2019: A Year in Review

Posted on December 31, 2019 by adammarx13

Last year, I took a look back at some of the things that I accomplished throughout 2018. It was a simple writing, but something which really provided some fantastic perspective.

Oftentimes, it can be all too easy to lose track of the little victories which we accumulate in pursuit of our broader goals. But for me, acknowledging these smaller steps has led to an ever-growing appreciation for the bigger picture.

And so with that, here are a few of the highlights from my 2019 year.

lake

January & February

I kicked the year off by sharpening my meme-making skills. 😂

49381637_10212818555515106_8635931990933110784_n

As with the last couple years, January brought me what’s become an annual picture with my friend Arlan Hamilton — the work she’s doing with her team at Backstage Capital is something I love supporting here in Atlanta. Her talk this year was no less compelling.

Adam & Arlan 2019

March

I was super excited to have my friend Emily Best here in Atlanta to discuss the work she’s doing at her company Seed&Spark, and the opportunities for the Atlanta film scene.

53020251_10213176491143273_451465611873091584_o

“Three sibs” picture with our brother before he went abroad to Germany for six months!

53442030_10213214752579785_4552825913997262848_o

Two of my best friends in the world formally asked me to be their best man. I could not be more thrilled and am so excited to be there to support Luke and Danielle when they get married. It seems I’ll have to go rent a tux! 🤵

Best man pic

FB_IMG_1523996907314

I had an awesome time recording my first podcast as a guest on Tyler Wagner’s show, “The Business Blast Podcast”. We talked about music, startups & tech, my time as a music journalist, and how learning to build relationships has been key to all of it. 🎙️

👉 Listen to the episode here! 👈

53657249_10213233572210264_5154552056232542208_o

55538068_10213310358689878_4608571402633609216_o

I did an interview with Omni Calculator for their #HuntedHunters series discussing music-tech, startups, and the importance of cultivating relationships.

👉 Read the full interview here! 👈

55529843_10213263924569054_7068185974894755840_o

Sometimes the most interesting opportunities come to you from the most serendipitous of sources. 🙃

April & May

I got retweeted by Dee Snider, the legendary lead singer of Twisted Sister! 😱

56608764_10213375232231676_4313190584538890240_o

And getting retweeted by Atlanta Magazine was kinda cool too.

food

I was floored (and truly humbled!) to be name-dropped by Jessi Hempel during her interview with Recode. Formerly of BackChannel, Business Insider, Fortune, and Wired, and now the editor-at-large at LinkedIn, I’ve followed Jessi’s writing for a few years now, and it was some of the first material I gravitated towards upon my entrance into startups & tech. Sometimes in this business (as with everything in life, I suppose), you wonder if you’re making any sort of impact or impression. It’s moments like this that underscore the answer: yes. 😱

57750867_10213432297218265_5332555674440171520_o

Go out and bring the very best value you can to people; all the rest takes care of itself.

Here’s the full transcript of the interview and here’s the podcast itself. I highly suggest listening to the whole thing (I’d also recommend listening around minute 23:01 😉).

I didn’t make it to the #PitchAtlanta event at the Atlanta Tech Village, but I did make it to the afterparty where I was introduced to the incomparable David Lightburn.

Here’s a snap of the great panel I hope to hear live next year!

pitch atlanta

The excitement continued as I became more politically active, meeting a number of rising stars. Some I took pictures with and some are people I’m quietly continuing to meet with. 🗳️

Get out there and get active!

Here I am with Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff.

57000844_10213409594010699_863629820561457152_n

And here I am with Gwinett County Board of Ed Representative Everton Blair, Jr.

56907685_10213409594370708_3106793876648624128_n

June & July

Went to a great 90s punk tribute show downtown with the bestie Abby (before her move to Ohio). This picture accurately captures our friendship. 🙌

61735636_719333811815513_918568637030203392_n

I could not have been prouder of my parents — their win at the 11th Circuit (in a gender discrimination case) was cited at this year’s NELA Conference in New Orleans. Huge deal with far-reaching results. ⚖️

NELA

I met Kwam Amissah around the holiday time last year through Ruben Harris. It’s been awesome to see his growth in the tech world and exciting to hear about his current projects — here we are at Flatiron Atlanta!

(Picture taken by the incomparable Tammy Carson, whom I also met this year!) 📸

Kwam flatiron

I always love it when Career Karma CEO Ruben Harris is in town and I’m able to come out to support him. He’s doing awesome things in tech and I’m super humbled to count him as a friend & ally. 🚀

I’m also continuously thrilled by the serendipity of tech — it was at this event, heading out to support Ruben, that I had the immense pleasure of meeting Charles Pridgen, a huge asset to the Atlanta tech scene. 👍

Ruben Harris. gathering spot

Then it was time for a break for a little while. Wheels up for a couple weeks in Europe traveling with my mom — one of my best friends in the world. ✈️

pre-flight

And here’s the post-flight exhaustion in the Frankfurt airport.

post flight

First stop (same day!) — historic Mainz, Germany. The medieval history nerd in me was all kinds of happy. 🇩🇪

Mainze

August

Next day — first full day in Germany, we went to Heidelberg. 😎

IMG_20190801_174247274_HDR

We took in some amazing Jewish history in Worms. Here’s Mom going into a synagogue that is hundreds of years old.

worms

Hopping over to France, we experienced Colmar, a town in Alsace known as “Little Venice.” 🇫🇷

colmar

We saw the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg in France. The medieval history nerd in me continued to geek out. 🏰

chateau

I saw a hedgehog at our Airbnb and my life was complete.

hedge

We stopped in Basel, Switzerland to see the synagogue. It was closed, but the architecture is amazing. 🇨🇭

synagogue

Stopped by the Jewish Museum of Switzerland in Basel before leaving the city.

museum

Next day brought Lauterbrunnen — it’s cold in the Alps even in the summer.

68905416_10214142513133219_6566868385559216128_o (1)

We climbed the Schilthorn (ok, it was a cable car, but it was still 9744 feet up!). 🚠

schiltorn

Jungfrau is known as the “Top of Europe” (11,333 feet). It also means snow in the summertime. 🗻

jungfrau

Driving back north to Germany, we decided on a couple side-stops…

Like Vaduz, Liechtenstein! I feel like Fulton County in Atlanta is bigger than this whole country. (But it’s an awesome country!). 🇱🇮

liech

And dinner in Bregenz, Austria. 🇦🇹

This is my Mom, the badass master scuba-diver, Columbia-trained attorney licensed in three states, mature as can be…

austria

I wasn’t leaving Germany this time without seeing Augsburg. The historian in me demanded it.

Augsburg

We went to see the synagogue here. Truly one of the most gorgeous synagogue interiors I’ve ever seen. They didn’t allow pictures in the sanctuary, but I will be going back sometime in my life.

synagogue augs

Ulm, Germany was beautiful. We took time to see some of the most popular sights.

And some of the most nondescript — here is the Holocaust Memorial behind the newly rebuilt Ulm synagogue. ✡️

Uln

Before we did dinner in the town, we had to climb the Rothenburg city walls. Here’s Mom trying to distract me from taking a good picture because she thinks she’s funny. 😂

rotenburg

While Josh finished his final exams, we took in the beautiful town of Bamberg.

bam

And here’s the camera capturing my face just after she tells me a ridiculous joke. 🤦‍♂️

bamberg

Last day before our flight home with Josh in the morning. Some wine in Frankfurt to celebrate a wonderful trip.

frank

September

Back from Europe, a week of rest, and then I so enjoyed finally having the chance to meet the phenomenal Lolita Taub in person. Gorgeous view of Baltimore in the background!

Lolita

Then over to Washington, D.C. to visit Shaina for her birthday. She makes funny faces.

69617626_175211973642998_8111663749930156032_o

She also made me a special keychain — “one tiny fuck” as she called it.

fuck

We hit up the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. to take a peek at work from David Best (who’s most well-known for his ephemeral wooden Temples at Burning Man). 🔥

burning man

And yes, we are very mature…

mature

I did an awesome interview with entrepreneur Rich Cardona which I’m excited to post in the new year! And had the immense pleasure of meeting Allen Gannett before heading back to Atlanta.

I published this piece on three things you should be doing on LinkedIn (or you’re missing out!).

And then dropped my second podcast recording as Mario Porecca’s guest on his fantastic show the “Ten Minute Mindset.” We talked about humor, humility, creating value, how to define a mission, and how to build relationships with people who might otherwise seem unreachable. 🎙️

👉 Listen to Part One of the episode here! 👈

10min mindset

👉Listen to Part Two of the episode here! 👈

powerful

Made it out to Atlanta Blockchain Week to hear about some of the great blockchain and crypto stuff happening in Atlanta tech. ⛓️

blockchain

I met Jon Ossoff again at his official Senate campaign kickoff event.

71146836_10214424402140268_1955493138080464896_o

And I met the legendary civil rights icon and hero Congressman John Lewis as well!

70829662_10214424346498877_5835252906055434240_o (1)

October

You know it’s gonna be a good month when it starts with old college friends coming to visit — thanks Esther!

