Man, time is flyyyying for me right now! Can't believe the new album is out in 10 days time. Things are really heating up.
I'm doing my shows (see the Upcoming Gigs sidebar) and readying myself for another round of radio and TV promo, plus a few more press interviews.
We shot the video for my next single this week on wednesday with Mr. Greg Page (director of my previous clips "Stop The Music" and "Angels"). The day was quite intense as Greg got me doing a lot more acting again. Shit was quite emotional to be honest. You'll get to see the results of that in about a month or so.
I tell ya, it sure is a great feeling to own an independent record label and be free to choose how you create, market and promote your own music. But don't ever make the mistake of thinking it's easy to do this well. You have to be sharp, attentive and dedicated. Especially when you manage yourself, as I mostly do.
Here's how the responsibilities of releasing my record are shared for this project;
We have hired an independent promotions company to take our records to radio and TV plus co-ordinate all my interviews and promotional appearances (my trusty colleague whom usually does this stuff at Dirty is taking time off to raise a baby!). I have a booking agent to lock in my gigs and my homie Callum is responsible for marketing the album and handling most other label related stuff that needs attention (contracts, licensing deals etc etc). They are a great help of course but it still takes time and attention on my end to fulfill all the requests from my crew plus keep my calendar running smooth and myself healthy. Fitting everything in, answering everyone's questions and providing all the information, time and tools each party needs to do their jobs and keep this organism named P-Money in motion is much more than a full-time job.
It's important not to forget that as a human you need to balance work and home life in order to be truly successful (and stay healthy… and sane!). With a schedule like mine is at present it can be difficult to find time to eat, let alone foster any kind of meaningful relationships, but I do my best on both fronts.
It would be fair to say I'm feeling the pressure at the moment. But it's obviously something I've done before and can confidently navigate. This is technically album number 3 for me as P-Money the producer/artist and there are a number of other projects under my belt, courtesy of our other great acts at Dirty, that have contributed to my experience. So yes, I can handle it and fortunately this time I'm handling things far better than with any of my prior efforts. There have been no breakdowns yet! (believe it, they are par for the course in this game).
With age I've learnt to not be as precious about each minor detail and instead look at the overall picture. I've also learnt to trust others with aspects of my projects a bit more, so that helps with not overworking myself. Control freaks and perfectionists (like me) are very prone to pulling all nighters and suffering severe burn-out. Im speaking from experience here. Taking care of yourself, getting rest, and not over indulging, is of utmost importance.
In saying all this I still hold my work to the highest of standards in every area and I expect the best results from my colleagues. A leader must lead by example. And from my perspective, the artist should be the leader of their project (as I feel I am). It all starts with the energy placed into your craft, your performances, your recordings and the energy you share with people. Keep that energy positive, enthusiastic and genuine and watch it spread through your team/project and out into the world. Thats what I strive for and hopefully it's working here.
The journey continues. My album 'Everything' is out on May 3rd. All the best.
pete
