Overcoming Early Struggles Of An Upcoming Canadian-Indigenous Artist
“If you’re getting into music to earn a quick buck you’re going to learn very quickly that you’re not going to do that.” - Drives
“Having a good song is only 10% of this game.” - Drives
Welcome to SZN 5 of Go Produce! I’m your Show Host, Big Lou! Our mission is to be the go-to community for Indie Artists looking to kick off or level up their careers and to empower the creative entrepreneur providing them with all the resources they require to reach and exceed their goals. We seek to have all committed Indie Music Artists - and their communities - profit off of their passion. Independent artists can always get smarter. At Go Produce we become SmArtists. Join our Discord to connect with like-minded people.
SmArtist Shoutout
Emilie Scott - One of the most loving and loyal fans a local artist can have!
Show Notes
SmArtists, Drives The Common Man is a Mi’kmaq (Mig-maw) First Nation singer/songwriter out of Southern Ontario, Canada. One of his most recent releases is called ‘Logged Off’ which I personally had on repeat for about a week so make sure to check that out. He has experienced virality on social media specifically with his covers and mashups on TikTok. Drives has a long history with music and in this episode, he geared up to share his experience.
Key Questions I Asked
1. What was the biggest obstacle that you've overcome in your career?
2. How often do you work on your craft?
3. How has your experience been as an Indigenous artist?
4. What was it like performing at your most challenging show? What did you learn from it?
Hot Topics
1. The School of Rock effect.
2. Will rock music die?
3. What to do when no one cares about your music.
4. Finding ways to recharge as an upcoming artist.
5. The importance of music industry knowledge.
My Favourite Quote
“Cuz I don’t want to go out and get a real job.” - Drives
I totally understand and agree that ‘following your dreams’ isn’t the most typically taken path. Just because following your dreams isn’t what most people do doesn’t mean that it isn’t real. This is very real. I like to tell the people around me that I am no longer following my dreams but I am creating my reality. In my reality, I don’t work what most would call a real job. What do you think about that? Let me know here!
SmArtist Homework
If you do this then we will promote you on our socials.
- Like us on Instagram
- Join the free Facebook SmArtist Group
- Join our Discord
- Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
- Send Big Lou an email (louis@goproduce.ca) with a screenshot of you following each of the socials, a song you want to promote, a bio that is a sentence or two long, and how we can support you.
If you do all of the steps then Big Lou will share a personalized story on the Go Produce Instagram including the information that you shared. You also gain access to more resources and more opportunities for support. It’s smart. You’re smart.
Drives the Common Man IG
Drives the Common Man ‘Logged Off” Music Video
