A number of musicians have asked what it is that bloggers, DJs and radio producers are looking for in the tunes that people send them. Which is another way of asking “why hasn’t MY latest masterpiece been given the attention it deserves” and the short answer is that the competition out there is f***ing ferocious. Most musicians have no concept of just how much other music those bloggers, DJs and radio producers are being bombarded with every week.
Fresh On The Net – a relatively small music blog – receives 100-200 tracks every Monday to Thursday. Another 200 CDs arrive by post each week – far more than I could possibly listen to – and dozens more tracks arrive from other Introducing shows via the BBC Uploader. So just imagine the tsunami of music that engulfs high-profile DJs like Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens and John Kennedy on a daily basis.
So back to those 100-200 tracks that arrive here in our inbox – what kind of music do people send us? Well, a surprising number of radio friendly singles, honed over long hours and weeks into something that sounds expensive, modern and just like everything else on the airwaves. Every rough edge has been smoothed, every quirk ironed out. We hear a lot of arrangements that set off on musical tramlines so predictable you can guess – within seconds – exactly where they’ll end up in three and a half minutes’ time, and every calling point they’ll make along the way.
There’s a lot of bands that sound like Interpol. Or Editors. Or Joy Division/Echo & The Bunnymen. Or Blink 182 or The Buzzcocks. Or Mumford & Sons. Or Gogol Bordello. Or Arctic Monkeys. A lot of tracks by singer-songwriters noodling at a piano – or fingerpicking triads on an acoustic guitar – while lifelessly warbling cliched rhymes about their love lives for five minutes at a time. A lot of homegrown singers emoting up and down the blues scale in fake american accents, and belting out threadbare rockabilly or bogstandard Americana. And that’s before you get to the absolute beginners – and deluded ex musos old enough to know better – mumbling lofi nonsense into an elderly cassette recorder.
And all this is exactly as it should be. From sports to sciences, learning a language to playing an instrument – the only way to get good at something is to start out bad and keep going. It took the Beatles four years of playing Chuck Berry covers in Hamburg before they even began to write songs that took over the world. Unless you’re bloody Mozart, any serious artist has to write and complete a huge amount of truly awful music on their way to greatness. And if you don’t have enough selfbelief to be certain your latest awful track is quite wonderful, then you aren’t a serious artist.
Which is why we welcome those 200 tracks a week here at Fresh On The Net – because what we offer artists is a chance to find out objectively how far they’ve got along that road. Each week’s FOTN moderators (“Freshmods”) will listen to every single track then approve one or two favourites for the Listening Post that weekend.
We can’t possibly give individual feedback on the 10,000 tracks a year we receive (though individual moderators occasionally post an encouraging personal comment such as “ooh nice vocal” while listening). But you can be certain that anywhere up to a dozen of us – including me – will listen to your song, and if even one of us adores it then we’ll pass it on for our readers to hear over the weekend on our Listening Post.
We sometimes hear artists moan about their local BBC Introducing show only playing “their own personal taste” in music genres. Although this is hugely frustrating for bands working in other genres, it’s no different anywhere else: instinctive taste is all that any music curator can ever go on. Try sending Bluegrass to Zane Lowe on Radio 1 or metal to Late Junction on Radio 3. At my own station BBC 6 Music, it’s what they DON’T play that makes Stuart Maconie, Tom Ravenscroft and Jarvis Cocker such essential listening.
Nonetheless here at FOTN we do our best to be scruplously fair when sifting through our inbox, and every FreshMod has their own way of doing it. Mine is to make a list, and mark each track as YES, NO or MAYBE with a brief note for my own reference. I then go painstakingly back through the list, pick my own three finalists for the Listening Post, and a further dozen for my BBC Introducing Mixtape.
What kind of track gets a YES from me? Something exceptional. Something surprising. Something that jumps out of the speakers and grabs me by the ears. Freshness. Focus. Energy – or maybe a better word is Intensity – because slow quiet songs can have it in spades just as much as fast, rowdy ones. Daring. Risk. Truth. Eloquence. Originality. Or maybe something well-worn that we’ve heard before, but reimagined in a new and unique way. Or a track so daft and off the wall it’s completely irresistible. Mostly though, it’s beyond words – something that within ten seconds makes you go “YES – this is the real deal!!!” without even thinking about any of the above.
