Shotgun Story Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard

"Because these days, there's not enough girls at music festivals!"

Galpalooza. Women's Day Music Festival at Tweefontein Melkery. Featuring an all-female line-up.

Listen to the interview with Jolene East (Jolling | The Honeymooners)

Outro track "I Know I Love You" by Jolling. Music used with permission from rights holder.

"I can honestly say it (music) saved my life at one point."

Simone Govender is a pop singer-songwriter based in Johannesburg. She teaches music on the side. I heard her exquisite voice at a Saturday morning market, and I knew that I had to have a conversation...

The thing is, when you make music for a living, more often than not you're building sets of songs that you think people want to hear. Reading people's minds is an art, and one that is hard to get right. Simone seems to hit the nail on the head most of the time.

In this episode, we talk about building these sets, and with that said, also finding the courage to play your own songs! We chat about cyber-bullying, learning about the business side of music, faith, and the pinch-yourself moments that happen when you're following your dreams.

Outro music: "The Attention's Really Killing Me" by Simone Govender. Music used with permission from rights holder.

"I haven't got millions of streams. I'm just doing what I'm doing."

There is something wonderful about talking to someone with a lifetime of experience in their field. And this episode of the podcast is FILLED with delightful stories, lessons, coffee, and bits of GREAT advice.

Martin 'Cito' Otto is a rock performer, songwriter, producer, music director, part-time actor, and newly-launched coffee mogul, best known as the lead singer of WONDERboom.

When your third gig as a band is opening for Simple Minds in front of 15,000 people, you know the tales are going to be good...

Outro music 'Prodigal Son' by WONDERboom. Music used with permission from rights holder.

Dave Starke is a folk singer-songwriter in the ancient British Isles troubadour tradition (the modern version, obvs). He speaks a language I deeply understand, that of grappling with how to be an artist. Sustainably.

In this episode, we chat about 'cultural confidence', being comfortable with being uncomfortable, writing songs out of desperate overwhelm, and the ancient role of the singer-songwriter in our cultural heritage.

"You can't become whatever you want, you can only become what you are. And we just are musicians. You know, you can fight that as much as you want, and you can have misery either way. You can be miserable because you're not an artist, or you can become an artist and be miserable with that. And I think the latter is better."

Listen to this episode to understand the life of a singer-songwriter in South Africa a whole lot better...

Music outro: 'Burn After Reading' by Dave Starke. Music used with permission from the rights holder.

You're a creator. Use your talents and find a NICHE for yourself.

Are you a songwriter (or a composer) debating whether to get a publisher or to try your hand at doing it yourself? As a creator, it's important to have a very open vision of your career and what you can and cannot do, so knowing both sides of the debate matters.

Thando Makhunga is the Managing Director of Sheer Music Publishing, and she popped into the studio to chat a bit about the ins and outs of music publishing, what it means, and why it's so important.

We talk about the roles of a publisher and the songwriter, the importance of transparency in the relationship between them, and how publishing is about ownership! Money conversations can be tricky for artists, but they're imperative to have.

For more information, contact info@sheer.co.za

Music outro: 'unfolded' by Shotgun Tori. Music used with permission from the rights holder.

Why do you want to go to a label? They can't do anything for you.

Benjy Mudie has been in the business of making music for over 40 years. In 1998, he founded the independent South African music label Fresh Music. He has been responsible for signing and developing some of the most successful artists in this country: Squeal, Mango Groove, Little Sister, Vicki Samson (to name just a few!)

If you're a music lover, tune in to this episode for stories about eVoid, Mango Groove, Fallen Mirror (plus some great advice about starting a record collection).

If you're a music maker, you'll want to listen to the sections about artist development, the role of record labels in the modern music industry, and the importance of having a battle plan if you're going to embark on the indie route.

"If you go into it wanting to be rich, you're in for a rude awakening." -Benjy Mudie

To get in touch with Benjy, email fresh@icon.co.za

Outro music: 'Leave the Bones' by Cofield Mundi. Music used with permission from rights holder.