Welcome back! For the second edition of ‘Sucker’s Guide to the Music Industry’ we had a chat with new writer on the scene, Madeline Rose, who has covered the likes of Lauran Hibberd, Alfie Templeman and Coach Party for top music tastemaker website The Line of Best Fit.

Here’s what went down…

Hi Madeline! So, what up and coming bands are you most excited about at the moment?

There are so many new bands surfacing which is super exciting! I’m really enjoying Coach Party and Nasty Cherry at the moment, they’re both very new and have a unique sound, I think they’ll both be pretty big! I’ve also been listening to a lot of Deco, Peach Pit and BE GOOD lately, they’ve been around for a little while longer but are continuing to make a name for themselves.

What advice would you give any band pitching their music to be reviewed? 

If you have new music waiting to be released, start with that as it could lead to an exclusive on a music blog or magazine! In addition to this, make sure you have a decent press release to back you, if you don’t have anyone to handle that for you, you can always make one yourself – talk about who you are, how you formed, where you find your inspiration – anything you can think of that can help the writer get to grips with what you’re about. If you have unreleased music then start with that, and make sure to include any private links so the song is accessible to the person reviewing it. It’s important to remember to include any artwork as that will always catch a readers eye! Don’t forget to send your music into different tastemakers as there’s a chance at least one will pick you up. Some well known and acclaimed websites are The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, Dork, NME, Earmilk and DIY, to name a few.

What’s your biggest pet hate when looking through music submissions?

I don’t have any pet hates as long as the sound quality is great and the press assets are fairly in-depth, that’s all I need to do my job properly! Just be aware that sometimes it takes a while to get through every submission as there are so many artists trying to get a review so try to be patient as you will get an answer!

What’s your favourite method of discovering new music at the moment?

I will always look at music magazines and their social media accounts to discover new music as they are always helping to break new artists. They’re trusted trendsetters and will keep you updated with the latest singles, EPs and albums being released. In addition to this, I’ve always loved using Spotify playlists to discover new music, whether it’s one tailored to the music I listen to or whether it’s a playlist anyone can follow, that’s my go-to! Their “Lorem” playlist has a lot of up-and-comers on there and they update it regularly! If you haven’t checked it out then you definitely should.

How important is an artist’s image when deciding what music to write about?

It really depends on the artist. I like to look at bands/artists and see that everything they do is succinct, I think it’s really important for upcoming artists to consider how they want to look to others because it makes it easier for industry professionals to get an idea of what they’re about! Think of your band/solo project as a brand – everything you do should be in service to your brand.

How do you think music journalism is changing? Are there any new trends you’ve noticed in recent years?

I think for a time there was a fear music journalism would die out with the rise of social media making it easy for artists to promote their music themselves, but if anything I think it’s only become more powerful! Write-ups from newspapers and magazines have evolved to webzines, blogs and even social media accounts – it’s never been so easy to connect with audiences who come to find out more about the artists they love. Of course with so many blogs and websites out there it can invite competition for exclusives, however, if a certain publication has a good, longstanding relationship with an artist or their PR then usually that can mitigate those issues. I think that social media has benefited artists and industry professionals in a way that we couldn’t even imagine 20 years ago and although it took some time for the labels to catch up with the new ways to market and distribute music, I think they’re also starting to adapt.

A new trend that I’ve seen music publications making use of are social media takeovers. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically handing over your Instagram, Twitter or Facebook account to an artist for a limited time for Q&A’s with fans, as well as mini-performances with live stories. It’s the perfect way to get people over to that publication, thus widening their reach.

What upcoming releases that you’re covering should we be excited about?

There are loads of extended plays coming out in the coming months that I’m looking forward to writing about. Unfortunately, I can’t say too much about it at the moment, but be sure to keep checking The Line Of Best Fit for some exclusives on new music!

And you can keep up-to-date with Madeline’s writing work by taking a look at her writer’s page for The Line of Best Fit HERE.

Join us on again on Wednesday when we have another behind the scenes interview for you!