Any way you slice it, it’s always painful to whittle down 200 songs to less than twenty, and I have to rely on my private one-line reviews to remember all the contenders. Those comments – good or bad – are never passed on to the artists. But for what it’s worth here’s a fictional set worth of notes about non-existent acts to convey the sheer amount of listening involved on a weekly basis.
YES – in bold. POSSIBLES in italic. Everything else in plain type. (F) = female vocalist.
1) COMPETENT BUT JUST DULL RETREAD
2) YAWN – JUST WASHED OVER ME
3) (F?) HAS SOMETHING DESPITE DREARY TEMPO, BUT NO INFO & HEAVILY HYPED BY INDUSTRY
4) NICELY PECULIAR BUT OVERLONG – WAIT & SEE IF THEY UPLOAD THE NEW SINGLE
5) OKAY ROCKABILLY, USEABLE
6) NO – FAST ENERGETIC RETRO TRAD AMERICANA-TINGED ROCK. DULL
7) OK LANDFILL INDIE
8) DULL, AND TEDIOUS RETREAD – NO
9) OKAY NEIL YOUNG – QUITE SHORT
10) JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH AGAINST TODAY’S COMPETITION
11) QUITE NICE BEATS, GETS ON WITH IT, DECENT LYRIC/VOCAL
12) YES – DECENT THOUGHTFUL PROG INDIE
13) YES – ACOUSTIC DECENT FOCUS/ENERGY
14) DREARY MIDTEMPO NONSENSE
15) YES – GREAT BEATZ, ODD VOCAL SAMPLES
16) NO, WASHED OVER ME
17) DULL SWEET SOUL R&B
18) NO, WASHED OVER ME
19) NO, PEDESTRIAN
20) MAYBE COMPETENT TIGHT ROCK BAND, DIFFERENT ENOUGH (JUST)
21) (F-M) NO, AMATEUR HOUR
22) A BIT DULL & REPETITIVE
23) YES – BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT – ALL OVER THE PLACE BUT ORIGINAL & SHORT
24) DECENT ELECTRO RAP RINGING THE CHANGES – ITS DIFFERENT
25) JUST WASHED OVER ME
26) (F) RAWK GROOVE HORRIBLE MANNERED VOCAL
27) MAYBE – PREFAB SPROUT WITH BEATZ
28) YES – ACCEPTABLE TOWNSHIP POP
29) DANCE/TRANCE NONSENSE
30) YES – ACOUSTIC ORIGINAL LYRIC ABOUT CHEESE, NICE HARMONIES
31) MIDTEMPO NONSENSE
32) DEFINITE NO
33) NONSENSE WITH BEATZ
34) (F) ACOUSTIC AMY WINEHOUSE
35) BOGSTANDARD SYNTHPOP BACKBEAT
36) (F) YES SEMI ACOUSTIC EPIC
37) ACCEPTABLE INDIE DREAM GTR PSYCHEDELIA
38) YES ODD TIME SIGNATURE, UNEXPECTED/MEMORABLE GTR RIFFS
39) NO – ELECTROSWING AGAINST SQUARE BACKBEAT – AAAGH
40) FINGERPICK ELECTRIC CLICHE
41) BRONSKI FALSETTO, A BIT INSIPID
42) LONGISH, MIDTEMPO, POSS ENDER
43) WONKY POP FROM GRAVESEND
44) VERY PLEASANT SHUFFLING ELIOT SMITH
45) R1 STYLE SONGWRITING DONE REALLY WELL
46) YES – SPARSE SCOTS ELEC FINGERPICKING SWING. PROPER SONGWRITING
47) YES – SLOW LONG DRAMATIC EPIC ELECTRO
48) SUPERB, THOUGHTFUL RAP, TOP BEATZ – A WINNER
49) WORTHY CAUSE, GOOD NAME. RHYTMLESS REVERBY DRONING AND CHANTING.
50) INDUSTRIAL LOOP, SEMI PENGUIN CAFE PASTORAL WITH SFX, POSSIBLE ENDER
51) COMMERCIAL BUT LIKEABLE ACCESSIBLE ELO POP VOCALS, DAFT LYRIC
52) NICE FAST ELEC PICKING W BEATZ. RATHER DREARY VOC BUT POSS OK ON BALANCE?
