I was never a fan of the term “the one that got away”. It’s such a defeatist way to look at stuff. Sounds like you gave up, didn’t try hard enough or just felt it wasn’t worth the time. Even though none of that could be further from the truth, the acceptance that it just “got away” is enough to feel like it was forever unfinished.
As someone who spent their professional career working with talented artists with the desire to make everyone in the world to see what you see and share the feeling you get from their songwriting and performance, I have had so many losses. More than wins. By no means does that mean the ones that didn’t have the same level of success that the ones who did were “lesser” than, it was just a matter of right time, right place. I believe everyone I have worked with is as good as the other.
I grew up loving music. Absolutely no ability to play or sing a note, but a great appreciation for those who could. I am really good at listening. I’m really good at observing. My entire career has been built on my gut instincts. I have no idea why someone or something affects me emotionally or viscerally, but when it does, I feel this charge of needing to share it. This started in high school making mix tapes. Hearing bands or artists from older friends or family, to hearing what was being played in my favorite record stores, reading fanzines or just liking an album cover. When I would find something, the first thing I’d do, would be to make a mixtape to share in the cafeteria in school, make tapes for girls or friends or just dub my tape to pass out. Seeing others get that same feeling I did was the most rewarding thing for me. Which makes perfect sense why I went into the business I did.
Discovering artists could come from anywhere… it could be a guitar player or drummer from a band I liked, but didn’t love, giving me a cd or tape of their new band to showing up early to see a band and catching the opener. Befriending an up and coming producer who is working with a band of kids they went to high school with… I liked to turn over the stones others were avoiding or missing. If there was someone else from the business at the show, I was too late. Plucking someone out of nowhere and watching it get discovered by many is an incredible experience.
The most frustrating thing is when you know you have someone that you believe in and know (if heard) others would love it. Well before social media, streaming and blogs, the way of discovery was smaller, but it was also very hard to break. To get on radio, you needed a label and money, to get in stores, you needed distribution, to get in press, you needed a publicist. Not much has changed there, but the ability to get your music out has been easier, but even with these new methods of distribution, the new issues are over saturation, but the gatekeeping of top shelf play listing and discovery are still owned by the labels. The magazines have disappeared, the record stores are lesser and the real way to get it out is DIY and direct to fan, but with the over saturation, there is so much competition for your attention, its almost harder today.
I have a great roster of artists. With many on the roster, I have a story to work with behind them. Some are legendary iconic and some are reunited artists from years past who got bigger by going away and coming back for brief returns, but the music was able to be revived, built on both nostalgia and new discovery. I can assure you, artists like Fishbone and LIZ all walked so others could run. But, I also have newer artists that in the pre-streaming days, I would know exactly how to market, but now live in a fog of personal disappointment.
One artist I have spent the last few weeks trying to find a way is a young artist named Matt Keller, who goes by the artist name K.Williams. I met Matt in 2020, when I was teaching some classes at Los Angeles College of Music (LACM) in Pasadena. Matt was in the music business program and from day one I knew I loved. He was a wise ass, with a whip smart sarcasm and sinister smile. First day we met, at the end of the class, he asked me for $20 and I actually reached in my pocket before stopping and thinking “what the fuck am I doing?”… Matt was in my class for months before finally sending me some music he had recorded. The tracks he sent me were more rap than pop punk, the production was decent, but what I heard was a gift for lyrics and melody. I didn’t know what I could do and wasn’t sure of the where it was going, but I did (as I do) bank it in my memory that when I get a chance to revisit, when (and if) the time was right, i'd return to it.
I always kept my eye on his social media and kept him on my mind and when I ended up in an opportunity with a small independent label, I felt this was the time to revisit and reach out to Matt. By this time I had a plan. Sometimes when you discover artists, they are already 100% together and it’s best to not touch what isn't broken. Find them a person to either record them the best possible and just let it be. But sometimes its about pairing them with someone to elevate and help them get that little push and take them to discover things they didn’t know they had or discover how to elevate by learning how to unlock a process they weren’t aware of. In the case of Matt, I felt he needed a push in direction and production. A wordsmith and a melody guy, he needed to get more structure and musical direction. I felt he was unaware that what he was writing, the melodies he was coming up with, fit more into the pop punk, emo world where lyrics, emotion and feel were barrier breakers.