71909620_10214501833796011_8196537041048043520_o

October was an absolute marathon of Atlanta tech! I started the month off by landing access to the first-ever OTT Fest! The sheer number of talented film, tech, and media speakers over the multi-day event was incredible. 📽️

OTT

I finally met OTT Fest founder (and newly-minted Thea CEO!) Kate Atwood in person.

kate atwood

I won a Roku…from tweeting about the amazing panels… 😱🤣

roku

Over the same day during lunch, I raced up to Google Atlanta in Midtown and was able to see my friend Antoine Woods speak at their Founders RoadMap event.

woods

So I was able to add to my “Google guest” pass collection (I’ve now crossed off Atlanta, Seattle, and San Francisco ha).

71949265_10214506855961562_541273631435522048_o

I was super excited to serendipitously hear Stefanie Jewett speak too, and finally meet her in person as well. 😃

jewett

I was able to attend the TechStars Atlanta demo day and hear some awesome new companies pitch! 🚀

techstars

I kept up the pace by heading out to Atlanta’s Startup Battlefield.

battle

I was excited to record my third podcast episode as a guest with Luke Williams on his show, the “Grab a Cloud” podcast. The episode drops early in 2020! 🎙️

And my fourth show as a guest, on Emily Velilla’s show, also releasing in the new year. 🎙️

Then I capped off October’s tech marathon by going down to my first Atlanta Startup Village event (thanks to Aly Merritt for the invite!).

village

Actually that’s a lie; October’s tech marathon was really capped off with an awesome care-package from my friends over at Shrug Capital (thanks Nick and Niv!). 📦

shrug

November

Could November begin any better than another amazing care-package from the incomparable Nikki DeMeré, who has become one of my closest friends and allies?

I don’t think so. 🤗

76962863_10214718818540494_7307409154996436992_o

I was super excited to represent my alma mater Brandeis University at the college fair this year. Once a Bradeisian, always a Brandeisian. 😎

74880663_10214725559309009_6409004556197298176_n

Back up to D.C. to spend Thanksgiving with Shaina. Can’t believe I’ve now known her for ten years. But she works for a tour company and told me some of the cool things about D.C. as we walked around. 🇺🇸

78896482_10214858070941717_5206327092416872448_o

And I introduced her to her first Philz Coffee! ☕️

78230503_10214898503512506_8602850031105474560_o

A day in Fredrick, Maryland with Shaina and Kate, two of my closest friends in the whole world. It was cold haha. And Kate’s son is adorable, even if he’s not interested in the picture. ❤️

78142619_10214877823995531_5161761145953976320_o

Met up in D.C. with my other college friend Victoria — and I was rocking my Liechtenstein shirt.

vic

And I started planning a short webinar with my friend Elaine Jacques — we’ll see about getting it out the door in the new year. 😉

December

With multiple birthdays and anniversaries, December is family time.

80562758_10220459856508377_4786623493842141184_o

Met this wonderful girl a couple months back — here we are at Garden Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Chelsea made funny faces in some pictures… 😂

lights

And we saw Hanson! The 90s kid in me was happy. 🎸

hanson

han

December is also friends and siblings time.

friends

Mom couldn’t resist taking one last funny picture of me for the year. ✡️

one

And of course I had to finish the year by posting my new list of “100 Independent Albums and EP’s” that people probably missed in 2019. Gotta keep the ties to the music world strong. 😉🎸

Reflecting on 2019

This was a marathon year for me. I feel as if the seeds that I sometimes serendipitously planted years ago in tech and music really began to yield amazing relationships and opportunities in 2019. And I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. I can see myself continuing to write about music, tech, relationships, mental health, business, and diversity, and so much of my inspiration is drawn from dialogues I had this year.

No plan ever survives the battlefield, and 2019 was certainly no exception to that rule. But I’ve grown as a person and as an entrepreneur, and intend to keep that trajectory moving at full force as we move into the next decade.

Bring on 2020! 🚀

(And remember to look for the orange sunglasses. 😎 😉)

orange

100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed in 2019

Posted on December 29, 2019 by adammarx13

Welcome to the FIFTH annual list of independent albums and EP’s that probably slipped under your radar this year. I’ve been in the music industry for over a decade at this point (I know right?!) and it continues to floor me just how much talent is out there.

Yet here we are again, with even more incredible music for you to sink your teeth into. One of the truest things that keeps me creating these lists year after year is the excitement I derive from the serendipitous discovery of these wide swaths of creativity. Sometimes the best artistry emerges from the best-kept secrets. 🤘🎸

Since 2015, I’ve given you lists of 100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed during the year. Here they are:

And so, here is the 2019 list in all its glory. I’m equally excited for the new crop of artists here as well as for those returning again. A healthy helping of the content on this year’s list is from artists I’ve known for years and who continue to crank out new material. It’s all balanced by an influx of new content from new artists whom I’ll certainly be keeping tabs on into the new year.

As with all previous lists, these 100 albums and EP’s come from artists all over the world. This year’s list includes artists from: Canada, Greece, Germany, Spain, Austria, Hungary, France, almost ALL of Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland!), Australia, Estonia, Argentina, Mexico, the Philippines, New Zeland, Indonesia, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Bulgaria, the U.K., Poland, and 21 different U.S. states. The independent world is massive.

It’s always interesting to see what each year brings in terms of style and genre, and this year’s list seems to heavily feature classic garage punk, pop-punk, shoegaze, alternative, metal, folk rock, and hard rock material.

With all that out of the way, here are 100 of the independent albums and EP’s that you probably missed in 2019. All were released during the 2019 calendar year.

As always, albums are in no particular order.

Remember, if you dig this and want to see more, follow me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and startups!

Come take a peek under the radar at the material you probably missed this year—live in my music world for a little while. 😎👍

1. What Happened To Us? (Vol. 1) — The Head — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

What Happened to Us

2. Breathe In Colours — Forever Still — Copenhagen, Denmark

Breathe in Colours

3. Ghost — Bloody Diamonds — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ghost

4. I’m The Reaper — The Beautiful Monument — Melbourne, Australia

I'm The Reaper

5. Gone Off the Earth — Felic — Helsinki, Finland

Gone Off the Earth

6. Far Canal — Fox Ache — Brisbane, Australia

Far Canal

7. Ephemeral — We Are The Catalyst — Gothenburg, Sweden

Ephemeral

8. Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones on Audiotree Live — Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones — Los Angeles, California, USA

Hannah Wicklund Live

9. Retrospective | Reactive — Have No Clue — Esztergom, Hungary

Retrospective, Reactive

10. Mourning Vibes II — DownStater — Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Mourning Vibes II

11. When Daughters & Sons Revolt — Past Tense Of Never — Graham, North Carolina, USA

When Daughters

12. Show Me Your Teeth — Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters — Cardiff, Wales, UK

Show Me Yourth Teeth

13. The Extinction of Unicorns — The Dead Love — Sydney, Australia

The Extinction of Unicorns

14. The Wood Room Sessions — Just Like Honey — New York, New York, USA

The Wood Room Sessions

15. Useless Hands — Rival Town — St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Useless Hands

16. Not So Bold — Dance Contraption — Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Not So Bold

17. Main Street Revival — Main Street Revival — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Main Street Revival

18. Crowned In Frost — Frozen Crown — Milan, Italy

Crowned In Frost

19. Come What May — Oh See Demons — Bergen, Norway

Come What May

20. How Your Life’s Played Out — Montgomery — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Howw Your Life's

21. Alone in the Dark — In Good Nature — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Alone in the Dark

22. Brand New World — Desert Queen — Tartu, Estonia

23. Asleep in the Deep End — Andross — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Asleep In The Deep End

24. It Was Beautiful — Fawner — Bristol, England, UK

It Was Beautiful

25. Traya — Set Fire — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Traya

26. Notti di Follia — Out For Summer — Moderna, Italy

Notti di Follia

27. Slice — Spo — Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Slice

28. Feeding The Void — Hysteria — Dresden, Germany

Feeding the Void

29. Here & Now (EP) — Dangerfield — Brisbane, Australia

Here and Now EP

30. Celebration — CityState — Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA

Celebration

31. Dream Living — Lost Mind — Torrelodones, Spain

Dream Living

32. So It Began — Silvernite — Greece

So It Began

33. Bridges We Build | Bridges We Burn — Teresa Banks — Helsinki, Finland

Bridges We Build, Bridges We Burn

34. Serenity — Saint Raven — Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Serenity

35. Two Sides — Dirty Rugs — Seattle, Washington, USA

Two Sides

36. ATERA — Zea Mays — Bilbao, Spain

Atera

37. LP1 — Clouds & Satellites — Savannah, Georgia, USA

LP1

38. Three on Three EP — Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions — Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Three on Three EP

