Sean T Wright Talks Social Media For Musicians: Week 4 Ariel Hyatt's Music Success in Nine Weeks blog challenge,

FOREST OF MONKEYS

There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that having a presence on social media sites is a must in today's internet-driven marketplace. If you haven't got a social media presence you'd stand out like a panda bear in a forest of monkeys. As Ariel says in her book MSi9W, the days of the static "brochure website" for a band or artist are over. I agree. In order to survive and vitally - get heard, an artist must talk with fans, reach out to potential followers, and engage them within the social media context. The likes of Facebook and Twitter have created opportunities for musicians like never before.

ALL ABOARD!
I've been onboard with Social Media for over 5 years now, so I guess I was there in the early days of its rise! Yeah! I hooked up to Myspace in 2006 & Last FM in 2005 and the stats show that those sites have achieved over 250,000 plays of my music. Think about that for a moment. That's 250,000 plays I wouldn't have had if I hadn't been bothered to sign up! That's the really important bit: you gotta sign up! You have got to do the leg work. Everyone starts from zero plays and zero profile views and zero listeners. Everyone!



JAMENDO A-GO-GO!
Another great social media site is Jamendo. I signed up just over two years ago and have been blown away by the success of my music there. Gonna repeat now cuz to my mind it makes an impression: In just two years, on Jamendo (the world's foremost legal free website) there's been over 64,000 downloads of my songs, and more than 115,000 plays. I've had three No.#1 singles, and four No.#1 albums on Jamendo, who have over 40,000 free albums from tens of thousands of indie artists.




GOING VIRAL
The knock on effect is cool, too. My music gets streamed in shops, clubs, restuarants, malls, and gets licensed for a variety of multimedia projects. Folk have used my music in their youtube video projects, both private and commercial. Indeed Russia's biggest online game provider, Nival Network, are using 3 of my songs, with combined plays of over 60,000 in the past two and a half months alone. It's very satisfying as an indie artist to see my music spread like this via the interwebs. Who knows, perhaps one day it will go viral!

DEVELOPING THE PODCAST
One area I want to develop is podcasting. I've begun to research itunes podcasting and the Podsafe notion. Finding time to create meaningful and quality content is the key issue for me. I am amazed at the many ways folk are presenting their podcast shows. But I'm determined to make my presence felt in the podcasting world. I just need the right angle to lever my way in!




SOCIAL MEDIA PLACES I HANG OUT:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Sean_Wright

http://www.last.fm/label/Sean+Wright


http://www.twitter.com/Sean_T_Wright


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sean-T-Wright/161667027335

http://www.reverbnation.com/seanwright

http://www.myspace.com/seanwrightmusicstuff

http://www.myspace.com/thecrowswing

Sean T Wright Optimizes His Website: Week 3 Ariel Hyatt's Music Success in Nine Weeks Blog Challenge

FANS FOR KEEPS
Ariel says that the number one reason artists should hire a publicist, is not because it sells albums (because if PR sold albums she'd be a heck of a lot richer) but because it helps increase awareness around your name, your music, and your brand. It's a sound logical idea, which to my mind ultimately affiliates well with the 1000 true fans notion, too. In short, people need to know you exist.

Years ago, way before the internet was used as a promo tool, musicians were familiar with the bedroom rock star. You know the guy. He sits there on the end of his bed making music, rehearsing relentlessly, thinking that someday he'll become great. He may very well become a great musician, but he doesn't take the next vital step! Mistakenly, he thinks he'll get discovered by a rich record company exec, who just happens to hear his guitar blasting out as he cruises by in his Rolls Royce... and bingo! Stardom, fortune, and all the rest of it.

IT NEVER HAPPENS.

Back in the mid-80s I had a publishing deal with Peer Music, Denmark St, in London's famous Tin Pan Alley. I remember being told by an MD at the company an intriguing story. It involved Cat Stevens and his ultimate promo tool before he "got discovered." He found the home address of a top producer and camped on his doorstep all day, waiting for him to return home from the studio. Apparently this all day vigil went on for a number of days until the producer agreed to listen to Cat Stevens' songs. The rest is history!

