A Gift of Music (22-09-2012)
Interview for 50K Music Magazine. Follow the link to read the interview.
A GIFT OF MUSIC
In mid-July Lee-Leet reached her target on SellaBand. Now she's about to start her tour around Europe. I talked about her experiences on SellaBand, tour plans and the music scene in Poland ...
50K MUSIC: A few weeks ago you've completed your SellaBand project. Congrats! How do you feel now?
Lee-Leet: It’s a wonderful feeling to have all this support from the people who only know you by your music. It’s a sign of appreciation for what you do as an artist and a big responsibility. Great feeling! :-) I would like to thank all my Believers once again.
50K MUSIC: It seems you had one really true believer?
Lee-Leet: I’m proud to have attracted the interest of one incredible Believer from New Zealand who has been extending his patronage over many SellaBand artists so generously. It’s a great privilege to be among his picks. The fact is that Mdwh (this is his SellaBand nick) has been a great support from the moment I’ve signed up on SellaBand up to putting the coping stone on my project. He also didn’t wait for my project to reach the target to get the incentives (which in my case were mainly music downloads) but bought all my albums in my online store well in advance. I received wonderful encouragement from him and I’m very grateful for his support.
50K MUSIC: You've raised 7.000 EUR with the project. What will you use the money for?
Lee-Leet: I will use it for touring and promotion. It will be my first tour outside of Poland so I’m very excited :-). I wanted to pay tribute to my SellaBand Believers and I named the entire tour “Leave It Behind Tour SellaBand Tour”. “Leave It Behind” is the title of my latest album I will be promoting this way. I see something almost symbolic in the fact that my SellaBand Believers who live in various locations will bring my music to the new audiences. A gift of music from one group of people to another.
50K MUSIC: Have you already made a schedule for touring this year?
Lee-Leet: Yes although it is not easy to be your own booking agent so I’m also cooperating with other artists to find the right places for gigs. I have the initial schedule with the first gigs confirmed in Holland and in Finland for November and December this year. There’s also been a nice development as I will open my tour with three concerts with The Sunpilots in Poland in October. The Sunpilots are a great band from Australia who are currently living in Berlin and touring Europe. Like me, they are truly independent, handling their own record label, finance and management . Their music is fresh and authentic.
50K MUSIC: What else do you plan for the next few months?
Lee-Leet: I have written some new songs and I’m planning to pick one to release a single. Aside from that, I want to enjoy the touring, see the new places and meet new fans.
50K MUSIC: Your song „So High“ has been licensed for Rock Band Network video game. How has this contributed to spreading the word about your music?
Lee-Leet: Rock Band is one of those places that can get you noticed and I’m proud to be the first Polish indie artist in the game. I don’t believe you can cause an overnight avalanche of interest when you operate on a small budget so my expectations are realistic. I’m just glad my music is out there and people can pass their time and enjoy themselves to it. The song began a life of its own with new “So High” covers emerging on YouTube every so often. It also had a funny side to it as I discovered on YouTube comments that in English the song title may have connotations of being “high on drugs”! So when you see a title “So High” on the list of songs you may expect something dark and gloomy and yet the song is a cheerful love song :-).
50K MUSIC: There is a lot of awesome music from Polish artists. Do you think it's hard for them to get noticed in the rest of Europe, especially in Western Europe?
Lee-Leet: I believe it’s as hard for the Polish artist as for anyone else. There are zillions of bands out there and we are all in the same pot. Surely, if you are born in London or Berlin, you may have better access to the entire music engine and find it easier to come across the right people. Poland is a big country and my observation is that Polish artists tend to be Poland centered even if some of them sing in English. Those that were noticed abroad usually have lived or are based outside of Poland. I believe that creating your own niche takes time with a lot of hard work and dedication so maybe not everyone is ready for it. Many young bands have too high expectations too soon. I also mention SellaBand to Polish bands whenever I have the opportunity but I haven’t seen any of those sign up yet. It’s a pity as SellaBand is a fantastic artist friendly platform where you can fund your project and gather a new fan base so it’s at least worth a try.
50K MUSIC: Anything else you want your fans and believers to know?
Lee-Leet: Spread the word and keep up the good work supporting the Artists on SellaBand! I may return there with a new project too, you never know ;-).