Hello, it's Tom Robinson with another episode of the BBC Introducing Mixtape from 6 Music - 60 minutes of music from under the mainstream radar, uploaded direct to our network of local BBC Introducing shows by independent UK artists. This week we present:
ALIEN CHICKS, BRAPURPLE ft GABRIELLE SEY, VINNY PECULIAR, FAINT LINE, GREEN GARDENS, HANZ, JOHNNY PANIC & THE BIBLE OF DREAMS, CHRISTINA ALDEN & ALEX PATTERSON, SKINNYBOY TUNES ft UNCLE KID, SWINE TAX ft BIGFATBIG, FAYD, PRIMA QUEEN, A DIFFERENT KITCHEN, YOVA, MAX TAYLOR, MARCH, COWBOY HUNTERS, and J.CHAMBERS ft DEI.3A.VU
This is the episode released on Monday 15th May 2023 and available via BBC Sounds for 30 days until Wednesday 14 June 2023. After the show drops you can also download & keep the audio permanently using any podcast app, or direct from our podcast page:
ALIEN CHICKS - Candlestick Maker
https://linktr.ee/alienchicksband
BRAPURPLE ft. GABRIELLE SEY - Drawn To You
http://www.brapurplemusic.com
VINNY PECULIAR - Flower Power
https://vinnypeculiar-com.stackstaging.com
FAINT LINE - Red Tide
https://www.youtube.com/@WeatheredManMusic
GREEN GARDENS - Things I Didn't Do
https://linktr.ee/greengardens
HANZ - Haven
https://www.instagram.com/hanzmusic
JOHNNY PANIC AND THE BIBLE OF DREAMS - Directions to the Sunlit Uplands
https://linktr.ee/Jimmyandrex
CHRISTINA ALDEN & ALEX PATTERSON - The Starless Sea
https://linktr.ee/christinaaldenandalexpatterson
SKINNYBOY TUNES ft UNCLE KID - As Above, So Below
https://skinnyboytunes.bandcamp.com
https://unclekid.bandcamp.com
SWINE TAX ft BIGFATBIG - Annual Leave
https://swinetax.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/bigfatbig
FAYD - Bounce
https://instagram.com/icyfayd
PRIMA QUEEN - Dylan
https://linktr.ee/primaqueen
A DIFFERENT KITCHEN - I'm Fine I'm Fine
https://linktr.ee/adifferentkitchen
YOVA - Feel Your Fear
https://linktr.ee/YOVAmusic
MAX TAYLOR - A Really Bad Person
https://www.maxtaylormusic.com
MARCH - What Does That Make Me
https://linktr.ee/musicbymarch
COWBOY HUNTERS - Losing My Grip
https://linktr.ee/cowboyhunters
J.CHAMBERS ft DEI.3A.VU - Uprizing
https://linktr.ee/jaycmcr
PS FOR ARTISTS:
What happens next? Radio airplay is a great affirmation of your work. It's great to be able to mention it on your CV and social media. But radio play won't make as much longterm difference as you may think - it comes, and then it goes. The trouble is that radio can accellerate a career that's already got momentum - but it can't kickstart a career from scratch.
Bulding an audience for your music (and continuing to write great songs) takes time and effort. The good news is that, unlike radio play, it's entirely within your own power to achieve and costs next to nothing. And although this only one man's opinion, you'll find a few suggestions about how to do this this in my closing talk for BBC Introducing Live 2019.
Hiring a radio plugger in the hope of getting more airplay is an expensive gamble - and only worth considering when there's already a buzz about your latest song and a growing audience for your music. But early on in their career, most emerging artists get MUCH better results themselves than by hiring a plugger. For suggestions on how to do your own music promotion see the free advice section at my Fresh On The Net blog (freshonthenet.co.uk).
Once an artist's career does start building momentumn - with views, plays and comments growing measurably each week - that's when an expertly run radio campaign can be a great way of putting a foot on the accelerator. Once you do choose to go down that route, the next problem is how to find a trustworthy promo company? One possibility might be to copy and keep the weekly playlists published by your target radio stations every week, and look up which small labels are regularly getting featured. Then google those labels, drop them an email, and ask which radio pluggers they use. [NB bigger labels tend to have their own in-house promo teams.]
And however things pan out, don't forget to carry on uploading your new releases to BBC Introducing so that we can carry on supporting you as your career unfolds.
AND FINALLY...
We only get enough airtime on this show to feature artists - even our absolute favourites - about four times a year, however much we love their work. So after you've been been on the Mixtape, please wait 12 weeks before sending me your next brilliant track. This leaves us time to help a load of other deserving artists meanwhile.
The best way of getting a tune direct to me is via Fresh On The Net using Soundcloud. From 10m on Monday mornings anybody is welcome to send us a track and we keep the inbox open until 200 submissions have arrived - so it's best to get in early. We publish all 200 tunes on our Soundcloud each week, and a dozen of us then listen to every single track. And be sure to also upload your tune to BBC Introducing, to make it eligible for Introducing airplay...
Tom Robinson