The point? Get noticed! I'm not sure of the merit in following what Cat Stevens did. The game has changed. Having an online presence in its many forms takes you directly to potential fans. Pre-internet days, this wasn't an option. Having been a pro artist pre-internet days (I had major publishing deal/and was managed by a legendary Hollywood producer), I can say with confidence that it's much easier to get noticed nowadays. Back then, I toured relentlessly, paid silly money for pro studio time, played numerous showcase gigs for record industry types. I sent out song demos to every name in the industry to try and get noticed. I phoned and phoned and phoned! Hustle, hustle, hustle. It cost money. It took time. It took self belief and you entered, what I called last week, The Land of Music Addiction. Eventually I did get noticed, but it was a hard, hard physical, mental and emotional slog!

Today's online tools open up a new world of promo possibilities. But you can make good music and be a music success without ever leaving your computer! No joke! So to my mind, the next question is: will you be a lasting success with enough fans to sustain you? (more on this in a later post).

So, once you get some attention, the idea is to keep it! Fans, followers, people interested in your music have to want to come back. Ariel talks about optimizing your website and setting it up so that it is a vehicle for building your email list; creating two-way communication. It's the best way to keep fans returning: talk to them.

THE RULES

Ariel also breaks it down into straight-forward steps. Which got me thinking - do I follow these simple rules of thumb?

6 Steps to Maximizing Your Website:
Follow these rules and start getting casual visitors to become fans.

1. Add Your Pitch to Your Homepage
Last week I created it and have added my pitch to my homepage and to all of my websites: MySpace, Facebook etc.

2. Your Site Must Load in LESS than 3.5 Seconds
Ariel says that recent studies show that people have the attention span of gnats and that if people have to wait more than 3.5 seconds for a site to load, they’re moving on to another site. So, time your site and make sure it loads in less than 3.5 seconds. Ariel found out that Google can help at its Webmastercentral, where you can find out about your site's page load speed.

My load speed was 2.9 seconds!

3. NO Flash Intros
Flash intros are popular but IAriel urges you to skip the temptation to have one! You
want to have a clean, easy-to-load page that instantly connects you and your
information directly to your fans; not a Flash intro, which is unreadable to search
engines.; meaning you will not be findable in Google, which is critical to your
online strategy and your online success. Apparently, the newest version of
Flash is readable by search engines but Ariel suggests skipping it all together.




4. Have a Consistent Look and Feel Throughout the Net
Ariel talks about your site should having the same color scheme and theme throughout the entire thing so that visitors do not think they have landed on another site while surfing through yours. Studies show that when people feel uncomfortable online they
move on and they feel uncomfortable when the consistency changes. The same
goes for Social Networking sites – make sure your MySpace theme matches your
site. If your site is blue, your MySpace page should also be blue.

This makes perfect sense to me.



5. Give Away an Exclusive, Free MP3 / Video
Satisfy the WIIFM – What’s In It For Me? (your fan’s little voice)
Every consumer (read: fan) on earth, when confronted with the option to buy
something, is thinking: WIIFM? / What’s In It For Me - is driving your fans at all
times! So therefore, you must offer them something they can’t refuse.
People can’t refuse free stuff – so offer free stuff on your homepage!
You must create a bribe on your homepage to encourage people to sign up to
your email list, which should be prominently highlighted on your homepage.
This bribe should be exclusive only to your homepage, and should not be
available anywhere else online.

This free offering is a gift that people receive when they sign up to your monthly
newsletter, as your way of saying “Thank you for being my fan!” The last thing you want to do is put a box in your page saying, “Sign up for our email list so we can send you more email,” which is basically what that says. Instead, try giving something away as an incentive to get people to sign up to your email list. A free MP3 says, “Thank you fan, we appreciate you signing up for our mailing list!”

I've been doing this for years: giving music away as an MP3. In fact, I give ALL of my songs away for free in MP3 format. It's proven a huge success as a marketing tool, because I am very close to 1 million free download giveways! I give away music all over the net. Last FM, where I've been No.#1 artist in the free download tag for over three years now. I have a substantial fanbase there, with 13,000 fans, listening over 125,000 times to my music. Facebook, Reverbnation, Audiosafe, Bandcamp, and many more places. In just two years, on Jamendo (the world's foremost legal free website) there's been over 64,000 downloads of my songs, and more than 110,000 plays. From this folk have used my music in their youtube video projects. In fact Russia's biggest online game provider, Nival Network, are using 3 of my songs, with combined plays of over 60,000 in the past two and a half months. It's very satisfying as an indie artist to see my music spread like this via the internet.