39. CRAFTING EP — CRAFTING — Wilmington, Delaware, USA

Crafting EP

40. The World Conspires — Birdeatsbaby — Brighton, England, UK

The World Conspires

41. Transcend — Hello, Mountain — Denver, Colorado, USA

Transcend

42. Spiral Down — Blue Velvet Drapes — Los Angeles, California, USA

Spiral Down

43. Redeemer — Red Handed Denial — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Redeemer

44. Maladjusted — My Secret Haven — Warsaw, Poland

Maladjusted

45. Glitter Trails — Glitter Trails — Los Angeles, California, USA

Glitter Trails

46. Memorias — Carla Monterrubio — Mexico City, Mexico

Memorias

47. The Toll — DUSK — Vienna, Austria

The Toll

48. Manic EP — Lie to Life — Detroit, Michigan, USA

Manic EP

49. Genetic Nobodies — Genetic Nobodies — Los Angeles, California, USA

Genetic Nobodies

50. Skull Flower — John Tessier — Paris, France

Skull Flower

51. Unbreakable — Keep Flying — New Jersey, USA

Unbreakable

52. Scream In My Dream — Strangers In The Attic — Zurich, Switzerland

Scream in My Dream

53. Stories in Time — Time Jugglers — Sofia, Bulgaria

Stories in Time

54. A New Dawn — AltHero — Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Spain

A New Dawn

55. On A Flow — Breitenbach — Frankfurt, Germany

On a Flow

56. L’hameçon — ATHECIO — Lyon, France

L'hamecon

57. Dusky Wing — Dusky Wing — Los Angeles, California, USA

Dusky Wing

58. PALIMONY EP — PALIMONY — Gainesville, Florida, USA

Palimony EP

59. On Fences — Between Bodies — Berlin, Germany

On Fences

60. Dormancy — Playing Pretend — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Dormancy

61. Woodland Rites — Green Lung — London, England, UK

Woodland Rites

62. Peachy Keen EP — Golden Cinema — Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Peachy Keen EP

63. Thunderjoy — West Valley Shakers — Sheridan, Oregon, USA

Thunderjoy

64. Queen of the Pill — The Jackets — Bern, Switzerland

Queen of the Pill

65. After Dark — Pale Lips — Montreal, Quebec, Canada

After Dark

66. Erebus — Returned To The Earth — Nuneaton, England, UK

Erebus

67. Schizophrenia — Altersight — Saint Petersburg, Russia

Schizophrenia

68. IV — OMAHA — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

69. Egress — TopLady — Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Egress

70. Blind by Midnight — Dino Bravo — Burlington, Vermont, USA

Blind by Midnight

71. Cool Evil — Glued — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Cool Evil

72. Stressor — Wine Lips — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Stressor

73. Here It Is — Fragile Canyons — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Here It Is

74. Feels Like Forever — Pretty Bird — Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Feels Like Forever

75. Larmes Confettis — Cosmophone — Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada

Larmes confettis

76. UNO — Black Betty — Villa Maria, Argentina

UNO

77. The Ghostwriter — The Ghostwriter — Detroit, Michigan, USA

The Ghostwriter

78. Pen Name — Pen Name — Canterbury, England, UK

Pen Name

79. Hoping, Not Hopeful — Low Vault — Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Hoping, Not Hopeful

80. Planet Hunter — Planet Hunter — Wellington, New Zealand

Planet Hunter

81. Butterfly Distortion — Dive to Blue — Buenos Aires, Argentina

Butterfly Distortion

82. Take Her My Life — Castle Black — Brooklyn, New York, USA

Take Her My Life

83. Starburst – EP — Truett & The Traitors — Springfield, Missouri, USA

Starburts EP

84. Go — MoND — Bandung, Indonesia

85. A War Within — Enmy — Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

A War Within

86. The Devil You Know — The Coathangers — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

The Devil You Know

87. Manic Mood — Easy Jane — Beirut, Lebanon

Manic Mood

88. Demonstration — Floral Canyon — Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Demonstration

89. Exhale — The Sleep Department — Brooklyn, New York, USA

Exhale

90. ep — Soft Topics — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

91. SPLASH – EP — Service Delay — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Splash EP

92. Welcome to the Block — Stonewall BLVD — Denver, Colorado, USA

Welcome to the Block

93. The New Joys E.P. — The New Joys — Brooklyn, New York, USA

The New Joys EP

94. Superfuzz — Superfuzz — A Coruña, Spain

Superfuzz

95. Overnight — Insomnia — Milan, Italy

Overnight

96. EP 2019 — Dischord — Aix En Provence, France

EP 2019

97. Young & Dumb — All In Due Time — New York, New York, USA

Young and Dumb

98. Indeed EP — Indeed — Budapest, Hungary

Indeed ep

99. Mural — Mural — Cebu, The Philippines

Mural

100. No Missed Calls, No New Messages — The Ragetones — Pueblo, Colorado, USA

No Missed Calls

***

If you enjoyed this list please share and give these artists some love!

100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed in 2018

Posted on December 28, 2018 by adammarx13

Another December just about passed, and another 100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed this year. In any artistic industry, so much of the exciting content flies quietly under the radar, except for when you know where to look for it. 🤘🎸

Since 2015, I’ve given you lists of 100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed during the year. Here they are:

Now here comes 2018’s. I’m so stoked for the new crop of artists here, as well as for those returning again. A lot of the content on this year’s list comes from artists I’ve known for years, producing music for new projects they’ve put together recently. This is a different kind of excitement; I love seeing the evolution of these creatives.

As with all previous lists, these 100 albums and EP’s come from artists all over the world. This year’s list includes artists from: Canada, Greece, Germany, South Korea, Belarus, Austria, Singapore, France, South Africa, Sweden, Australia, Norway, Spain, Estonia, Ukraine, Italy, the U.K., Switzerland, Russia, and 22 different U.S. states. The independent world is massive.

It’s always interesting to see what each year brings in terms of style and genre, and 2018 seems to have been heavy on punk, pop-punk, alternative, instrumental, metal, and jazz-influenced material, both in terms of my personal taste and overall releases.

With all that said, here are 100 of the independent albums and EP’s that you probably missed in 2018. All were released during the 2018 calendar year. Music is multidimensional, and all these artists should be treated as such.

As always, albums are in no particular order.

Come expand your universe and live in my world for a little while. 😎👍

1. Satellites — Chelsea Shag — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

91-og

2. Painting with Scissors — Andy Gruhin — Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

vinylcover1

3. Feels — Fair Panic — Wayne, New Jersey, USA

Fair-Panic

4. Overseas — White Coven — Zaragoza, Spain

a3003327969_16

5. Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones — Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

