Leveraging Music Tech in a Retro Brand

How many Rockabilly musicians does it take to change a light bulb? Four. One to change it, and three to write a song about how good the old one was.

It is sometimes hard in the world of "Billies" to accept the new ways of the music industry. What we do is a retro art form. We admire the olden' days. Our music was birthed from days gone by during what we view as "a better time" in history. Yet I cannot see how the Rockabilly and Hillbilly world will survive without keeping our minds in the present with our eyes scanning the horizon of the future. Our hearts and the words that they inspire us to write can remain anchored in the past, but we cannot be afraid of technology.

That being said, ANSWER YOUR DAMN EMAILS!!! Opportunity is passing you by. If you don't have accounts on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, Flicker and a blog- you are missing out. I would immediately refer you to George Howard's concept called "The Straddle" whereby you are leveraging your online presence with your offline. If you have the above mentioned accounts set up, learn to utilize them to their utmost functionality. Find out what other bands are doing and STEAL THEIR IDEAS!!!

No one is accusing you of being lazy by not having a thorough online presence. Your work ethic is probably stronger than most. Most of the "Billie" bands out their tour like the Allman Brothers, and spend more time in the studio than Sam Phillips. However, the online community is here to offer you a chance to work smarter, not harder. You can reach twice as many potential customers with half the effort.

Sounds like a pretty good deal doesn't it?

Remember that technology is what created your sound to begin with. The electric guitar, reverb, and distortion are all technologies that you have come to accept as static pieces of the great "Billy" sound, but someone had to be the frontiersman, adopter, and maven. Don't wait around for the Internet to become another static feature in what you do (it's going to do that, no matter what you do). For once let's be the early adopters.

Lastly, if you need help in this, ask your fans!!! Ask me. Ask anyone in the know. Your fans would love the opportunity to help you. All they ask for in return is access to you.