6. Make It Clear and Set , Them at Ease
Ariel says you want to make sure that it is very obvious to your visitors that the moment they sign up to your mailing list they will be receiving their free MP3 or video, and that they’re also getting signed up to your newsletter. Also, on your homepage, you should put in small letters: “We will never sell, rent or lend your email addresses to anyone else ever,” so that people can be assured that their email addresses are safe with you.

Yep, I have that covered!


AND FINALLY

I know Ariel stresses the importance of optimizing your website presence, giving over a whole chapter to the subject. I agree 100%! I want to add that before I read Ariel's book, I was already doing most of the steps she recommends, and take it from me - they work! See you next time for - Week 4: Social Media For Musicians

Sean T Wright's Perfect Pitch: Week 2 Music Success in Nine Weeks blog challenge,

TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN
This is tricky. Trying to come up with the perfect pitch. I followed Ariel's advice to the letter. She breaks it down into four areas.

1. Music genres: Acoustic, folk, rock.

2. Sound alikes from other's point of view: John Lennon, David Bowie, Neil Young, Harry Nilsson, Elvis Costello, Marc Bolan (T.Rex), The Beatles, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed

3. Authors, artists, films that have influenced me: Martin Luther King, JM Barrie (Peter Pan), Mahatma Ghandi, Wizard of Oz (film), Star Trek (everything), Babylon 5, The Matrix, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Hall and Oates, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Eagles, Jimmy Hendrix, and Neil Young.

4. Feelings and vibes I want my music to convey: peace, love, forgiveness, timelessness, classic, quality, emotional, idealistic: I have a dream... and honest

Then I circled the one's that resonated the most with me. John Lennon, Neil Young, Peter Pan, peace, timelessness, idealistic: I have a dream...

Now I was getting somewhere.


PERFECT PITCH MARK 1
Ariel recommends a cool website called 15 Second Pitch. Coincidently, a couple of months ago, (before I'd read about Ariel's recommendation), I'd already stumbled upon a www.15secondpitch.com.

You are led logically through a series of questions. Those questions generate the perfect pitch in under 150 words. It is great for structuring your thoughts in a focused way.

Here's my first attempt back then: I'm a singer song-writer specializing in emotionally-charged folk-rock songs - think John Lennon meets Neil Young crashing head-on into the Gates of Hell. My goal is to release 50 albums in 50 months. At the end of Sept 2010, I released album #42. I am a pioneer of modern, fast recording techniques. I merge old school recording with wizzy new technologies. No other artist, dead or alive, has ever released as many albums in such a short time span - Sean T Wright: One man, one 50-50 vison!




LOVE IT!
Ariel's right when she says, you've got to love your pitch. If you don't love it, how are you going to communicate it with enthusiasm to others? I decided it was too long, and parts of it were too reliant on facts. In short, it didn't evoke deep emotions.

So I went through a second, then third, fourth, and fifth phase. I hacked them, twisted, turned, rewrote and reassembled everything! Ultimately I shortened the original pitch. I also asked folk on Ariel's Mastermind forum to help out, and got some great viewpoints.

Eventually I settled for Imagine John Lennon and Neil Young meet Peter Pan on the shores of Neverland.

I loved it. And I'll tell you why. It's me! Listen to this song, for example.

Curl Into A Ball by Sean T Wright

So I tried it out in the mirror and laughed. It sounded good to my ears. Then I followed Ariel's instructions:

1. On your website’s homepage (yes, on the HOMEPAGE, and on as many pages
as you can (at the top of your bio, and on any page your fans may land on – not
buried in the site).
2. On your MySpace page.
3. On your Facebook page.
4. On all social-networking sites that you use and anywhere else you have an
online presence.

I even used my perfect pitch with some graphics and started to plaster them across the net when I got the opportunity.









USP:THE FINAL FRONTIER
So all is good, I feel, with the perfect pitch at this moment in time. I still need to consider my USP, though. I think my USP (Unique Selling Point) is buried in my original pitch: "No other artist, dead or alive, has ever released as many albums in such a short time span - Sean T Wright: One man, one 50-50 vison!"

I think it sums up my music for the past three and half years.

