“You’re listening to WMCX, 88.9 fm, Monmouth University’s home for modern rock, with an edge!”
That was a tag I’ve had memorized for over a decade, ever since my humble beginnings as a college radio DJ at my private university at the Jersey Shore. Back in those days, I was known as Queen Bee Nikki V. by my peers, professors, and loyal listeners. Being on air at The X was not only my favorite extracurricular activity, but also a requirement of my Radio/TV concentrated major in Communication. The gift of gab was not the only reason I loved being on the radio (though as we all know, I love to talk at length about music, among other subjects); I loved the power I had to expose our fan base to emerging local talent. We put on 12 and 24 Hour Music Fests, dedicating an hour each to a new local band. Among some of the biggest acts that graced our airwaves are All Time Low, Pat DiNizio from The Smithereens, and even Michale Graves of Misfits. If ever there was a poster child for the Asbury live music scene between 2008 and 2012, it was certainly me. The beer soaked floors of The Saint, The Stone Pony and Wonderbar welcomed my Vans-clad feet, and the hum of the buzzing amps gave me warm fuzzies. Attending and promoting shows featuring fresh New Jersey talent was something I believed wholeheartedly in.
One of my favorite local bands was Almost There – a rock trio from my hometown that I became friends with during my college years – that at one point (through an arduous multi-round contest sponsored by a local commercial radio station) got the opportunity to record a full-length studio album in California, accompanied by a video crew. My heart swelled to see Zach, Ed and Mike taking baby steps toward what I considered the pathway to “making it big”. That was well before I began my formal career in the music industry and truly saw what it takes to break an artist. I was blown away by their talent and their songwriting ability, but through the years I realized that it takes a lot more than sheer talent to acquire the coveted recording contract. There’s a whole lot of self-promotion, drive, determination, sacrifice, and little bit of a lack of control needed to truly become a rock star. Artists are nothing if not eccentric creatives with full license to run amok, bearing their hearts and souls for the world to share. I could only imagine that a record company trying to bridle and bottle those creative juices through calculated marketing decisions would be a difficult cross to bear.
Now, I don’t claim to know everything about growing a baby artist, but I do have a few tips for those of you looking to break into the industry. Obviously, the talent has to be there, and in spades. I’m not talking just being the self-proclaimed star of your local karaoke bar (that was more of a dig at myself). If you are serious about developing your music career, you need to also create content. Fan engagement is incredibly important these days, so your online presence should be both thoughtful and plentiful. As much as you’re going to hate this, you should probably start creating TikTok videos and Instagram Reels. The more you make, the higher the chance for virality, thus expanding your fanbase and discoverability. Labels are looking for engaging and talented artists with an “it” factor and the potential for longevity, and as we have discussed in previous articles, a ton of A&R’s are turning to TikTok to scoop up the “Next Big Thing”. Internet presence aside, you’ve got to be booking gigs consistently. Get local venues familiar with your face and your name(s). It is paramount that you always be kind and easy to work with – this will take you further than you realize. Nobody wants to book a diva that acts too big for their britches, nor do you want to establish a reputation of being disrespectful. Even if the booking agent is a total [INSERT EXPLETIVE HERE], be the bigger person. You are depending on the venue, they don’t depend on you. They see local talent as a dime a dozen, so it’s your job to stand out and create demand.
It is also vitally important to remember that growing a fan base takes time and patience. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It is really easy to get discouraged as a developing artist, especially when you see those around you with arguably less talent making it big faster than you. But you must understand that success is a byproduct of time and effort, and even the brightest stars took decades to achieve mainstream success. New Jersey R&B queen SZA is just now establishing herself as a household name after 10 years in the game (not to say she didn’t have some fame and recognition beforehand), and her latest album SOS has spent the last 17 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, and broke the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 by a lead female artist in the list’s nearly 65-year history. Many other popular artists didn’t get their start until their 30’s! Singers like Sheryl Crow and Luther Vandross started out as jingle writers and backup singers respectively.
As always, I’ve created another playlist to accompany this article. It includes amazing emerging solo artists and bands that I strongly encourage you to check out and support. They are close personal friends, students I have mentored, and even a random dude I met at a bar one night. I’ve even been a roadie to the drummer in the band Morningside Lane (shoutout to Brian Morelli, my friend of over 20 years!), following his various bands throughout high school and college. With your listenership and word of mouth, you could possibly help these little seeds blossom into the fame they so deserve. I implore you to familiarize yourself with your local music scene and give up-and-coming artists your attention. They may someday have a viral hit, and you can have bragging rights about how you saw them before they blew up. Happy listening, and happy Spring! – NV
