 Tuesday, July 29, 2008  
Ember Swift is an internationally touring artist,
musician and songwriter, and founder of the independent label Few'll
Ignite Sound. She and her band have toured extensively throughout
Canada and the United States and have also toured (on multiple occasions)
in Australia, New Caledonia (French island in the Pacific) and China.
Since launching her career in 1996, she has won numerous awards
and is well known for her political activism, business acumen and
her commitment to the ideal: "independent by identity, not
default."Q: You're nine albums deep into your career as a music artist, from your self-titled debut release in 1996 up to 2006's The Dirty Pulse. Over your career, what have been the most rewarding parts of being an independent artist, and what have been the biggest challenges? I think the most rewarding part of my journey as an artist has been the people that I have been gifted to meet. All over the world, my music has acted as a natural icebreaker yielding invitations into diverse cultural, ethnic, religious, political communities that I may never have had the opportunity to access. I have learned so much from each and every one of these people. I'd have to say that my greatest challenge has been trying to operate in this linear Western economic model when it constantly contradicts the cyclical, sustainable model of success (more associated with Eastern traditions) that I have been trying to live by since the beginning of this musical endeavor. It comes up all the time. Even the simple community, resource-sharing characteristics of CIRAA are in contradiction with the rigid linear model that advocates competition and protecting or hoarding one's information (presumably against theft by the competitor). In the end, however, I have found enough solidarity and camaraderie with these philosophies to make that struggle worthwhile. So, it's all surmountable. Q: What roles have you typically taken on yourself in terms of your career management, and in what areas have you brought in others to assist you? At one time, my music label did all the management, publicity and booking in house. I did some of the tasks myself or in tandem with employees, while other tasks were delegated entirely. Of course, before the label was developed enough to afford employees, I did do it all myself in the confines of my bachelor apartment or alongside volunteers who helped me organize special projects. It wasn't long before I never referred to the projects as my projects; there has long been a team. Nevertheless, in my workshops I strongly advocate gathering the expertise about any and all the possible tasks that are required of an artist on the business side so that, in the future, one can hire (and if need be, fire) assistance from an informed place. 
In 2003, I was signed by a U.S. booking agency and I also began to work with publicists on certain tours, especially in other countries besides Canada. In 2004, I signed a management deal in Canada, which came to a close in January of 2007.At this point in time, I am back to doing self-management and I'm about to engage in a six-month writing and production sabbatical in China for my next album, which means that I won't be working with the agency until I'm back on the road. There are currently no publicists on the case as a new project is in the works. My team at the moment consists of two part-time Few'll Ignite Sound employees and myself who help me keep the label afloat in this quiet time. Change is certainly an ever-present component to this career! Q: You've toured extensively, and have found a home in China. How did you go about determining which geographic markets made the most sense for you to pursue in terms of releasing your product as well as touring to promote it? When I first started touring, I did small loops around Toronto. Those circles got wider and wider as our reputation and audience grew. Eventually, we were touring to the East Coast, which was followed by cross-Canada tours that took us all the way to Vancouver and back. In 1998, we also started touring in the U.S., which was easier to do at that time in history as working permits were not as difficult to obtain as they are now. Since much of the American Eastern seaboard is just a few hours' drive away, it simply made sense economically and geographically. These destinations were determined by demand coupled with our financial ability to get there. In other words, if we could secure an invitation to an event or a festival or a venue, but it was too far away to afford to drive there, it went on the back burner for a future tour. Eventually, these opportunities would pile up and warrant a tour that could afford itself. Our international touring (at least, outside of Canada and the U.S.) began in 2001 and came about by a random invitation to play in Australia. Much research and risk-taking later, we strung together shows over the internet through gig swapping, research and lots of faith and then hopped on a plane. That first year that created enough buzz and interest that our costs were covered. We have now toured Australia eight times. In fact, it was due to these Australian successes that many more doors began to open for me and my band back here in Canada. It's amazing how word travels! We have also toured on two occasions in a small country called New Caledonia. This is an island country in the Pacific Alliance of islands off the coast of Australia (near Fiji) that is still governed by France. I speak French and this language ability enabled me to land this opportunity while touring in Australia. Of all the tours we have done, going to New Caledonia and hanging out with the palm trees, beaches, wild mango trees when not on stage has been one of the greatest highlights. Tough life, I know. They were unbelievable opportunities! China was actually originally meant as a break from my touring, as it has been a long-intended destination in my life. (I have a degree in East Asian Studies from UofT and speak Mandarin.) But, as it is a country in the midst of great change and huge growth, going to China has yielded some interesting opportunities for my performance and my recording career. As a result, I am now both gigging and living in China in order to develop these possibilities. When I look back across the touring chronology, it seems pretty clear that I have been riding one wave to the next. There's some conscious choice, but there's also simply serendipity. No complaints! Q: What are some of the most unorthodox organizations that have booked you for performances and what are some non-traditional ways you've generated revenue from your music? Well, I play a middle school in Connecticut every year. I never thought I'd see my music being loved by a pile of sixth graders, but they love it and request us to come back every year to the point where we are now part of the curriculum in the English department. It becomes both a performance and a workshop about expression, communication, the concept of voice, etc. Well, that's hardly unorthodox. I have played for events for so many activist organizations and been part of so many interesting events that it's hard to list them, but I don't think I could say that any of them were unorthodox. They all "fit" somehow, into the grand scheme of things. In terms of non-traditional ways to generate revenue, I am always looking for those… Let me know if you can tell me of some that I hadn't thought of! I did recently auction off a guitar that I hadn't been using and was shocked by the willingness of my fans to buy it for much more than I would have been able to sell it to a store for. I think I'm always surprised by what some fans will pay to contribute to my musical career. They deserve all the credit, really. Fans are my currency, after all. My whole career has been about earning fans. They are the real revenue. Money is just a nice by-product when you have fans. Q: Talk a bit about the challenges and/or opportunities that the Internet and digital downloading have created for you. Endless. 