What do you think?

Sean T Wright's Week 1 with Ariel Hyatt's Music Success In Nine Weeks

THINKING
I've been thinking! Dangerous, I know, but I've got to get it out. I think I'm part of this Music Success in Nine Weeks challenge because I need tweaking! But I'm not 100% sure. Doubts float like slowly deflating hot air balloons. I have to work this through. I need an expert's opinion. Have I got a terminal case of the Tweaks? Really, if you haven't heard about it before, it's a bad, infectious condition. Not quite as serious as Twitteritis, but pretty bad. Oh and by the way, don't think these sad, serious cases are isolated. Far from it. When you've been around as long as I have in the music biz, then some day it'll get you for sure! The Tweeks!

But I think I need a second opinion - a kind of cyber pr doctor! And I think I need lists, lots of them, and goals to shoot at! Then maybe a cure for the Tweaks will be at hand. Ariel says:

Keep a few separate lists:
MUSIC GOALS – Next 12 Months.
MUSIC GOALS – In your lifetime.
MONEY GOALS – Next 12 months.
LIFETIME GOALS – What do you want in your whole life.

Lists are good! Honestly! I live by lists. My brain is small, and my memory even smaller. Yep, lists are cool.

Here's some stuff you should know. I'm a great believer in contexts. I'm not starting the blog challenge from scratch. That's the problem, you see. It gives rise to the Tweaks. I've been making albums since 1976. I'm hardly the new kid on the block. But I'm open to learn. So I bought Ariel's book in the hopes that I could understand this terrible Tweak thing better. Are there others out there with this awful affliction? Are you one?



READING
I began to read. I smile. It seems I'm not alone. Ariel Hyatt has got a bad case of the Tweaks, too! No joke. Seriously. Only she has it under control. She has succeeded in somehow breaking the thing into manageable steps. I read Chapter 1, then 2, then 3... I have a good feeling about the book. I've read the reviews, read previous challengers' blogs, and watched some videos where Ariel gives tips and advice. Ariel speaks a bucket-load of sense. I have high hopes that my condition might be cured once and for all. If not cured, then understood better. So I've been getting ready for my music medical with Ariel Hyatt's Cyber PR Blog Challenge, Wave 3, which kicked off on 11th October.




PREPARING
How am I getting ready? Well, I've been working out, musically speaking. I'm way too old for all that sit-up and press-up nonsense. That's the quickest way to a hernia or serious muscle strain when you reach my age! I think it best if I exercise my vocals cords, (and the dog!) and take stock of a long and winding road thus far travelled.

Week 1: Getting Mentally Prepared

The first week of Ariel's Music Success in Nine Weeks program is all about setting goals, and getting into the right mindset. The music business is not for the lazy or weak-hearted, and you need to be prepared for the long haul. This means getting your head together for success, creating realistic goals that you can work towards. Okay! I'm fired up. Let's do it!

You'd think I'd be happy, right, except for the Tweaks? I have not one but two successful Myspace accounts. I have Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Last FM, Reverbnation, ilike, Bebo, Bandcamp, Podsafe, Spotify, and my own website www.seantwright.com all up and running. A wide social network.


Happy? I should be. Like Ariel says, set goals! Write them down! A must, a big must, and display them where you can see them. I've set hundreds of goals over the years, and achieved many of them. Not all of them, but many of them. Some beyond my wildest dreams. For example, playing live at Trafalgar Square, London, on the 28th July 2007 with Asian pop icon, Najam Sheraz (left to right: Signe Andersen, Najam Sheraz, and Sean T Wright live at Trafalgar Sq, London). The 18,000+ crowd was the largest at the venue since Nelson Mandela's speech on the Abolition of Child Poverty in February 2005. The Pakistan Festival - which celebrated 60 years of independence - was beamed via satellite to millions worldwide by Geo TV.

So why did I sign up for the Music Success in Nine Weeks Challenge? Apart from seeking a cure for the Tweaks? I'll come to it in a minute.

You see, Ariel's Week 1 talks about being in for the long haul, with day to day successes, short, medium, and long term goals - and she's right. But how long is a long haul? Ariel writes about giving these goals form and substance, in terms of tangible dates and time limits. And, for me, the BIG mental push: write them as if they're already happening! Positive thinking, right? Self belief!



