that’s assuming only 2,000 stations pick it up. If more stations spin your track? The numbers go up.
If they keep playing it for months? Even better.
How Many People Will Hear Your Music?
Let’s be ridiculously conservative here.
Say the average station has 50,000 listeners (many have way more).
If 2,000 stations play your song, that’s 100 million potential listeners.
Let’s assume only 1% actually notice your song—that’s still 1 million listeners.
Now, if 1% of those 1 million become actual fans? That’s 10,000 new fans.
And that’s just one campaign. You can run multiple campaigns for different songs.
Why This is a No-Brainer
✔️Affordable: A couple of gigs will cover the cost of this package.
✔️Industry Clout: Imagine listing “Played on XYZ Radio” in your bio. It makes you stand out for festivals, gigs, and PR.
✔️Personal Connections: You’ll get direct contacts with DJs who might champion your music.
✔️Completely Passive: You don’t need to lift a finger—we handle everything.
✔️Works Alongside Everything Else: You can still push Spotify, TikTok, YouTube—this just adds fuel to the fire.
Here’s What You Get
Your song pitched to 5,000 radio stations worldwide.
Guaranteed airplay—not fake streams, not bots, just real radio.
You get paid royalties (instead of shelling out for useless ads).
Potential for bigger features—Record of the Week, interviews, or DJ endorsements.
Massive credibility boost—because “We’ve been played on 200+ stations” sounds a lot better than “Check out our Spotify.”
This is the smartest money you can spend on your music.
It’s not some pay-to-play scam.
It’s a real, scalable way to grow your career while getting paid.
Now here’s the part you really want to know…
How much is it?
Well if I told you it was less than decent acoustic guitar would you be suprised?
Yes this deal is super affordable for you the working musician
$600 is the one-time, upfront price and includes everything above.
If you have a radio-ready song that you want to promote the heck out of then this is definitley for you.
Genres: Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, EDM, R&B (sorry no Rap or Hip Hop)
It’s time to get some serious airplay!
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