I connected Matt with my friend and producer Mike Green, who I had first met when he was out of high school and had just produced part of the debut album by (future management clients) The Matches. Mike has the ability to write with and elevate every artist I have ever seen him work with. A multi instrumentalist, programmer and arranger, I knew he would be the guy that would see what I see, hear what I hear and take it to the place I knew it could go, and would take it there.
I drove Matt to Mike’s studio in the Valley, introduced them and left them to work. From heir 1st meeting and session, they recorded the song Delete Me. It was everything I had visioned and sounded exactly how I knew would come out. They recored 5 more songs that I would eventually release. Not only did we get these great songs, but Matt got an education. Was able to observe and learn to help his future writing and production process.
We made a cheap video and released Delete Me to DSP’s and YouTube and worked to get the music to be heard. We did what you do, from paying influencers to talk about it, review it and put it on influential playlists and cross your fingers it would take. It did. The discovery and people adding Delete Me to their personal playlists was everything I had hoped for. Adding to their personal playlists or sharing the song was the Mix Tape of the 21st Century. But this was a lot because of the song, but also the money invested in the right places.
We followed up with another Mike Green production and video for the song Good Afternoon (I tink this one is my favorite).
With great lyrics like: “Say you a diamond in the rough, I think it’s really rhinestone. Roll the credits, cut the scene. My life directed by me.”
Plus the melody, the use of the keyboards and guitar riffs, with a mix of live and programmed drums, “Good Afternoon” was the song I heard that was where I knew Matt could get to but wasn’t achieving when I first heard his first song and why this collaboration with Mike Green was so important to his development as an artist, producer and songwriter. Plus I loved the video we did that had a White Stripes vibe to it...
From this point, his writing was on its way. Only thing is the label I was at, that was helping cover the cost of record and marketing, which included these influencers and ways of getting the songs in front of people was gone. Much like most small businesses, they fail. I don’t know if this was a fail, but more of a loss of interest from the person funding it. We were on a very good trajectory for success, not only with Matt, but with other artists like Lauren Martinez (who I still manage and she deserves her own write up) and rap artist Tate228 and Recess Radio (talk about gift for melody and songs…holy shit. (Follow the link, trust me)…when the label folded, so did the money we had to spend. Wasn’t million, it wasn’t even thousands…more like hundreds… low hundreds, but when you don't have that luxury, it just proved to make it hard again.
We had built so much momentum and then with the loss of capital, we slowed down. But Matt didn’t. This is why I love this guy and why I need him to win.
Matt took the lessons he learned working with Mike Green and rather than slowing down, doubled down to write and record more. We needed up releasing an EP with singles we had released called Enjoy the Stay, a full length LP called Bite My Tongue and then an acoustic album of songs like Delete Me, (that just breaks down the brilliance of Matt’s songwriting) called Joyride. And we continue releasing more songs that Matt is now writing and producing out of his house in Seattle, WA. His musical influences continue to evolve and I’m here for it. From a guy that noodled with a guitar and production, he's become a proficient player and producer and just continues to impress me and make me so proud.
I have new distribution with an amazing company called TooLost. I put these out under my “label” name, Consigliere. Consigliere, like this blog title has been a title I’ve always preferred. A fan of The Godfather, the role of Consigliere was to be the advisor. Not the boss, just the role that raises flags, that makes suggestions, but I the end executes the decisions jointly made between the parties.
I have spent the last few weeks listening to Matt’s catalog and am not happy with the fact that it hasn’t gotten anywhere near the attention it deserves. I spoke to him this week and I'm on a mission to figure out how to relaunch this from the beginning. Not getting the proper flowers these songs deserve, I’m on a mission. Hence this blog post. I have no idea how to make this happen. I have no idea how to make it happen with less money (or none), I have no idea how to get my mixtape called K.Williams out to everyone to discover, dub, share, put on their own mix tapes, but I’m going to do everything I can. He not only serves the shot, but people will hear this and connect. I just know it. My gut tells me so.
The gift of melody is the gift of life. It takes a cloudy day and opens enough for a ray of sunshine to hit your soul and brighten your life.
I was really happy when DSP’s added lyrics to songs. Sing along and read along to K.Williams.
His music is Timeless
Not a Waste of Time
Don't be a JERK
If you don't like it Delete Me
Don't be left Somewhere in the Middle
If I steer you wrong Knock Me Out
Nice Guy doesn’t need to finish last
Best Case you love him
Worst case, you get Stuck in the Deep End
But its My Turn to turn you onto new music
Don't end up M.I.A or Dead to Me
Thank you for your time…. Good Afternoon.
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