53) NOT UPLOADED TO BBC INTRODUCING – CAN’T PLAY
54) STRINGS AND NAIVE VOC BIG PRODN. WIDESCREEN REPETITIVE BUT HYPNOTIC. USEABLE
55) DULL CLICHED RIFFING AND RAWK VOC
56) (F) INSUBSTANTIAL ELECTRO REPETITIVE NOODLING AND WITTERING. NO REAL SONG
57) FAST BOGSTANDARD C-F-G COUNTRY BACKBEAT. COMPETENT, UTTERLY DERIVATIVE. FUCK OFF.
58) DARK JOY DIV INTERPOL DOORS PRETENTIOUS DECLAIMING VOCAL. FUCK OFF
59) PROTO MARC BOLAN SNEERY NASAL VOCAL. MERCIFULLY SHORT
60) FAST GREENDAY GTR BACKBEAT SUPERGRASS/BLUEBELLS. DULL DULL DULL
61) (F )PIANO BOTHERER. WIMPY WARBLING. LIFELESS AND DREADFUL
62) MORE INTERPOL LITE/A LOT OF HARD WORK. GTRS LESS CLICHED BUT STILL NO REAL SONG
63) (F) TRAD RETREAD, SOUL – RHYMES ZERO WITH HERO. PROFESSIONAL BUT UNINTERESTING
64) YES – OSCILLATOR NOISE OVER FALL BACKBEAT. STRANGE SCOTS DECLAIMING
65) YES (F) SPACEY DX7 80S PRODN, QUITE ARRESTING, UNLIKE EVERYTHING ELSE
66) GUYS THAT THINK THEY’RE V.U. OR J.DIVISION. JUST DRONES ON & ON – DREARY.
67) HOT CLUB VIOLIN UNUSUAL SUBJECT MATTER. USEABLE, THOUGH MUCH TOO LONG.
68) (F) DOORS BASSLINE. VOCAL MELODY UP+DOWN THE BLUES SCALE. NO.
69) NORTHERN RAPPER – NICE LYRICAL CONTENT BUT HIS TIMING IS ALL OVER THE PLACE
70) MIDTEMPO SONGWRITER: ENUF SURPRISES/TEXTURE TO SUSTAIN INTEREST BUT NO INFO
71) YES FAST REVERBY JAMC – DECENT SHOEGAZE POP
72) NO – HAMFISTED ELECTRO DEXYS
73) DIFFUSE SELFINDULGENT LOW ENERGY NONSENSE
74) INDISTINCT AND DULL ONE-NOTE DRONE GROOVE WITH KITCHEN SINK THROWN IN
75) GOOD MOTOTRING GROOVE, BUT 4:45 LONG, AFTER 1 MIN IN IT’S HARD TO GIVE A TOSS
76) LIKED HIS SOLO STUFF BUT THIS IS ALL OVER THE PLACE
77) TWEE ACOUSTIC SWING, NAÏVE PREACHY LYRICS, JUST GRATES AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES
78) ENERGETIC LOFI 2 MINS LONG, KINDA CHARMING BUT TOO MUCH OTHER, BETTER MUSIC
79) AUTHENTIC CONVINCING MOTORING ROCK
80) WARM LIKEABLE, UK SOUL – LIKE A NICER LEWIS TAYLOR
81) VOCAL & BACKING GENERIC AND NOT IN A PRETTY WAY
82) NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH TO WAIT FOR IT TO GET BETTER
83) GOOD START, DIDN’T DELIVER ON PROMISE
84) HORRID HARMONICA ACROSS SLOW TREMOLO GUITAR, THEY SEEM TO HAVE LOST THE PLOT
85) PORTENTOUS NEO-PROFOUND BOLLOCKS, TURGID AND TEDIOUS. FUCK OFF
86) NO, AMATEUR NONSENSE.
87) VERY LONG SIX MINUTE INSTRUMENTAL THAT DID NOTHING FOR ME
88) NO, BUT WROTE HIM AN ENCOURAGING MESSAGE ON HIS SOUNDCLOUD
89) (F) SPARSE DEMO, DECENT SINGER, BIT OF A NOTHING SONG
90) WELLMADE COMMERCIAL POP WITH COMPETENT MARVIN GAYE STYLE VOCAL
91) YES – PSB STYLE VOICEOVER AND MEMORABLE ELECTRO BACKING
92) (F) PERFECTLY GOOD U2ISH ROCK PLAYED WITH CONVICTION, BIIIG SOUND, MAYBE..