61Vm4h9-Q+L._SS500

6. Dreamland — Just Like Honey — New York, New York, USA

a3207220063_16

7. Personal Issues — Oh See Demons — Bergen, Norway

a3525937996_16

8. My Only Hope — Adam Singer — San Francisco, California, USA

320x0w

9. Mind Tricks — Brownstone Inc. — Graz, Austria

a0439409715_16

10. Thriving, Given The Consequences — Soviet Ohio — Syracuse, New York, USA

a1112758894_16

11. In Moon We Trust — Hālley — Paris, France

a3577484841_16

12. What The Wreck? — Stan Stewart — Ithaca, New York, USA

a0554072234_16

13. Poor You, Part Two — Jinxbox — Middlebury, Vermont, USA

a2108324442_16

14. Centipede – EP — Blooming Fire — Los Angeles, California, USA

a3336471010_16

15. The Candleman and the Curtain — The Earth and I — Warwick, New York, USA

a3618777582_10

16. Everyone I’ve Ever Loved — Valleyheart — Salem, Massachusetts, USA

a0993442545_16

17. Kingdoms — Coopertheband — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

a2543267401_16

18. Self Titled — Alias May — Melbourne, Australia

a0918365614_16

19. Make My Millennium — Resident One — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

a0265427535_16

20. FunnySexyCool — Hollywood Horses — Birmingham, Alabama, USA

a1698829475_16

21. .ghostworld – EP — .ghostworld — Singapore, Singapore

a3994727554_16

22. Heaven and Her Demons — BlackBeak — Johannesburg, South Africa

a2368806921_16

23. Wherever That Is — Panhandler — Stockholm, Sweden

a3112158851_16

24. White Roses EP — Dream Chambers — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

a1866432777_16

25. Soul Transfer — Emphasis — Tallin, Estonia

a1829337801_16

26. Westline Drive EP — Westline Drive — San Francisco, California, USA

a2577008681_16

27. EP — Lampion — Montreal, Quebec, Canada

a3034075905_16

28. Salvation — The Penske File — Burlington, Ontario, Canada

a3710021663_16

29. Hypnotizing Euphoria — The Who Was Phone — Zurich, Switzerland

a3914038285_16

30. Bridges – EP — For The Fire — Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

a3123376777_16

31. Disposition — Young Animals — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

a4203563041_16

32. Glow In The Dark — Rachel Rose Mitchell — Melbourne, Australia

a0280072884_16

33. Dear Beer — The Bombpops — Los Angeles, California, USA

a1680664549_16

34. Aftermind — HighView — Canberra, Australia

a2269403411_16

35. It’s History, It’s Poetry — Detour North — Chicago, Illinois, USA

a2646676122_16

36. Voices in My Head — Failing Up — Los Angeles, California, USA

a3613083601_16

37. Omega — Shades of Dissonance — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

a1886427652_16

38. From the Wild Sky — Halie Loren — Eugene, Oregon, USA

a0197767200_16

39. Up in Roses — Fever — Portland, Oregon, USA

a1085076350_16

40. Passing Years — Looking For Alaska — Regensburg, Germany

a1426972298_16

41. Desire Paths — Turnspit — Chicago, Illinois, USA

a1722262816_16

42. Absolution EP — Keating — Columbus, Ohio, USA

a0504944579_16

43. The Fallen King — Frozen Crown — Milan, Italy

a1414034459_16

44. Heartwoken EP — The Revies — Los Angeles, California, USA

a2680939145_16

45. Amnesiatic — ODD ROBOT — Fullerton, California, USA

a4084673321_16

46. Everything Is Temporary — Between You & Me — Melbourne, Australia

a4147721304_16

47. Duoyu — Duoyu — Athens, Greece

a2173508679_16

48. Six People in a Dream — Baronaqua — Melbourne, Australia

a1914810819_16

49. Hometown Static — Second Street — Kansas City, Missouri, USA

a0357217892_16

50. Happy Thoughts — Midfield — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

a2602300277_16

51. Becoming a Ghost — Becoming a Ghost — Troy, New York, USA

a3656578818_16

52. Bedtime — Pawn Pawn — Toledo, Ohio, USA

a0153914848_16

53. Alliance — We Call The Shots — Phoenix, Arizona, USA

a0276805423_16

54. Mother’s Keeper — Mother’s Keeper — Birmingham, Alabama, USA

a1496483360_16

55. Is an EP — THIS — Buffalo, New York, USA

a0892900253_16

56. Distraction EP — Paper Citizen — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

a4169772564_16

57. Nostalgia — deerfield. — Syracuse, New York, USA

a4225159085_16

58. Street Talk — Big White — Sydney, Australia

a1264835841_16

59. For Me This Time — Analog Heart — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

a0201023423_16

60. While We Dream — Lights & Motion — Gothenburg, Sweden

a0020729055_16

61. Raw Sugar — L’Absence — Zaragoza, Spain

a0602446953_16

62. Tameless — Buffalo Rampage — Moscow, Russia

a0283911500_16

63. Never Asked for It EP — Sorry, Scout — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

a1159769578_16

64. Old Soul — Sharp Sleeves — Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

a0335872128_16

65. Aspire — VENUES — Stuttgart, Germany

a0373931763_16

66. From Blue to Bone — Mama Doom — Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

a4067489887_16

67. Heart Whispers (EP) — Grace & the Midnight Angel — Clovis, California, USA

a1938454364_16

68. Cirque Du Skank — Skunk Funk — American Canyon, California, USA

a3651745225_16

69. Spring Silver EP — Spring Silver — Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

a4215002345_16

70. The View From Here — Stealing Home — Concord, California, USA

a0623872756_16

71. Weird’N’Confused — Appocaloosers — Madrid, Spain

a2512458705_16

72. Inception — Wallbangers — Nantes, France

a4284346557_16

73. Wanderlust EP — Growling Rabbit — Minsk, Belarus

a1472767242_16

74. Paper Saints — Paper Saints — Dallas, Texas, USA

a0988209131_16

75. Spinneret EP — JEM — Singapore, Singapore

a2623567396_16

76. Cashmore Demos — Cashmore — Brisbane, Australia

a2047122858_16

77. Dakota — Go Murphy — Fargo, North Dakota, USA

a1782963943_16

78. Categories of Colour — Either/Or — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

a4015250297_16

79. Facade — Boxford — Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

a0762985239_16

80. Casual Corner — Blesst Chest — Portland, Oregon, USA

a2822890915_16

81. Paper Hearts — The Brothers Union — Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

a2354370146_16

82. New Ruins — Candace — Portland, Oregon, USA

a2933760028_16

83. Growing Pain — Envious View — Springfield, Missouri, USA

a0694230770_16

84. Hangin’ On! — The Glycereens — Brisbane, Australia

a4093110467_16

85. Digital EP — Anemoria — Fullerton, California, USA

a2139817272_16 (1)

86. Agonize — Sever The Ear — Gwangju, South Korea

a4158821855_16

87. Laugh It Off! — Domino & the Derelicts — San Jose, California, USA

a3382894542_16 (1)

88. Glass Bones — WolvesMouth — Voorhees, New Jersey, USA

a2811134904_16

89. Ashes — Led By Lanterns — Birmingham, England, UK

a4010357676_16

90. A Quiet Riot Vol. 1 — We Are Riot — Bremen, Germany

a2485402848_16

91. Membership Dues — Sad Girlz Club — San Francisco, California, USA

a3094191861_16

92. Broken Codes — In Parallel — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

a0816977467_16

93. The Deep Sleep — Unveil — Sherebrooke, Quebec, Canada

a1191201111_16

94. The Nexstone — The Nexstone — Kramatorsk, Ukraine

a3120780925_16

95. Comfort Zone — Superhaunted — Miami, Florida, USA

a2639596339_16

96. Fault Lines EP — Aeve Ribbons — Manchester, England, UK

a0287160869_16

97. Visions EP — Noise Maze — Udine, Italy

a2788192620_16

98.The Outer Space (EP) — Fallcie — Saint Petersburg, Russia

a3491251552_16

99. Jaren — Jenn’s Apartment — Lansing, Michigan, USA

a1357539315_16

100. Nothing Left — My Favorite Fault — Moscow, Russia

a2490215276_16

***

If you enjoyed this please share, and feel free to Tweet me. Let’s talk music and tech!

Three Questions Concerning Spotify’s Direct Listing Decision

Posted on January 15, 2018 by adammarx13

Originally published on Crunchbase News on January 3, 2018.

Screen Shot 2018-01-15 at 2.00.02 PM.png

As everyone was in holiday mode a few weeks ago in December, Spotify confidentially filed documents with the SEC to go public, likely in Q1 of 2018.

Previously, I discussed Spotify’s numbers and examined how those figures looked before an IPO filing. Now we can see how those numbers look in context.

This filing bolsters prior reports that Spotify would forego a traditional IPO in favor of a direct listing, a method of going public that has left many scratching their heads. For those unfamiliar with it, a direct listing is a way allow a firm’s shares to begin regular trading while avoiding the normal IPO roadshow process.

When asked about the direct listing strategy, IPO expert Barrett Daniels of Nextstep Advisory Services told Crunchbase News that there are a few reasons companies might choose to pursue the strategy. It typically boils down to the fact that the company may not be “strong enough” to transact a traditional IPO due to these reasons:

The company’s growth (or lack thereof).
The company’s size (in terms of revenue).
The general climate of the industry.

So do these reasons provide Spotify grounds to go direct, especially considering how much money could be left on the table? Let’s find out.

1. Company Growth

Spotify has the kind of crazy growth that companies dream of. As its subscriber numbers have gone from 50 to over 100 million users, Spotify’s valuation has similarly been adjusted. It’s worth remembering, though, that while the total subscriber number sits somewhere north of 130 million users, approximately 60 million are paying listeners.

So Spotify is big enough to attract attention and generate a lot of excitement. In fact, because Spotify is such a well-known company to go public, an IPO roadshow seems to be precisely what it would want. More attention and more hype might mean more money on gameday.

2. The Company’s Size

This kind of fast-paced growth also contextualizes the music company’s size in terms of its revenue. According to Daniels, the size of a company’s revenue will dictate how larger institutions view it; if the revenue looks too small, larger institutions could deem the company too early or too risky, and therefore might be uninterested. But given Spotify’s outsized growth, though, perhaps this is a reaction to its continued unprofitability (as of yet).

3. General Industry Climate

Daniels also noted that in some direct listing cases, the decision to forego a traditional IPO could be something as simple as a timing issue. Industries go through hot and cold periods, and a cold period could convince a private entity to forgo the public process.

However, this doesn’t typically apply to the music industry. Because of business with mainstream acts, music companies tend to be more well-known among public investors than, say, a company which perhaps works on tooling or shipping. Therefore, Spotify has no reason to think that the climate would change at all between now and an expected 2018 IPO date.

Going through Barrett’s list of reasons, we can see that Spotify’s direct listing doesn’t pass muster on these grounds. But there are two outside arguments that augment the viability of direct listing: saving money on the IPO process and stopping the clock on Spotify’s convertible debt raise.

Saving Money

Outside of Barrett’s outline for going direct, Spotify could limit costs by foregoing a normal, pre-IPO roadshow. However, experts have pointed out that this doesn’t make much sense. The money which Spotify would save on an IPO roadshow is negligible compared to the amount it would ultimately raise in a normal IPO.

But there are other ways Spotify can save money.

Stopping the Clock

Last year, Spotify took on convertible debt from Dragoneer and TPG, totaling $1 billion. According to David Golden of Revolution Ventures, by listing directly, Spotify could essentially “stop the clock” on these debt-conversions, and presumably, save itself tens of millions of dollars.

As a refresher, under the terms of these notes signed in 2016, Spotify was required to pay 5 percent annual interest, a figure that grows by 1 percent every six months for a total of 10 percent. Investors could then convert the debt into equity at a 20 percent discount of Spotify’s IPO price. If there were no IPO within a year, the discount at which investors could eventually buy back stock would increase 2.5 percent every extra six months.

