no one wants to hear your depressing music

famfu

New member
Have been starting songs with no direction, no influence,
and they have been coming out with lyrics about death and walking a solitary path, etc.
Not emo. started 3 songs. all are dark as fuck. one I will finish mixing today.

I don't want my image to be depressing or my music to be centered around that.
If the first music I put out is dark, does that shoot me in the foot for growing an audience who would like my other music but not my darker stuff.

I have found a new sound and style as I aged,

and still trying to figure out what that is.
 
If the first music I put out is dark, does that shoot me in the foot for growing an audience who would like my other music but not my darker stuff.

I'm sorry but I put this in the category of someone thinking way too hard, way too early.
You sound like "putting something out" is going to expose you to a fan-base of eight million souls who will love you and follow you be greatly disappointed when you switch musical styles.

lol

Like you will craft this super-mega-image and perform as that persona...and...make videos....and do meet and greets and album signings and one day decide to just 'give it all up' and switch sides. And be hated for it- called a sell out. Accused of being fake and run out of the country. Made to live in exile in a third-world country where your only friend is a goat named Louis that you keep tied up in the back of the shack you're illegally squatting in.

Putting something out is meaningless unless you're talking record label involvement. In that case, you'd already be living whatever persona you crafted. As an artist, whatever you chose to be would be more than a passing phase. You can write anything you want. But, be is something else entirely.

For a quick fix, I say write whatever you want and make whatever records you want. If you are going DIY, then you can adopt several personas and be whoever/whatever you want to be on that record/project/album. Yep, be the depressed guy as artist XYZ and be the 'other guy' named artist ABCD. [and you could do label deals separately for each entity]

As far as audiences go, you're imagining world wide success- where EVERYONE knows you at once. To be honest those fans wouldn't be mixing together in one show. Rarely happens like that enough for you to be worried.
You should be performing in front of your intended audience as best you can.


At such an early stage, you're probably still a generic-themed rapper, so you can say in your show "This is a dark record coming up" or "this is the part of the show where I get real deep and heavy" And be heavy in tone and say "Now to lighten things up, here's some joints about...."

Audiences are grown up and varied enough to accept whatever you create as sides.
Those sides would have to be in direct conflict to be an issue- and that would truly mean you were faking it with one of them.

Write and create what you feel as you feel it. Never shut down an creative urge. If this is a phase, you might regret not capturing your outlook - when you were living and feeling it so deeply.

Create you art first. Worry later.
Especially since this is all mental and not money.
 
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Thank you Griffin, you make some very good points and I appreciate the time you put into your response. I have re read several times.
I started as a rapper at 17, stopped rapping and just sang hooks for rapper friends and provided the beats and mixing. and then now, at 35 years old, believe I have found the style and music I love to make and hear, a rock/synth/metal? who knows what? vibe.

I should have been more specific...

i do plan on aggressively pursuing a music career, through, releasing/PUTTING OUT music.


i have 15 finished tracks in my new style and want to totally disconnect from my old hiphop image and music. I want an introduction as a new artist.

YOU ARE RIGHT, I AM overthinking this. no one will listen to me and no one will care what I am saying. Just make what I like and am inspired to make at the time.

I WATCHED A PHILIP SOLO video, "look at the slit of the wrist". too emo and the name was blacklisted in my subconscious. then later I hear him again and i like his new music. I understand this and this is not my issue.

My issue is. all my finished songs are dark and the ones in the works are lighter and more uplifting.

Do I just release it as it is made or do I plan out... ok 4 feel good tracks and then hit them with the I killed my girlfriend song. my dad just died song and my pet just shit on the carpet song. (i have not made any of those songs)

One last thing. do you think a "I dont care what anyone thinks, I just make music for me" attitude, is needed to create the best music possible?
Or could someone who overthinks everything, and creates partially for an audience, create music on a similar high creative and appealing level?

Thanks again.
 
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This is so not true in my case, I've learned to capitalize on my darker songs. You just gotta do it with a thought out concept that's relatable. You can't just talk about darkness with no real message, once you got your message you gotta think of ways to make it resonate stronger through delivery and lyrics.

This is one of my songs that's dark and did pretty well. The song was about addiction, the concept was a addict dies of a overdose in the first verse, in the second verse the father finds him dead and kills himself, then in the final verse I tie it in to a message of "it's never too late to end your destructive habits". I was going for portraying the true dark side of addiction, how it effects addicts, and how that effects family.

Feel free to check it out:

https://www.facebook.com/CGKid219/videos/318965901780302/


If you scroll through my page you'll notice my darker songs are my top performers. "Fuck Love" for instance was a really dark song, but it did really well. Another thing I've learned about dark songs, people love transparency - give them the brutal truth and say it like you mean it.

I think Immortal Technique "Dance With The Devil" is a song that's dark AF but has a amazing concept so it went viral! With dark music I feel concept is really important.
 