93) EXPENSIVE SOUNDING PRODUCTION. R1 POP VOCAL MANNERISMS. NO
94) SOMEBODY MIGHT WELL LOVE THIS, BUT IT AINT ME
95) ZERO INFO, NOT EVEN A URL. FUCK EM.
96) SELFCONSCIOUSLY WEIRD. AFTER 3 MINS IT WEARS THIN AND GETS DULL
97) FECKIN GREAT PIANIOEY AMBIENT SOUNDSCAPES, BUT WE CAN’T KEEP ON PLAYING HER
98) PRETTY GOOD, BUT WE PLAY EM LOADS AND CANT DO EVERYTHING FOR EM. NEED TO LEAVE ROOM FOR NEW ARTISTS WHO HAVENT HAD A CHANCE YET
99) NO
100) LONG & DREARY RETRO PSYCHEDELIA
101) JUST WASHED OVER ME. PERFECTLY PLEASANT NOISE. NOTHING TO HOLD ONTO.
102) INTERESTING SHORT RAP – OFF KEY (F) BACKING VOC SAMPLE
103) PLEASANT VOCALS, HARMONIC SURPRISE IN CHORUS, BUT AT 4:21 ITS JUST TOO DIFFUSE
104) NICE CONVINCING MOTORING GROOVE, LOVELY PRODN, UTTERLY UNORIGINAL, DOESN’T SUSTAIN 5 MINS IN LENGTH
105) UNUSUAL, GREAT ENERGY, BUT GRATING SOUND. SONGWRITING DOESN’T MAKE UP FOR IT
106) AMAZING ROGER CHAPMAN LIKE VOICE, CONVINCING PERFORMANCE, WEAK SONG
107) (F) COMPETENT BUT NOT GREAT. THE SONGWRITING JUST DOESN’T ENGAGE
108) COMPETENT PEDESTRIAN SONGWRITING. CLUNKY CLICHÉ LYRIC STANDARD MELODY. NO.
109) NORWICH/NASHVILLE CONNECTED SONGWRITER. SEND TO BOB HARRIS AT R2
110) CLUNKY PUNK ROCK RECYCLING SAME OLD SAME OLD.
111) NICKED OFF STONE ROSES, PERFECTLY TIGHT BAND, BUT DULL & DERIVATIVE
112) GOOD TIGHT RIFF, CONVINCING RAWK VOCAL, SONG ITSELF QUICKLY GOES OFF BOIL
113) 28 SECS OF CLICHED RIFFING BEFORE CLICHED VOCAL. NO DISCERNIBLE MERIT
114) OK BAND, UNMEMORABLE LOW ENERGY SONG
115) DULL
116) WORTHY BUT A A BIT DULL, LACKS HER NORMAL ENERGY & SPONTANAEITY
117) CONVINCING GOSPEL PIANO 6/8 – FORWARD TO BOB HARRIS
118) MUNDANE LITERAL ACCOUNT OF 90S OVER STRUMMED GUITAR
119) EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD PROG
120) GOOD SOUND, BUT WEAK SONG & VOCS. MAYBE
121) LIKEABLE SKA
122) YES – ANOTHER KILLER GROOVE: WHY DONT OTHERS DON’T LIKE AS MUCH AS ME?
123) NOT UPLOADED TO BBC INTRODUCING, CAN’T PLAY
124) DECENT RIFFAGE & LIKEABLE UPFRONT VOCAL. WEAKENED BY “COMMERCIAL” CHORUS
125) ERSATZ JOHNNY CASH, LONDON AMERICANA – NOT BAD
126) (F) PRETTY GOOD, HAVE WE PLAYED EM ALREADY?
127) EXCEPTIONAL LYRICS AND CHORDS, RECORD OF THE WEEK
128) COULDNT REMOTELY IMAGINE HEARING THIS ON THE RADIO
129) 2.22 (F) DREAMY SHORT SOLO ACOUSTICA
130) LOOPED ACOUSTIC GTR, ERSATZ LEONARD COHEN
131) DECENT RAP WITH GREAT 80S FUNK BACKING
132) AMAZING RICH DEEP MASIVE WIDESCREEN EPIC. A BIT RADIOHEAD
133) ENCOURAGE EM WITH S/CLOUD MESSAGE: INTERESTING. BUT NOT THERE YET
134) OUTA TIME OUTA TUNE YET IT HANGS TOGETHER IN A LOOSE ZITA SWOON KINDA WAY
135) DONE WELL IN AN EDDIE VEDDER KIND OF WAY, BUT NOT QUITE PERSUADED
136) EXCEPTIONAL – AN INSTANT YES
137) CLUNKY EXECUTION 50S PASTICHE, BUT OK WRITING
138) A BIT DULL BUT WORTHY – BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT?