The Questions Left Lingering

All of this leaves a lingering question: if neither of the two most-cited arguments hold water, does the decision to direct list have anything to do with Spotify’s $20 billion valuation? There have been, as of late, multiple sources which have raised concerns, expressing reticence and opining what a public Spotify will look like. Spotify did not respond to a request for comment.

The streaming market also faces stiff competition. Apple can subsidize its music service until the end of time through its phone and computer sales. Facebook just signed a major deal with Universal, and YouTube is gearing up for its own music service launch. Pandora has just created a Spotify clone, and its post-IPO performance doesn’t bode overwhelming optimism. All of this is now against the backdrop of a $1.6 billion lawsuit filed by Wixen Music Publishing against the streaming music company.

Additionally, here are a few numbers we don’t know which will impact Spotify’s business model long-term:

What Spotify royalty rates are. It has been reported the company pays anywhere from 58 percent to 83 percent.
How often Spotify needs to renegotiate royalty deals with the major labels.
What the percentage stakes each major label owns of Spotify.

We’ll see how things roll out by the end of Q1.

***

Find me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and business!

2018: A New Year with New Goals

Posted on January 1, 2018 by adammarx13

Perhaps the last picture I’ll post with my trusty iPhone 4S

2017 is over and 2018 is now here. That’s a good thing; last year was a tough one. A few very close relationships ended, and after a few years, I closed my first company. But I also learned that there is life after failure.

So here we are now in the new year, and I’m excited to start working on a bunch of new things. Here are some of the things you’ll see from me in 2018:

😎 🎸 I’m working on a new music project (company? 😎 ). That’s right — after a badly needed six-month hiatus (maybe longer?) from actually running a music-startup, I’m gathering feedback on a new idea which is incredibly exciting. So far, feedback has been very positive. Discussions with a select number of artists as well as a few journalists, founders, and confidants have yielded an ever-clearer perspective on how this can grow. I’m excited to read more people into this as the year progresses.
📝 I’m working on editing a very special document that I’m extremely excited to finish. I’m a word-nerd, and in editing this piece, I can honestly say it’s been one of the most challenging and rewarding things I’ve done in my professional writing career.
📝 🤘 I have an avalanche of new music articles written and in the works which I can’t wait to see published. Some of these will shake things up (I hope), but hey, what’s the point of being a music journalist if you’re not a little punk about it?
📝 📽️ I’m working on writing a rough draft of a screenplay (no, really!). Last year, I was kicking around an idea which I thought could be fun to work on, and over the last week, I’ve started mapping out characters and basic scene dialogue. I’ve never done a screenplay, so I am more than happy to have collaborators!
🙋 🙋‍♂️ 🙌 🤝 I will start driving harder towards being more central to the discussions on sexual harassment and how to fix the issues we have before us. This is less of a “me” thing, and more something I am incredibly passionate about; I am open to collaborating with anyone on projects which will help with the goals of creating a paradigm with more meritocracy, equality, and egalitarianism.
😎 🎙️ I’m incredibly excited (and flattered) to have an invitation to be on a few podcasts starting this year — because I don’t talk enough as it is ha!
🤔 📝 I’m working on plans for a new guide which will (hopefully) excite word-smiths everywhere; more on this project in the coming months.
📝 📖 I’m writing a pseudo-review of a book I’ve been reading which has changed my perspective on so many things, and has similarly confirmed a lot of the mantras which I try to live my life by. This will be out by the end of January.
📝 🤝 I will be releasing many new articles in my Minimum Viable Network series.
🎸 😉 I’ll be doing more work with artists (some have asked me to manage ha!) — maybe there’s a producer-credit in my future.
🤔 📖 There are a few of my past articles which I have been toying with revising into a rough pitch for a book. Let’s see what the year brings.
😄 I will be exploring more speaking opportunities.
😎 🤘With the 2017 list out, I’m ready to start working on the new “100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed” list for 2018.
😄 🙌 I’m excited to start having * Many * More * Conversations * — I’m all about creating new things, and I look forward to picking up new projects throughout the new year, both with current partners in crime and new draftees.

Thank you to everyone who helped me pull through 2017. Your support means more than you know. Now, on to 2018!

***

Find me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and business!

100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed in 2017

Posted on December 15, 2017 by adammarx13

Here we are, back in December, and everyone knows what that means: more “Best of…” lists trumpeting the best new music on the scene. And as always, so much of the independent world flies completely under the radar.

For the last two years, I’ve drawn up lists of “100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed” during the year. Here they are:

Now it’s time for list number three, and I am so excited partly because of how the map is expanding to include places which weren’t touched in the first two lists.

As with the first two lists, these 100 albums and EP’s come from artists all over the world. This year’s list includes artists from: Canada, the U.K. (England, Scotland, and Wales), Australia, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Belarus, Romania, Slovakia, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, Greece, Myanmar, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Serbia, Austria, Argentina, Ukraine, Indonesia, Poland, and 28 different U.S. states. The independent world is very, very big.

I’m also pleased to see an evolution of my own tastes and appreciation; this year’s list includes more pop, electronic, R&B, and jazz influences, obviously mixed in with a healthy helping of alternative, rock, and metal.

So here are 100 of the albums and EP’s that you probably missed in 2017. All were released during the 2017 calendar year; imagine if the mainstream paid attention to all the artists out there, and not only the handful we hear about.

As always, albums are in no particular order.

Go expand your universe. You’d be shocked at what you discover.