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I think you can make great music with either attitude you listed. As long as overthinking doesn't get in the way of actually making the songs. On the other note, I would release them as they come as long as you're not planning an album. The dark songs will resonate with people that feel that way. The uplifting songs will cater to a broad audience. I like a lot of dark songs even if I'm not in a dark mood.
 
CG Kid, i checked out some of your tunes. interesting stuff, keep working and im sure you will have success one day.

seems like you have a little message before the song starts. I like the explaining the song, do you think that asking the viewer to share and like is working well and not coming off spammy?
sort of made me think more about the face book page then the artist and song i was about to hear. I never thought of including a message like that before a video, but then again i do not want to be a huge personality, rather just a lot of good music, consistently released. HOPEFULLY!

As long as overthinking doesn't get in the way of actually making the songs. On the other note, I would release them as they come as long as you're not planning an album

overthinking was a huge problem for me. i always was planning for an audience and an album and a video and a show.

This post I started proves I am still overthinking.

I am in a weird place where instead of having an image and ego from where the music is coming, I am trying to just make a beat,
make a chorus to that beat with nothing influencing it at all. say what ever I want and how ever I am feeling.

and I must say, I have never been happier with the creative output.

STILL UNSURE IF i SHOULD release each song as it is finished, or finish ten songs and then drop an album or single?

but I have two new finished tracks. one about how I destroyed my ex, and one about how dark a place I am living in after losing everyone and everything.
 
I, personally, think artists should have a mix of "dark" and "not dark" songs. There is more than one emotion in life so there should be songs signifying more than one emotion. I also tend to respect artists who can do both more.
 
this is a dark song i made.

also posted it in song review section here...

https://www.futureproducers.com/forums/production-techniques/showcase-your-music-give-and-receive-feedback-/rock-metal-pop-music/dark-weird-short-song-529602/#post50023715

I am going to try to be the only person left on the planet, making music only for me.
and I have no idea what that sound will be, but I am a dark and sometimes evil, mutha fucka. I am interested to see what comes out of this and plan to just make as much music as i can for how ever long i live.
 
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Lots of people make music only for themselves and while that's not a bad thing eventually you'll long for an audience.
 
Yes you are right and I cannot deny the inner voice asking what they will think. Drown it with alcohol.
This latest track is for sure for sure just for me. written about my first true love.
 
Have been starting songs with no direction, no influence,
and they have been coming out with lyrics about death and walking a solitary path, etc.
Not emo. started 3 songs. all are dark as fuck. one I will finish mixing today.

I don't want my image to be depressing or my music to be centered around that.
If the first music I put out is dark, does that shoot me in the foot for growing an audience who would like my other music but not my darker stuff.

I have found a new sound and style as I aged,

and still trying to figure out what that is.

I'll try to keep it as short as possible. At first (like the guy at the top said) keep going no matter what, but most importantly, stay congruent to whatever you FEEL like creating, because your first fans will be the people you personally know, so automatically you will have more credibility as an artist, so people will feel that they can follow you, because you are who you are, you get me?. It took Kendrick Lamar 10 years to be where he is right now lol. But my point is, he had something to say, so don't shy away from expressing your biggest problems and feelings in a listenable manner, it takes major balls to TRULY express yourself.
 
had to remove video, youtube link not working, so i am putting it back in post. not spamming. lol

 
I've listened to your song She Died. I think there actually is an audience for this. I mean I've seen bands/groups/producers play this style at festivals and they would gather a crowd bigger than the crowds on black friday with a 99% sale offering. Keep on doing what you do, you'll gather audience. By the way, the videoclip is simple, yet very cool. Something that would work great for visuals during a show. Just saying.
 
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but that can still be depressive i am not knocking but i put my life in my music as well but sometimes you need that to pick you up and out of the rut you might be going thur
 
true but before you jump out there trying to get a hit for the people you have to make music for self that you believe in it yourself
 
I've listened to your song She Died. I think there actually is an audience for this. I mean I've seen bands/groups/producers play this style at festivals and they would gather a crowd bigger than the crowds on black friday with a 99% sale offering. Keep on doing what you do, you'll gather audience. By the way, the videoclip is simple, yet very cool. Something that would work great for visuals during a show. Just saying.

ya that would make a decent show background for sure.

This "style" can gather an audience.. I aM interested to see what the audience would/will be? I remember back when i was 18 and made alot of hip hop songs, some super dark, one on bandcamp right now called "waiting to die" 3 dark ass verses and I was 18, AND I REMEMBER my buddies girlfriend who was always in the studio went ape shit over my dark songs and she was always bumping them in her ride. an audience i did not expect.

Thanks for the feedback. just finished another one and after a mix polish will go up on this famfu youtube channel I'd like some feedback on that as well. its called. "young man devil" another dark one but the beat is a little lighter than the dark evil howling synth from "she died"

Thank you all for listening!
 
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