139) YES – EXHUBERANT ENERGY & MOMENTUM MAKES UP FOR LACK OF ORIGINALITY
140) FUCKING GREAT, UNUSUAL. NOT UPLOADED TO BBC INTRODUCING
Needless to say, all the above are a) fictional and b) typical snap judgements made by one man, in haste: I could easily be wrong and frequently am. Just because a track doesn’t appeal to me personally doesn’t mean it isn’t any good, or that it won’t later go viral on YouTube and sell by the bucketload. The FreshMods frequently point out great tracks I’ve overlooked and my producer at 6 Music sometimes has to curb my enthusiasm when a track turns out to be less great than I thought on first hearing…
The biggest shame is that our blog can only fit 25 tracks onto each Listening Post and the BBC only gives me an hour for each Introducing Mixtape. Spare a thought for all those MAYBE tracks – the many good tunes by worthwhile artists that we simply don’t have room to include each week. Longterm though, a really good song is always going to stand an artist in good stead – regardless of whether it appeals to this particular blog. We are only one among many, and everybody’s taste is different.
Most of all we hope that when your track does get picked for the Listening Post, the Fresh Faves and/or the Introducing Mixtape it’ll confirm that you’re doing something right – and your songwriting has begun to stand out from the pack. What you do with that information is up to you: we can’t make you famous – only you can achieve that, if that’s your goal. But we can certainly cheer you on your way.
Hi Tom,
Could I hear No. 85 please?
Great Post 🙂
Mark x
I’m not a moderator, but my experience with the Listening Post is like a compacted version of Tom’s selection process: I rate all the tracks, make notes and still end up with twice as many as I need. I know what it’s like to have months / years of work trashed in what might seem like a spiteful review, so I always try to be fair, but it’s all subjective in the end.
So, if artists are ever mystified, they should participate in the Listening Post and tear their own hair out trying to get 25 tracks down to 5, then consider how their own work would stand up if they’d never heard it before, and had a mountain of more tracks to go. Plus, hey, you might find something you really like! 🙂
Really useful thanks Tom I shall be uploading my new song next week.
Great post even better pictures and number 140 had me laughing so hard. Crazy how people still miss that.
Still working on Great, Tom!
Still working on Great!
We’ll get there.
The LP is unique & personally I believe the FF’s to be the least biased selection based playlist in the country.
BTW Working on #136 right now!
😉
(May take a while this one!)
Ape Love to Team Freshnet ?
Dan B-) xo
Sorry! My browser changed a Heart to a question mark. Wtf!
Now I’m even more nervous than ever about sending in my music to FOTN.
This article just confirmed all my thoughts/fears/truths about the selection process,and at the same time made me laugh out loud.
I think if you just enjoy what you do,what you write,how you produce your sound,and don’t try and mimic anyone,your being honest to yourself.
My thinking is that Tom’s way way way too old and experienced to be fooled into playing something that’s not good enough 😉
Our new track is awaiting upload.
Yours Sincerely
Deluded x.
second photo is brilliant, sums up many a woe;)
Tom
Great post
We felt shamed into putting some biog on the uploader (though that wont make our songs any better)
I’m sure everyone agrees that we are really lucky to have a place where you know what you do will get listened to
cheers
TBS
@TheBigSun Thanks for that – and of course the point of supplying a biog (ie some kind of “story”) isn’t that it will make your music sound any better.
The message of the above post is the competition out there is f***ing ferocious and that to make it onto anyone’s YES list these days, your track has to be absolutely exceptional. The Big Sun can feel a tad smug about this, having indeed sent us several absolutely exceptional tracks over the years.
But on the above list there are still more YESES than the 15 slots available in an hour-long radio show. Suppose we’ve whittled down those YESES and now have just two equally amazing tracks competing for that final 15th place.