1. Why Am I Swimming Around Like This? — Fishtank — London, England, UK

a3501481361_16

2. Tube One — Okto Vulgaris — Chur, Switzerland

a2739877901_16

3. Space — The Head — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

a3633922577_16

4. It’s Butter – EP — It’s Butter — Los Angeles, California, USA

a3412407991_16

5. Grace Blue — Grace Blue — Los Angeles, California, USA

a2874590878_16

6. Machine — Hello, Mountain — Denver, Colorado, USA

a4169426487_16

7. The Hurricane EP — Morganway — Norwich, England, UK

a0284464990_16

8. Tooth & Nail — Freya Wilcox & The Howl — Brooklyn, New York, USA

a2462796278_16

9. Orphan Planet — Orphan Planet — Portland, Maine, USA

a3147656521_16

10. The Truth & The Lie — Skies Collide — Brisbane, Australia

a2252514473_16

11. Commitment Issues — Anyone’s Guess — Orlando, Florida USA

bluebackgroundnew

12. Dark Matter EP — Auditory Armory — Altamonte Springs, Florida, USA

DARK_MATTER_2017

13. Golden — The Talking Hours — Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

a4245788405_16

14. Animals — Blue Eyed Sons — Helsinki, Finland

a3953627931_16

15. Dark Swallows — Dark Swallows — Boise, Idaho, USA

a4272996496_16

16. Everything You Ever Wanted — Street Pieces — Brisbane, Australia

a0933132660_16

17. The Trouble With Teeth — Little Coyote — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

a1875522896_16

18. A Flood — Twin Strike — Brooklyn, New York, USA

a3570763004_16

19. Bad Habit — Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disasters — Cardiff, Wales, UK

Album-Cover-810x810

20. Skiddish — The Fallaways — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

a3298091121_16

21. Flux — Form Constant — Birmingham, Alabama, USA

a0109579812_16

22. Background Noise — Treading Water — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

a3963802106_16

23. Breaking the Line [EP] — The Strikes — Souchez, France

a1828716952_16

24. Wide Open — Weaves — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

a3425469303_16

25. Eclipse Of The Sun — Liquid Sunshine — Zurich, Switzerland

a1148978511_16

26. Worn Out Heart — Hollow Sidewalks — Portland, Oregon, USA

a0162203155_16

27. Start a Fire — The Burn Ins — Elkford, British Columbia, Canada

a2386017023_16

28. Coyote Gunfight — Dynamite Thunderpunch — Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

a2297308668_16

29. Monuments EP — Stereo Honey — London, England, UK

a1517693734_16

30. The Gang — The Gang — Bratislava, Slovakia

a0544071870_16

31. Drive — Sidewatcher — Detroit, Michigan, USA

a2028919262_16

32. End Times — Brother Sister Hex — Denver, Colorado, USA

a2173203830_16

33. Speak — Honey & the 45s — Chicago, Illinois, USA

a2854005861_16

34. With – EP — Fencer — Los Angeles, California, USA

a2690374378_16

35. Soul Sickness — The Versa Contrast — Revere, Massachusetts, USA

a1493214885_16

36. A Sign of the Times — Cold California — Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

a2320703030_16-1

37. Auto Racing EP 2 — Auto Racing — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

a4206061864_16

38. Note to Self – EP — Ready The Prince — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

a3750340326_16

39. Decade — Fighting Jacks — San Jose, California, USA

a1285525706_16

40. Gates Of Expression — Wildchild — Sibiu, Romania

a0182253842_16

41. virus. — Novembervägen — Stockholm, Sweden

a2433463850_16

42. Hypnotic Illusions EP — Living Still Life — Sydney, Australia

a2700095155_16

43. A Show For No One — Just Noise — Des Plaines, Illinois, USA

a1513185808_10

44. All Systems Go — CODED — Cape Town, South Africa

a4173822596_16

45. Wasted EP — Kreepy Krush — Minsk, Belarus

a0051590971_16

46. Better Days — The Clock Tower — Fukuoka, Japan

a4272871788_16

47. Tales of Betrayal and Deceit — The McMiners — Belo Horizonte, Brazil

a3020811943_16

48. Black and Blue EP — Little Raven — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

a1405749430_16

49. Hydra Plane — Hydra Plane — Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

a1945471753_16

50. Arcadia Feliz — Attikus Finch — Pamplona, Spain

a2895810528_16

51. Sublimation — Gravelarks — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

a3871912975_16

52. The Words We’ll Never Say — In Good Nature — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

a3445075492_10

53. Polaroids — A Fire With Friends — Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA

a3031439927_16

54. Plan Of Action — The Kingpins — Montreal, Quebec, Canada

a1511252187_16

55. No Time to Die — Daeodon — Louisville, Kentucky, USA

a3673536554_16

56. Relics & Cycles — Before And After Science — Oporto, Portugal

a2409912978_16

57. In Arcadia — Field Of Giants — Oxford, England, UK

a0726257664_16

58. REM — SIAN — Tokyo, Japan

a0891075555_16

59. Aura — Set Fire — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

a2257438036_16

60. Karate Break EP — Karate Break — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

a4188253864_16

61. Starla — Starla — Tacoma, Washington, USA

a3406417297_16

62. Fine Motor — Fine Motor — Reno, Nevada, USA

a1734165334_16

63. Clones — Naked Shark — Ann Arbor, Michigan USA

a0580314100_16

64. Salting — Keeper — Washington, D.C., USA

a2176036062_16

65. Radio Silence — Paranoir — Thessaloniki, Greece

a1619123284_16

66. Secret Demo — Shadow Party — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

a0687750269_16

67. Flying High — Laneslide — Petrovsk, Russia

a3172646584_16

68. Weight — Old State — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

a3827160454_16

69. Playground — Paranoid — Lille, France

a2781691299_16

70. Crash The Gate — Cab Ride Home — Manassas, Virginia, USA

a2047885753_16

71. Space and Grit — Domestic Blend — Omaha, Nebraska, USA

a0247209626_16

72. Attic Salt — Attic Salt — Springfield, Illinois, USA

a1956230470_16

73. Demo — Piines — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

a0117864883_16

74. Heavy Dreaming — Painted Shut — Garden Grove, California, USA

a4043210630_16

75. MUTT E.P. — Whorehound — Terre Haute, Indiana, USA

a2605582934_16

76. Cinder Box — Cinder Box — London, England, UK

a4276138801_16

77. Heavy High — Bruiser Queen — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

a4245655128_16

78. The Endless and Unseen — Like The Ocean — San Francisco, California, USA

a2423147567_16

79. In Plain Sight — Elastic Blur — Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA

a1923498168_16

80. As Far As The Stars — Nine Year Sister — Queensland, Australia

a1940360780_16

81. Fever Dreamin’ — Billy King & The Bad Bad Bad — Austin, Texas, USA

a2765121242_16

82. Sleep — Fawner — Cheltenham, England, UK

a2316748517_16

83. The Forge Sessions — Hot Raisin — Norwich, England, UK

a1547230113_16

84. Primeval — Iron Heade — Rancagua, Chile

a2264185585_16

85. Escapade — Pandelic — Yangon, Myanmar

a0925884476_16

86. Patterns — Longclaw — Portland, Oregon, USA

a1012873874_16

87. Defector — HEAVYCRAFT — Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

a2684102127_16

88. Change — Traces — Tamworth, Australia

a4042357359_16

89. Thomas — The Shaftons — Vienna, Austria

a1355688712_16

90. Parasite — The Coathangers — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

a2728717029_16

91. Widower — Widower — Sydney, Australia

a3762932554_16

92. Rock for Life — Early Grey — Moscow, Russia

a3807475436_16

93. First Attack EP — Snappy Strokes — Krakow, Poland

a3747245725_16

94. The Story — Oceantides — Kiev, Ukraine

a1323027982_16

95. Forgiver EP — Shoplifters — Novi Sad, Serbia

a2769306635_16

96. Skoll — Astro Diver — Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

a4282748053_16

97. Alter Ego — Replica — Buenos Aires, Argentina

a3308798063_16

98. The Best Things — Beat Off! — Kediri, Indonesia

a2475114162_16

99. Kings – EP — August Tides — Cleethorpes, England, UK

a3066317436_16

100. Demos 2017 — Goodnight Cairo — Seattle, Washington, USA

a2373189228_16

***

If you enjoyed this please share, and feel free to Tweet me. Let’s talk music and tech!

The Most Important Acronym to Your Networking

Posted on November 1, 2017 by adammarx13

An entry in the Minimum Viable Network series.

Fun Acronyms

Acronyms make things fun. And things which are fun and useful? Those are the best. When it comes to building your minimum viable network, there is only one acronym that matters: A.B.C.

What do those letters stand for? Simple: always be collaborating.

One of the most cross-cutting things I’ve learned from being at the intersection of music and tech is that some of the things which allow artists to amass huge, rabid followings is how they work off one another. There’s a similar symbiosis that is applicable not only to startups trying to grow their own communities, but also to individuals looking to build out a minimum viable network of supportive and engaged people.

Obligatory Musical Collaboration Examples

Think about some of the most successful artists in history; chances are whichever genre you’re focusing on, there are examples of collaborations which you may not have even been aware of. Sometimes these are some of an artist’s most well-known songs.

Eric Clapton played the lead guitar solo on The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” off their White Album. Eddie Van Halen played the guitar solo on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” And all of this is to say nothing of the prevalence of supergroups in music: Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, Derek and the Dominos, Them Crooked Vultures, Blind Faith, Sixx:A.M., Mad Season—the list goes on and on. What all of these examples have in common is that they allowed artists to meet new people (sometimes serendipitously) and create new content (sometimes even more serendipitously).

Some of these collaborations resulted in a full touring band and multiple albums (as with Audioslave and Sixx:A.M.) and sometimes it was more an outlet for the artist to simply explore a new vein of their creativity, resulting in a single album and few, if any, tour dates (as with Temple of the Dog, Blind Faith, and Mad Season). Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine what kind of collaboration it should be, and what the end goal is.

Why Collaborate?

If the end goal is to disseminate your name and reputation more amongst a new network, view opportunities to collaborate on articles or podcast episodes as compensation in and of themselves. The prospect of someone opening up their network to you through a co-publication or guest spot is invaluable, especially in a niche industry. Collaborating well on such a project will also tell your contact that you’re reliable and can produce great content for their network. This is the end goal; to get them to invite you back to do it again in the future.

Other times, there may not even be a publication or launch date. It may simply be a project where someone has asked you to give some feedback on their new app or something they’ve written. In this, the goal isn’t to get your name out to their network, but to keep your name in their head. When someone respects you and values your input, they ask for your thoughts on their own content. In this scenario, there is absolutely no downside—say yes, and carve out the time to give them some thoughtful feedback.

When Collaborations Don’t Work

When you’re involved in someone else’s project, let them run the show and suggest feedback where needed and when it’s appropriate. Accept and respect that they may do things differently than you would, and may go in a different direction that you want. If that ends up being the case, simply state whatever feedback you might have in a respectful and reasonable manner, and then let it be. If it’s not your project, there’s no upside to having an argument over the details as if it is.

Some collaborations simply don’t work, either because the idea leads to creative differences or because there’s just no chemistry between the individuals. This is ok. The worst thing you can do in this situation is to burn a bridge with an otherwise reasonable ally. The same dynamic that helps to balance your allies holds true here: until there’s a problem, there’s no problem. If the collaboration isn’t working, simply acknowledge it and move on. Most times, a collaboration that doesn’t work out well isn’t a reason to burn a relationship; it’s simply a sign that collaborating with that person in the future may not be the best move.

When Collaborations Do Work

When collaborations do work, though, they can change your whole universe. This may not—and usually doesn’t—happen overnight. It takes time for new relationship dynamics to gestate and the benefits of those collaborations may not be seen for months or even years. But once you have collaborated with someone on something, two things are indisputably true:

You’ve now (presumably) had a direct interaction with that person, and
You’ve now created something together with that person (in this respect, feedback does indeed count as something created, since it helps the overall creation process)

These two things ultimately shift the power balance; where once the relationship might have felt unequal, it is now arguably equal in new ways as a result of the collaboration. This has an elevating effect, bringing you closer to that person, whether they are a VC, podcast host, another founder, etc. Recognize that equalizing effect for what it is.

Ultimately, collaborations should be about relationships and learning. Creating something new and popular is always a plus, but it’s never a given. Keep your mind focused on how the collaboration can strengthen your relationship with your potential collaborators on the grand scale. Similarly, it will impact and shape your reputation among others, especially other potential collaborators. This is what will make the collaboration a success or a failure.

***

Find me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and business!

screen-shot-2017-04-03-at-11-58-16-am

Without Majors, SoundCloud Had The Potential To Be A Better, Independent Music Space

Posted on September 15, 2017 by adammarx13

Originally published on Crunchbase News on August 21, 2017.