BELIEVING
I have lots of self-belief. My music is an echo that comes from deep inside my soul. It exits from my mouth, my fingertips, my heart like a wave of electric blue emotion. It heals me, and I hope it heals others, too. I've been writing, recording, and releasing songs for over 35 years! In that time, I've been fortunate enough to have collaborated with notables such as Kim Fowley (Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Alice Cooper), Najam Sheraz (multi-million selling Asian singer), Mark Linkous (aka Sparklehorse), the enigmatic Mark Tinley (Duran Duran, The Dandy Warhols, The Stranglers, Gary Numan, Adamski), and many fine indie songwriters within the interwebs. Over time, I've built up relationships. Lots of them. I think it's worth saying again: I've built up relationships over time with fans and collaborators.

I should be satisfied, right? I've already created a high level of music success in a career that began in 1976. But I also have... well, you know - let's not mention the T word! I need help!



WORKING
I want to backtrack a minute, if I may. Thanks for your patience. Ariel writes about having the right mindset. Again she is spot on. Determination! The music business is certainly not for the mushy-minded or horizontal hippie. But I'd like to add, if I may, that the right mindset borders on...

No, come on let's be truthful here. Actually the right mindset crashes through the barricaded border of the Land of Music Addiction, a driving, focused addiction! It keeps dragging you back to the studio, to your computer, and to the road day after day, year after year! There, I've said it! Phew! Glad I got that one out.

Yes, the Land of Music Addiction is a place I know well. So, as I was about to say, my music is already out there on a rather large internet scale because of that addiction and because of goal-setting. Over 90,000 combined Myspace/Facebook/Twitter/Reverbnation/Last FM/Jamendo fans and friends. Almost a million free downloads via Jamendo, Last FM, Garageband (sadly now defunct), scores of P2P sites, and my own website. Three No#1 singles on Jamendo, and four No. #1 albums on Jamendo - the world's foremost free, legal download site that hosts over 40,000 albums. I think that's some kind of online success. But it took longer than nine weeks. Indeed, my latest single "Beautiful World" is this month's No.#1 single on Jamendo.

It didn't happen on its own either. Or over night. I've worked hard over the years. Other folk have supported, downloaded, recommended, reviewed, listened, playlisted, and hustled on my behalf. Of course, without them it wouldn't have happened. It's a two way street. And, moreover, I have a TO DO book!



STEPPING
Ariel talks about small step, realistic goals that can be worked towards. This, I feel, is key if you want success beyond a couple of years. Everything you do online (not to mention finding time for writing, recording, releasing your songs) takes time and committment. One step at a time, right? All of those little baby steps eventually form leaps and bounds.

So, I've set myself 6 realistic goals for the near future (the next six months), and of course, one rather massive over-arching goal.

Goal 1: Creativity - write, record, and mix at least 3 new songs every week.

Goal 2: Health - I need more sleep, and I MUST drink more water.

Goal 3: Marketing & PR - get together list of contact information for relevant blogs, industry people, and new collaborators.

Goal 4: Education - Read up on music industry blogs to stay current, inspired, and informed. I know I could do more with bloggers, but just haven't focussed on them enough.

Goal 5: Musicianship - Commit several hours a week for listening to new & old music, learning new music software.

Goal 6: Socializing - Hang out with family & friends, meet new people (online and offline), and communicate on and off-line the newest and coolest things I'm doing as a trail-blazing singer-songwriter.


And the Biggie! Goal 7!
Complete my 50 albums in 50 months challenge!



UNDERSTANDING
I'm asking myself a reflective question now. So you might want to skip away for a minute, put the kettle on, multi-task maybe? I feel the need to comprehend. Why did I begin back in April 2007 releasing a new album every month? When I reached 12 albums in 12 months, I thought that I would explode - mentally, emotionally, creatively. A lot of my muscian friends thought I was crazy; many thought it impossible. I agreed with them, but decided to plough on regardless. So much time, so much committment! But when I got to 12 albums in 12 months I didn't explode. The impulse and addiction was still as strong as ever! I carried on. So I set a new goal: 24 albums in 24 months! I'd been there already, for a whole year. It was a thirst. I had to quench it. Like a man in a desert searching for his next drink. Yes! 24 in 24! So, what about 36 albums in 36 months? I was up for it! And I achieved it in March 2010!