I have to see the downloading and filesharing of music as an opportunity to get my music into more ears. That's not to say that I don't believe my music has value, but I do hope that by spreading it around via this ready medium of filesharing that it will generate more interest in what I'm doing and perhaps will translate into greater attendance at shows, for instance. In general, I hope it will encourage more support for the artist and for the intangible art that can be made live, in real time, rather than focusing so much energy on my spinning pieces of plastic that simply house my art. This philosophy also stops me from holding the weight of resentment that comes from the belief that my art has been stolen. No one can steal my art. It is in me. It is me. Of course, it has meant that I sell less than half the numbers of CDs now than I used to, which is a reflection of the changing industry and definitely not a reflection of my talent or skill. My music has gotten better with time, not worse. It's simply too bad that the sales don't indicate this truth as they once did. (Paid downloads only offset a small percentage of those sales losses rather than replacing them.) What's to be done? I accept that the Internet has enabled me to promote and be available to ears and eyes globally. Without it, I'm not sure independent artists could be as prosperous as some of us have been. It has been an amazing tool for publicity and visibility. This changing technology strikes me as more exciting than debilitating. If I keep that attitude prominent, then I can embrace the changes and be open to the other opportunities that inevitably will come to have my music heard digitally. I have faith that all will be well for the artist despite these trying times. Q: How have you utilized social networking sites to promote yourself? I have a MySpace account and a Facebook profile, both a music group and a personal site. It's been an amazing tool in the past couple of years and it has grown so quickly, it's unbelievable. It gives artists an instant mailing list without having to trek around to cities carrying a sign-up sheet and collecting support, signature by signature. These sites also enable the greatest marketing of all: word of mouth. As people can type in what they love and spread the word, it's remarkably good for an artist's profile to be the topic of conversation. The networks are so vast. Really, it's staggering the reach these sites have had and continue to have. Blogging, as an aside, is another incredible resource to independent artists. Another topic unto itself! 
Q: In addition to being a singer-songwriter, you are also well-known for your workshop facilitation and artist education initiatives through your label website, www.fewllignitesound.com. What motivates you to engage in artist education?I am saddened by how many artists are still manipulated by the industry simply because of their ignorance about the music business. I started my label to advocate the DIY approach and found that many artists in turn asked me "what to do" and "how to do it" on dozens of topics. I started to offer workshops and seminars to artists about five or six years ago because I believe that if we have the knowledge, we will have the power. I think it's simple: we are the music makers, and so the industry doesn't tick without us. It is ludicrous that the very heartbeat of the business is often the most vulnerable position to occupy. So, my artist education is based on wanting to empower the artist so that we can all make informed decisions about our career paths. But before I teach a single class, I always make clear that all I know is my own journey and the experience that I have gleaned therein. A beginner artist always has something to teach me as well, simply because his or her experiences are different and at a different stage. I want to make it clear that I have something to share but that I'm not the authority on the issue. Together, we create a population of authority as independent artists; alone, we are just one path. That's why CIRAA is such an important organization. It's a unified front. It's a collective knowledge base. Q: Why did you join the CIRAA Board of Directors? What is your main objective as a CIRAA Board Member? Well, since I've been raving about CIRAA throughout this whole interview, I've answered some of that already! But, the practical side of it is that I was originally invited to join back when I was still foggy as to what CIRAA actually did in this industry. Since then, I have been moved to get more involved as a result of the personalities of the CIRAA members, the ambition and intention that fuels the organization and, well, the fact that CIRAA is filling a similar role to that of my music label, which is to provide education, resources and support to independent artists. Quite simply, I respect the organization. I want to help. Q: Based on your day-to-day experience as an independent artist, what are the key issues and challenges that independent and unsigned artists should be paying attention to given the new music industry landscape? I think the biggest issue and challenge is to keep art central, the focus, the point. We often get so wrapped up in the business side of what we're doing as independent artists that we can lose focus on the real driving reason for all that business activity: music. Without a regular and intentional schedule for music in my life, I would have been consumed by the entrepreneurial demands of the industry. When I'm doing my workshops, I stress this constantly. After all, the music is the reason for everything. Without doing the business, we are still legitimate songwriters and our identities as music-makers remains unchanged. Without the music, what is our identity as a business person about? Nothing, really. Music is key. 