It’s no secret that SoundCloud is troubled. Last month, news broke that the music streaming service slashed 40 percent of its workforce (173 jobs) and closed two of its offices (London and San Francisco). Two weeks ago, it dropped its founding CEO to secure new funding on the back of reports that it could run out of money within 50 days or so.

The developments weren’t without augur or portent.

SoundCloud’s current situation brings us back to our prior thesis: namely that the company’s shift into the major label paradigm was a tactical error. And due to that mistake, SoundCloud lost its focus on an exploding demographic in the form of independent music, which it initially showed signs of controlling.

Rising Red Ink

Let’s run the numbers quickly. As I noted in my previous piece, Soundcloud’s revenue has grown for years. In 2010, the company recorded $1.8 million in top line; in 2012, $9.6 million; and, in 2014, $19.6 million.

But those gains came with rising losses. Soundcloud lost $2.01 million in 2010; $14.9 million in 2012; and $44.2 million in 2014.

The trend of impressive losses continued into 2015, when SoundCloud’s revenue increased by 10 percent to $22.5 million. Unfortunately, for the company, its losses grew by a larger 23.5 percent to $54.6 million in 2015.

And according to a recent Music Business Worldwide analysis, even post-cuts, Soundcloud won’t cut expenses to fully ameliorate its rising costs and royalty payments.

Major (Label) Gamble

Its cuts in staff are indicative of a larger problem. Namely, SoundCloud’s royalty payments are expensive. If Soundcloud’s payout to the major labels is similar to Spotify, it could reach the 80 percent mark of its subscription-sourced top line; in related topics, SoundCloud has consistently declined to comment on how much the major labels own of the company.

Adding to its financial picture, SoundCloud opened a $70 million credit line to keep its doors open.

While major label deals grant SoundCloud access to the world’s most popular catalogs, the royalty payments accompanying that catalog can be a Sisyphus-like experience.

The accompanying costs are high. For example, growth only accounts for one factor in determining a royalty payment. Other factors can range from the labels’ own fiscal bottom lines (which no streaming service can control) to the labels’ employment of a Most Favored Nation clause in their streaming contracts.

Major label content is also available through an array of streaming options: Spotify, Apple, (now) SoundCloud, Pandora, Tidal, and so forth. Given the number of services offering major label tunes, access to that content doesn’t make a streaming service unique. Rather, it gives the major labels outsized influence on a streaming service’s content offerings.

In Soundcloud’s case, the new major label paradigm likely impacted the now-beleaguered music streaming company in two ways:

Major label deals changed SoundCloud’s value proposition. Due to its major label deal, Soundcloud could sell the same major label content as Spotify and Apple. SoundCloud would no longer be the home only for independent audio, putting a pin in what arguably made the streaming service unique.
The major label deals now required SoundCloud to pay the same piper as Spotify, Apple, and others.

All of this amplified SoundCloud’s already-noted strategic shift, and potential misstep: moving away from the independent music demographic—a group that it had performed well in previously.

Up until autumn 2015, SoundCloud primarily subsisted on independent music and user-generated content. But in the time it took SoundCloud to switch paradigms from the independent universe to the major labels, the market had changed. Whereas independent material up to 2015 was considered disinteresting to general consumers due to niche appeal, by the end of 2016, independent music streaming revenues made up $5.1 billion of the industry’s total haul of $16.1 billion. In fact, the independent market outsized Universal’s cut by more than $500 million.

Multiple arguments can be made about what has led the independent demographic to become the largest pie of the streaming-revenue pie. What’s clear, though, is that the old trope that’s been widely circulated about independent music—that nobody cares and it doesn’t make any money—is likely false.

From 2003-2012 alone, the independent landscape exploded in terms of participants. And it’s that market that Soundcloud likely ceded ground on due to its deals with major labels.

What Ifs And Takeaways

All this underscores SoundCloud’s decision to start down the major label path.

If it had made the same job cuts and office closures in 2015 that have now been enacted, then Soundcloud might look very different. The company might have been able to close the gap long enough for the numbers to show—as they are now—that independent music is a real area of growth in the music universe.

If that had happened, it might have given financial-credence to its massive independent catalog, independent-enthusiast userbase, and independent reputation. But the major label paradigm is like a lobster-trap; it’s very, very hard to back out of once you’re in.

Of course, all that assumes that Soundcloud would have been able to settle lawsuits and figure out a way to monetize its gigantic repository. Assuming it could, SoundCloud might now be the clear frontrunner in its own arena of music, almost completely removed from the whims and dynamics of the major label world which Spotify and Apple have to contend with.

What’s important to recognize now is that the music universe is multidimensional, and, with the explosive growth of independent content, it’s adding new layers by the day. SoundCloud’s plight should encourage—not dissuade—future would-be music-tech startups or entrepreneurs and investors. Let Spotify and Apple battle it out for the major label world; the independent universe is growing quickly anyway.

Whether it’s too late for Soundcloud to take advantage of that growth will depend on its ability to navigate its choppier, less-funded, waters.

The Streaming Wars Continue, And SoundCloud Is In The Balance

Posted on September 2, 2017 by adammarx13

Originally published on Crunchbase News on May 17, 2017.

soundcloud (1).png

It’s been a challenging year for SoundCloud. And its last quarter hasn’t made things any easier on the music-streaming startup.

Amidst a streaming war between Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and others, SoundCloud’s orange cloud is greying. Spotify passed on buying the company in December, it’s seen a patent dispute, a high-level shakeup, and multiple reports (here and here) have explored the possibility that it might run out of money by the year’s end.

The news has not been good for SoundCloud. (When contacted, SoundCloud declined to comment on its financial situation.)

So what comes next for the music company? The answer to that question is anchored on three points:

The economics of streaming for non-label players.
SoundCloud’s efforts to expand past its original, core user base.
Its efforts to stabilize allegedly difficult financials.

We’ll approach each topic respectively to get a handle on how it will impact SoundCloud.

Streaming 101

To understand SoundCloud’s current financial situation, we have to understand streaming economics.

Streaming companies license material from two main sources: major labels and independent artists. In SoundCloud’s context, it’s the first content source which matters. Major labels set the standard royalty rates which services like SoundCloud must pay for access to their critical libraries.

It is notoriously difficult to pin down what a private music streaming company is paying in royalties. For companies like Spotify and Soundcloud, royalty payouts can total in the neighborhood of 70-85 percent of a company’s revenue.

To that point, rates released in reference to Spotify over the last few years have been all over the map. In 2013, Spotify released (via Stereogum) its own accounting of its royalty payout structure, which detailed that ~30 percent of generated stream revenue stays with Spotify while the other roughly 70 percent went to labels, publishers, and others. There was no mention of any additional costs.

In August 2016, however, Music Business Worldwide calculated that ~84 percent of Spotify’s topline went out the door for “royalty distribution and other costs.” Again, those other costs were not defined. Music Business Worldwide then followed up on its first statement and calculation with the note that Spotify’s precise royalty payout is believed to be just under 70 percent.

In 2017 alone, TechCrunch reported that Spotify’s royalty payout was 70-72 percent, except when other factors—like catalog geography and free vs. paid streaming—could bump the royalty payout as high as 84 percent. All this was before Spotify’s new deal that supposedly lowered royalty payouts in exchange for windowing. The aforementioned “extenuating factors” are so important to acknowledge precisely because they affect so much of any music company’s catalog.

So is Spotify’s royalty payout less than 70 percent, 70 percent even, 70-72 percent, greater than 70 percent, or even up to the low 80s? No one really knows except Spotify and the labels. Even using Spotify as a bar for understanding SoundCloud’s royalties leaves us convoluted

Of course, streaming services have an interest in limiting their payout rates, but streaming companies don’t have much leverage due to an imbalance of power. If SoundCloud or Spotify don’t have a major label’s catalog, either one could immediately start to shed subscribers to competing services not locked into the same label fight. In music streaming, platform diversification only flows in one direction.

Shifting Priorities

The streaming cost matter puts SoundCloud’s recent strategies into context.

SoundCloud cut its teeth licensing content in the independent world, a much different paradigm than Spotify or Apple Music. Because it built its success on independent material, SoundCloud wasn’t beholden to the major label oligarchy for material.

Priorities shifted when SoundCloud changed direction and pursued major label content on top of its independent catalog.

It signed deals with every major label, leading to a new direction for the company. When pressed last year, SoundCloud responded with the stark “no comment” on how much equity it may have provided to labels for access to the respective catalogs. Additionally, most of the deals hinged on SoundCloud releasing an on-demand premium service to directly compete with Spotify and Apple.

By summer 2016, SoundCloud had evolved into another major label distribution platform. This effectively posed the conundrum of potentially alienating its initial userbase, which might not have been inclined to see another mainstream music service as necessary in the first place.

Compounding the mainstream content conundrum, SoundCloud’s new catalog was the same mainstream content that its direct competitors were distributing. Further, SoundCloud was now compelled to build a new product to directly compete with Spotify, putting it in a position where it held less power for the content it licensed while burning money at a ridiculous rate.

Challenging Financial Realities

All that sums to the company’s current financial situation.

In order to understand the company’s fiscal situation as it stands today, it behooves us to remind ourselves what we know about its past performance.

