On this episode of the podcast, I’m sitting down with two members of the band Goo, which is the band that was featured in the very first Independent Artist Audit episode.  I have a delightful "chinwag" with Kurt and Tanisha, we cover many topics and this episode is full of insights from a band that is currently on their first headlining tour in Europe.

Episode Highlights:

• Their musical journey as a band: How they met, their individual musical backgrounds and what lead them to where they are today 
• Tour life: We discuss their experience on their first headlining tour as they’re currently touring around Europe supporting their debut album “Oh Wow, Oh Well” as well as their pre-show rituals.
• The inner workings of their songwriting process: They discuss their collaborative style for songwriting and how everyone in the band contributes.
• The making of their debut album “Oh Wow, Oh Well”: We hear about their track selection, the writing process as well as how it was recorded and produced.
• The first installment of the Independent Artist Audit: We hear their side of being featured as the first artist on the independent artist audit.
• Deep Dive on “Tiny Dinosaur That Only I Can See”: We go even deeper on the song featured on the audit and discuss how they recorded it as well as how they played it live on BBC Introducing and hear how the song title came from the most unlikely of places.
• Advice for up and coming bands: They talk about their proudest moment as a band and give their advice to up and coming bands on what it takes to be a successful band.

Whether you’re a fan of their music or an independent artist trying to navigate the modern landscape, this conversation is full of takeaways.  I hope you enjoy!

Connect with Goo:

• Instagram: @whoaregoo
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7fJGD539mLVYgU1cPtlY3Y?si=Gk4Pje4qQDSwokq1h-VZlw
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/googoogoo

Connect with the Show:

• Follow the Podcast: https://ffm.to/2dayqn2
• Submit Your Music for the Independent Artist Audit: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/

On this episode of the podcast, I sit down with two members of The Car I Drive - the band that helped me complete my "500 follower challenge".

We discuss their musical journey, how a geographically split band collaborates and the inspiration behind their track, "In Orbit".

Episode Highlights:

• The Origin Story: How they met, their individual musical backgrounds, and the unexpected story behind their band name.
• The 500 Follower Challenge: How my song review challenge landed on their radar, their reactions to it and we go through some of the comments left on the reel.
• The Modern Indie Grind: Why they choose a single-focused release strategy over traditional albums, and how they make a long distance band dynamic actually work.
• The Lightning Round: I wrap things up by throwing a few totally unexpected questions their way.
  

Whether you’re a fan of their music or an indie artist trying to navigate the modern streaming landscape, this conversation is full of takeaways.  I hope you enjoy!

Connect with “The Car I Drive”:

• Instagram: @the.caridrive 
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PVoX0Bsiwfx9Owi2jMn9z?si=0jGhcB4QSaK_aZbAvuem9A
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thecaridrive
• Support on Bandcamp: https://tr.ee/BKCF-IN8fI

Connect with the Show:

• Follow the Podcast: https://ffm.to/2dayqn2
• Submit Your Music for the Independent Artist Audit: https://www.matthewmcgrath.music/

Welcome to the very first episode of the podcast! Every movement has a beginning and in this episode, host Matthew McGrath takes you behind the scenes to share the story of how it all started. From a lifetime passion for making music to navigating the modern independent artist landscape, Matthew breaks down his personal creative background and the exact moment he decided to pivot into reviewing music and connecting with other artists.

Discover the backstory of the "500 Follower Challenge," the spark that forced a massive leap out of the comfort zone, and how a simple desire to build a community evolved into the Independent Artist Audit series.

Whether you're a long-time follower from Instagram or just discovering the community, this episode sets the stage for the deep dives into the artist journey, songwriting, music production and promotion, and the independent artist life.

Inside this episode:

• Matthew's creative background and musical roots
• The struggle of being an independent artist
• The story behind the pivot into reviewing music and featuring others
• The 500 Follower Challenge: The challenge that started it all
• The birth and evolution of the Independent Artist Audit