One band’s homepage supplies a funny, surreal backstory that listeners will love hearing read out on air. The other has four words on Facebook: “Indie rock from Scotland”. Which one of these equally great pieces of music will get the last slot? Hmmm… tough call.
Don’t just take my word for it that Band Two is shooting themselves in the foot. Here’s Bethan Elfyn…
one sure quick cure for smugness is regularly submitting your stuff to FOTN for objective appraisal 🙂
you’re right of course what you know about a band does generate visual imagery when you listen to their work and can enhance or detract quite a lot…
The process moderating can be hard some times. But I think we all have fun and we enjoy doing it. I remember on day that we received a song from a singer-songwriter with that peculiar voice, you know? I sent an email to all freshmods: Hey! The Housemartins submitted this week! They all probably thought I was crazy. That singer had the same exact voice of Housemartin’s vocalist, but God, what a song! Wonderful. And yes 🙂 he made the Fresh Faves.
Funny and great article, Tom.
I had to laugh while reading the fictitious reviews for the 140 tracks, I reckon they perfectly describe the music we have been producing over the last two years. Apart from no.98 of course. Thanks for helping us to understand how the selection process works
Hey Tom
Did it ever occur to you that people like you and we artists are doing all the work these days that labels used to do?
They used to find new talent and then promote it!
Now we do it, but they still get paid for it and taking the majority of our money for doing nothing. And then they wonder why people stop buying records… lol
Another cracking article Tom.
I’ve only just seen this and I have to say flippin’ chuckled a lot….I have had a few ginger beers mind of the alcoholic kind…oh I sound all ‘Famous Five/Enid Blyton’!
Its just your photos that cracked me up…the
1st It looks like your a grand master chess player waiting to make ya next move
2nd Looks like you climbed half way up Everest, got sunburnt then the weather changed dramatically so ya had to return to base camp…..OR you were saving ya last strawberry centred Cadbury Creme for a special moment only to find some bugga had pinched it
3rd You’re traumatised to realise your wife has parcelled off your leopard print ear muffs to the local charity shop
4th Don’t play conkers when drunk
No. 85 had me in tears from laughing! and I don’t know why No.99 made me laugh even harder….simply ‘no’
Honestly though…….Its a priveledge to go through the tracks (when I can) that come in but if you heard the language that often comes from my front room while listening….utterly appalling…my mother would be shocked…..don’t get me wrong theres some bloody incredible music which blows me away…but all that you’ve written above rings true and has really brightened my evening…..along with the (alcholic) ginger beer x
One of the best written, most informative, passionate and honest pieces of advice ever to be placed on the web – ESSENTIAL reading for every aspiring musician, manager, plugger or PR – puts everything in context. Superb!
Extremely useful advice Tom, many thanks. Inspiration to us all… And we must all keep playing!
Yeah great piece….though one thing I still don’t get is: HOW DO YOU VOTE ? I have been asked this question by quite a few people as well (Sorry, word has gotten out that my song is on this weeks mixtape…)
Voting on our latest Listening Post is pretty simple. If you’re reading this on a laptop or PC anytime between Friday afternoon & Sunday afternoon, there’s a big red box at the top right hand side of the page that says “Come & rate these tracks on our Listening Post”. (On a phone or tablet that box is at the bottom of the page). We’d be very glad if you could drop by and tell us your favourite five tracks this week – or any week!
But there’s no voting involved with the BBC Introducing Mixtape, and the fact that you’re on it this week isn’t meant to be a secret. It was actually broadcast to 6 Music listeners all over the country last weekend!
Great! That’s exactly why I value this idea behind the Listenig-Posts. Taking into consideration that a handful of experts is committed to listen to a piece of music and compares it to others to take an informed decision encourages a Newcomer to carry on … or at least it should encourage her/him.
Those experts spend their time and enthusiasm … burn it? 😉 … and leave comments to carry on soundly …
sorry for my humble English 🙂
I’ll pass this on to clients and managed artists. They do seem utterly unaware at times how hard it is to get heard on air. I’m one of those bloody PR’s that takes their money and spends my hours trawling the Internet for new ways in, finding opportunities and doing my best to do the crap they hate doing. It’s at times soul destroying. But not as much as it is for the creative who has spent so much time gestating and birthing the masterpiece. It’s my job though. Maybe should have stayed in radio…That didn’t pay either.