As I previously wrote, SoundCloud’s financials in December of last year were as follows:

Revenue tracking upward (source):

2010 – $1.8 million.
2012 – $9.6 million.
2014 – $19.6 million.

With losses ballooning (source):

2010 – $2.01 million.
2012 – $14.9 million.
2014 – $44.2 million.

Based on the new numbers, SoundCloud’s revenue saw a 10 percent increase from $19.6 million in 2014 to $22.5 million in 2015. Its losses, however, increased dramatically by 81 percent, from $44.2 million in 2014 to $54.6 million in 2015.

Debt and Irony

Most recently, SoundCloud raised an additional $70 million in debt funding. With this round of debt funding, it’s likely that SoundCloud is trying to follow Spotify’s example by doubling down on their growth numbers long enough to find an exit. The problem with this strategy is that SoundCloud is nowhere near as big as Spotify, perhaps lowering its M&A potential. While this strategy presents challenges for Spotify as well, the analogy ends right there, since SoundCloud’s debt is barely a pittance of Spotify’s $1 billion debt raise.

Spotify’s delayed IPO casts a shadow of doubt on its smaller rival as well. If the company most obviously in line to acquire it has its own challenges to contend with, it’s clear that its attention will be on its own IPO, rather than a bail-out acquisition of SoundCloud—even at a fire-sale price.

Unfortunately, the reality for SoundCloud is this: the company has extremely unwieldy financials, and its main competitor—the company most likely to acquire them—just delayed its own IPO in order to figure out its own financial situation.

Uncertain Future

The faster that SoundCloud tries to shift to become more like Apple Music and Spotify, the more it runs the risk of highlighting it wasn’t trying to be like the standard streaming services at all.

Whether or not the summer will bring back the orange in our grey cloud remains to be seen.

There’s Life After Failure

Posted on June 2, 2017 by adammarx13

Four Cofounders (from left): Myles, Michael, Shelley, and me

Two weeks ago I shut down my startup.

I called my team members, notified our users, and made the decision that it was time to bring Glipple to a close. Retrospectively, the writing was on the wall. Now is the part where you wait for me to share some zen philosophy that I could only learn through failure.

Don’t hold your breath.

Don’t Gloss Over the Emotional Toll

Yes, I did learn a lot and in the end I’m glad I had the experience. But I’m not about to write another diatribe of cutely composed “tips for closing your first startup” which you will inevitably skim through until you read the next such post-mortem blog post on Medium…probably in about 30 minutes. Because in startups, it’s become the epitome of chic and cliche to write a post-mortem blog post when(ever) your startup fails.

Ultimately, though, so many of them gloss over the emotional toll it takes on you, so I’m going to write exactly what I’ve really wanted to know every time I read through one of these posts. Frankly, I’ve only seen a few people actually brave enough to publicly tell it how it is. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading this post from Andy Sparks and this one from Poornima Vijayashanker.

I’m not really 100% sure why there’s such a fascination with failure in our business. Probably because people shape that perception of failure into a positive reflection thereafter and attempt to use it as a drive for the next idea. That’s not a bad strategy, objectively speaking. But I sometimes wonder if it creates a flippant attitude toward failure which unintentionally misunderstands human behavior.

All these post-mortem blog posts make the whole process seem relatively easy; ok we failed, but here’s our end-of-the-run coffee party, and we’re off to better things tomorrow.

That’s not where failure gets you—not in the immediate moment.

The 3AM Blog Post in the Dark

You wanna know where it gets you? Right here, sitting in the dark at 3AM, typing out your bitterness and frustration in a draft as quietly as you can because you girlfriend is sleeping in the next room and there’s no point in waking her up to share your misery. It’s not perpetual bitterness, but temporary bitterness bristles just the same. Failure leaves you temporarily raw, and if it doesn’t, you didn’t care enough in the first place.

Emotional pain is the normal reaction. There’s a part of you that now feels lost, and grieving is a major part of the process. That emotional toll is what makes startups different than hobbies.

It’s ok if—for a moment—I sound like one of “those” entrepreneurs who couldn’t hack it. I’ve got news for you: chances are you’ll experience this feeling too at some point—I’m just choosing to be very public about it. Because in the end I’m human, and to pretend that everything’s ok and that I’m impervious to extreme disappointment and disillusionment isn’t being strong and resilient—it’s being fake.

Tech’s “Failure” Failure

In Silicon Valley—and in tech at large—failure is a great thing. It means that you took a shot, that it didn’t work, and that you supposedly learned something very valuable to draw on for your next venture.

And hopefully these things are true, but the reverence with which we look at failure—with which we make it a club that people should want to be in or be happy to join—is pretty ridiculous. To construct a system where failing is revered—almost required—is remarkably jarring. There’s just something about it that doesn’t seem realistic or dialed in to human emotion.

To Feel Like an Abject Failure

I believe in my heart that most if not all of the people who write the positive tweets that we read mean well. Usually they’ve been in similar situations and figured out ways to surmount challenges and failures and move on to greater successes.

But sometimes, that unbridled optimism and pragmatism—well-intentioned though it may be—comes off as disinterest and disconnect. As if one has somehow forgotten what abject failure feels like. True, it may not actually be abject failure, but it sure feels like it in the moment.

And the worst part? When you feel this level of failure, it pulls you into a place where you don’t want to speak to anyone—don’t want to admit to anyone—that your failure is real, and that your need for help is even more real. You’re even more determined to strike out again on your own and prove to yourself and everyone else that you are a “real” founder—a “real” entrepreneur—and that you can pick yourself back up by your bootstraps. Those of us who struggle with depression feel this even more acutely.

But this is a mistake.

When People Are Your Strength

In the lull during which my startup started to fade—and during which I knew in my heart there seemed little recourse to keep it from doing so—I began to pull away from people. This was a mistake, especially for me. I’m a people person, and I gain so much of my energy from talking to people and helping people. When I started to pull away, I began to lose a part of myself. Actually, I began to lose another part of myself, because I was already losing a part of myself in losing my startup.

Only through recognizing that the disappointment and disillusionment which follow failure are part of the entrepreneurial fabric can we begin to open ourselves up to other people and possibilities after failure. This is the danger in fetishizing failure and spectacular flameouts: it is devastating for those of us who draw our energy from other people. Bragging about failure in a proud way is something distinctly Silicon Valley and very much of startup tech DNA; outside that realm, doing this is simply not done in such a way, and certainly not done with such gusto.

It’s equally important to emphasize to founders that failure isn’t simply a milestone that they should mark on their startup belts as they would raising a fund or releasing their 2.0 product. Failure is debilitating and it is in these very fragile states that founders need the most support from each other. Everything is easy when it’s easy; but when things go to hell, you need to be open to grasping someone’s hand when they offer it.

When people are your strength, it’s important to remember that heading back to that harbor is precisely how you recharge your batteries after a defeat. If you’ve done anything right along your startup journey to that point, you will have formed at least a few solid connections with others in your network who you can speak with candidly. If you’ve done at least this right, all the rest will fade into background noise.

Coming Back from the Brink

And after all of this—all the nights spent in cold sweats with stomach pains worrying about money, looking yourself in the mirror wondering if you’re a failure (are you even that?), skating over the “so what do you do?” question at parties and family holidays—you find a way to crawl back. You’ve stood on the precipice of failure and looked into the depths—spat it in the face—and somehow stomped your way back onto solid ground.

The funny thing about the failure precipice? It doesn’t ever exist as starkly in reality as it does in your mind. You stepped out over the edge expecting to fall a thousand miles into darkness, only to find yourself ankle-deep in a deceptively dark pool of water. So in the end, crossing over to the other side—finding solid ground again—isn’t as hard as it seemed before. The haunting chasm was only miles-deep in your mind.

Taking the Leap Again

There’s life after failure. That’s what I’m learning. Slowly but surely I’m learning it.

Will I do a music-startup again? Probably. Will I do a number of things differently now that I’ve learned new things? Absolutely. Am I as scared of my next potential failure as I was of my first one? Not even in the same ballpark.

I started drafting this piece in my apartment, sitting in the dark at 3AM, alone with only my thoughts of failure because I thought that’s how it had to be. Or how it was going to be regardless.

But I’m finishing it now, sitting in a bustling Starbucks in downtown Atlanta, drinking a large coffee, listening to Eve 6, and emailing people, looking for my next leap. I have drafts open of the next few articles I’m writing, and my phone is buzzing every ten minutes with new possibilities.

Startup life isn’t easy, and failure isn’t fun. But it’s also not the end. As Eve 6 put it:

The monster in the closet, when the light’s turned on/

Is just a jacket on a hanger and the fear is gone/

And the world keeps turning, sun keeps burning/

We are the lost and found, gonna make it through another day.

***

Thanks

I’m so grateful to my cofounders for taking this journey with me. I know we’ll have another one together some time. To all those in my support system who have listened and helped me through this dip, you know who you are, and I am more grateful than you know. You took so much time out of your busy schedules to support me, and that does not go unnoticed. You all are a huge part of the reason I can write this post with a determined smile on my face.

Lastly, to my parents and siblings who are always my biggest support network.

***

If you’re struggling with your startup journey, feel free to reach out and let’s talk.

***

Find me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and business!