There is more good music now than ever before in the history of music. It's now just a little bit harder to find...Sort of ? 

I recently had the great fortune to be an opening act for these guys in the above picture (Mi Casa). They flashed through my hometown of East London to promote their 2nd Album release Su Casa (Yes, Mi Casa, Su Casa -  The popular saying that means: What's mine is yours).  A great play on the name by the way. I'm still waiting for Pharrell Williams and N.E.R.D to use the title Revenge of the Nerds. But I digress...

While getting ready to perform and shortly after the performance I got to watch them back stage and I was impressed to see how the  Mi Casa team worked like a well oiled machine. They even had another gig after their midnight gig in a neighbouring town called Alice, that was 1 hour 30 minutes away. 

And like troopers they marched on to the next show because indeed the show must go on. 

Watching all this I couldn't help but think that this is actually were the rubber meets the road. Literally! These guys are out there day and night touring to promote their music. What they do may not keep office hours, but it is still hard work. And these boys are working it. Because for all intents and purposes the record label they are on is still considered an Indie. Therefore, they don't have ridiculously inflated budgets and everything handed to them on a silver platter. They have to earn their keep and I'd say they are doing a pretty good job. So I give props to these guys. 

You can buy Mi Casa's latest album and support their hustle by clicking here

Like the Printing Press brought about a revolution, the digital age of Mp3's and the internet is kicking down many doors that used to keep artists and their art out. Now you are the only one standing in the way of sharing your art!

Amazing acts like Janelle Monae, Ryan Leslie  and Walk off the earth are partly independent or completely independent and releasing music on their own terms. Heck, even heavy hitters like Drake have a strong indie root of putting out their own music how they want it delivered. 

Another classic example is Gotye, who had the smash 2011 hit Somebody that I used to know. If you dig a little deeper into his history you will find that he has been active in the music industry since 2001. That's a long time to become an overnight success. Gotye used to hand write the track list and colour in the cover sleeve in pencil. I was even surprised to hear that Lady Gaga had been working in the industry for a while before her meteoric rise. 

Take Aways:

2. Be open to this new ever changing environment of the musical landscape. The traditional suits don't like change. You must embrace it. 

3. Talent is all around. You just need to know where to look, and traditional radio is not the best place anymore.

4. Teamwork makes the Dream work. A crew helps lighten the load. And the trip is more enjoyable with friends. 

Take Action:

What do you think of the current state of the music industry? Leave a comment below.