Q: What are some of the key things that indie artists need to do to successfully build and manage their careers in the music industry?Now, getting into the heart of it, if you had to choose only one area of the business to focus on, I'd say that a web presence is an unquestioned essential for all independent artists today. Staying on top of web technology and learning where those opportunities lie is key. It's both a challenge and an issue as it's constantly changing. That requires regular vigilance. I'd have to also tack on the need to be alert to funding opportunities for artists. This is an amazing country that offers support to its artists (compared to the U.S., for instance) and so learning about these programs can be the difference between a project's existence and inexistence. Q: How do you define professional success? No differently than I define personal success: by how it feels. I scrap the numbers and the stats and just ask myself if I feel, truly, as though I have succeeded with a project. If the answer is yes, I am satisfied. If the answer is no, I analyze where I fell short. Ultimately, I'm the only one who can identify my successes. Everyone else is just guessing from the outside looking in! My biggest lesson in life has been to ignore what "they" think and just do what feels right for me. So far so good. Thanks, Ember, for sharing so much insightful info. Scroll down to the bottom of this issue to review Ember's "Indie Music Tips"!  The New Indie is an in-depth audio series featuring interviews with music industry experts discussing the new realities facing today's independent recording artists. Topics covered in Volume 1 include Record Deals, Management and Publishing. More than 50 music industry insiders participated in the series, providing advice, insight from lessons learned and an honest take on the current state of the industry. Since we launched The New Indie at last month's North By Northeast music conference and festival, the series has already been downloaded thousands of times. As you know, your free download is waiting for you at www.thenewindie.com, and we hope you've had an opportunity to check out the series. Drop us a line at aisha@ciraa.ca and let us know your feedback and suggestions! CIRAA is giving away copies of the 4-CD box set of The New Indie Volume 1 - Fundamentals! For your chance to win a copy, email aisha@ciraa.ca and tell us [question to be added]. Note: Be sure to include your full name, and make sure you send the email message from the email account in which you received this newsletter. Winners will be notified by Tuesday, August 2.   
Honey Jam, the longest running all-female talent showcase
in Canada, will mark its 13th annual event on Sunday, August 10,
2008, when 20 of this country's finest female performers from a
variety of genres will hit the stage for a night of live music and
dance! Performers hail from Halifax, Montreal, Saskatoon, Vancouver,
and Toronto.Sunday, August 10, 2008 The Mod Club 722 College Street, Toronto Doors open 7pm, Showtime 8pm $25 at the door $20 advance tickets available at Toronto Women’s Bookstore 73 Harbord Street (Southwest corner of Harbord & Spadina) For more information and a list of performers, visit www.honeyjam.com CIRAA is giving away tickets to the 13th annual Honey Jam! If you'd like to win a pair, all you have to do is email aisha@ciraa.ca and name five artists who are showcasing at this year's concert. Note: Be sure to include your full name, and make sure you send the email message from the email account in which you received this newsletter. Winners will be notified by Tuesday, August 2. Honey Jam is a production of PhemPhat Entertainment Group, a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to foster the promotion of women in all aspects of the urban entertainment through education, advocacy and showcasing. CIRAA is proud to partner with this organization.  * Believe in your art. You are the most important believer. If you believe in what you're doing, others will be inspired to believe in it too. * Touring is organic distribution. When your show is ready, hit the road. Start small with a solo or duo or small ensemble, don't go too far away or stay out for too long but always know that no matter where you go with your music, you are taking it to new ears and potential fans. If they don't come to you, go to them! * Stay in touch with your fans. You're a person, not a product. Fans are people who like your music, but lasting support is really solidified when they come to like YOU. Besides, you're likely to make many friends that way! * Before seeking representation, learn how to do the jobs yourself. Then you'll know what expertise is required to do each job right. That way, once you do have representation, you'll always know whether they are worth their fee or you'd be better off going the DIY route. * Having a recording you're proud of makes a huge difference. Even if it's just a demo or an EP, it is your audio business card and if you have to disclaim it every time you give it someone (i.e. "we've grown a lot since this recording, but...") then you really shouldn't be giving it out. * Accept the hospitality and generosity extended by fans and supporters. People who love music but don't make music often want to help but don't know how. Volunteers in the office, open doors on the road, friends who offer web support (etc.) are all incredibly valuable. Kindness is a form of alternative currency worth trading in, especially in a business where hard cash is hard to come by. * You are never too old to make art. Your art will only get better with time if you're always working at it, developing it, pushing yourself to be a better player, etc. Music is like wine. Give it time. Check out www.fewllignitesound.com for log sheet templates, sample contracts and lots more helpful resource info! |
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