In my mind's eye, the goal-setting Ariel writes about had already grown to enormous proportions. What on earth was I thinking when I set myself another seemingly impossible goal of continuing to write, record, and release 50 albums in 50 months?

Now that's a question I have been trying to figure for a while. You think I'd be happy, right? Job done? Retire away somewhere in a mountain retreat and... hmmm. One problem: The Tweaks!

Gotta keep going. Like a long distance runner! Gotta keep going. I love the feeling of completing each album. A lot of people love what I'm doing, new material every month, for free!

Now what does the complete addict do when he says he's going to quit, but really knows he never will? If he's honest, he knows he just has to keep on, keeping on, just to see what's around that next experiential corner, right?

Bingo! Well, I now know why I signed up for the Music Success in Nine Weeks challenge. You see, I'm curious to see if all of my previous internet music success, which thus far I have mostly initiated alone (but crucially relied on others to support and spread the word), can be taken to another level.

I'm curious to what may lie around the corner of the Music Success in Nine Weeks Challenge. I know for sure that I owe my musical heritage and influences to those who have gone before me. But what I am doing with my music is truly unique. It's my unique selling point (USP). No, I don't have a unique sound that's impossible to describe. My music is steeped in history, owes its very existence to those musicians who have inspired me all my life.

But, musically, I know one thing for sure: I am an explorer, whose goal is to find undiscovered songwriting territory, to create lasting Art, in the 21st Century, by pushing myself further than any songwriter has ever pushed in the history of songwriting in such a short span of time.

50 albums in 50 months? No-one! No-one on the face of this planet has ever been there! Write, record, release! Every month. For 50 months. That's one huge mountain of a goal, right?

Although achieving over 100 album releases since 1976, over 2.5 million plays/listens/streams on the internet, and almost 1 million free downloads, is pretty substantial, I can't stop. In spite of the Tweaks.


IMPACTING
Tweaks aside, (and getting slightly serious for a moment), I'll not deny, I want to know if I can climb that mountain, reach that summit of 50 albums in 50 months. Some days I feel like Neil Armstrong or the Wright Bros. Seriously. It's been a long, hard road. Other days I sound like Homer Simpson: doh! For three and half years now, I have flown this Album-A-Month Man flag. 42 new, original albums written in 42 months. Now, as my good friend Mark Ty-Wharton (aka Mark Tinley) says: it's time to create an impact!

The Music Success in Nine Weeks challenge is going to create that impact, that final push for the summit. As my main goal that's why I'm doing the challenge - to complete 50 in 50 months, and let as many people know about my remarkable journey as possible!

See you next time, for Week 2: Your Perfect Pitch.

40,000 youtube plays for Sean Wright's Billy Ray's Circus Of Life

Remember a month back I wrote about zzimu.com in Russia! They are featuring several of my songs to promo their online platform games. http://www.zzima.com/dragonica/

One of the songs promo clips on youtube has now reach over 40,000 plays. The speeded up track still makes me laugh. Don't forget to check out the original, too:

Billy Ray's Circus Of Life by Sean Wright, featuring Yvalain:




ORIGINAL VIDEO:

Sean Wright's "Beautiful World" Jamendo No.#1 For Month of October

Thanks to everyone who helped make "Beautiful World" Jamendo's No.#1 single for the Month of October 2010.

It's been a great year! With two previous No.#1 singles on Jamendo, ("Billy Ray's Circus Of Life" featuring Yvalain & "You're Calling Mgesso Watsowsen" co-written with Makwabid) I feel really honoured by the fantastic support.

"Beautiful World" encapsulates a deep heartfelt emotion of the precious, beauty of our world. It takes me back to my earliest influences - Hall & Oates, Neil Young, and The Beatles.

Free music for professional licensing

Sean T Wright Talks With The Living Archive Of Undeground Music

I recently talked about my early experiences with Don Campau of The Living Archive Of Underground Music.

I worked in construction as a labourer, digging holes in the ground with a Jackhammer, 7 days a week, all the hours I could get. I eventually got together enough money to buy pro studio time in a happening new wave/punk studio called Spaceward, recording my first single, released in 1978 on 45rpm vinyl, called "Strange Situation." I sent it to John Peel and... Read more here.