Indie Artist Music Hustle
Indie Artist Music Hustle Podcast with Blonde Intelligence is where you will experience exquisite cranial repertoire. The podcast (Available on your favorite podcasting platform) provides entertainment news, thoughts on celebrity gossip, independent music artists, as well as businesses that contributor to the music and entertainment industries. The purpose is to provide exquisite cranial repertoire. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button!!!! follow me @BlondeIntelligence @RRoneice. Also the channel name is That Blonde Broad.
Indie Artist Music Hustle
From Rock to Country: Curtis Murphy's Musical Journey and Love for Arkansas
Curtis Murphy takes center stage on this week's Indie Artist Music Hustle with Blind Intelligence, sharing his inspiring journey from a teenager with a passion for songwriting to a budding country artist rooted in Arkansas's rich musical landscape. At just 16, Curtis began channeling his innate sense of rhythm into creating music, and now he's ready to let the world hear his unique sound. His latest track, "Arkansas Memories," paints a vivid picture of his upbringing, filled with the warmth of family and the outdoorsy charm of hunting and fishing that Arkansas life offers. We explore Curtis's shift from rock to country, a transition that pays homage to his past while paving the way for new artistic expressions.
Staying true to his roots, Curtis opens up about the profound influence Arkansas's culture has had on his music and why he remains loyal to his home state despite the temptations of Nashville's bustling music scene. The episode reveals the deep connections and personal experiences that shape Curtis's artistic identity, from cozy acoustic jam sessions by the fire to the possibility of future recordings with his friend Dalton Kennerly in Nashville. Tune in to uncover the heartfelt tales behind Curtis's music and the undying love for his home that continues to drive his ambitions.
Hello everyone, welcome to this week's Indie Artist Music Hustle with Blind Intelligence. I'm your host, ms Ronnie, where I always seek to give you exquisite cranial repertoire. This week we have a very special guest from straight out of Arkansas. His name is Curtis Murphy Say hello to everyone.
Speaker 2:Hey everyone, how you doing tonight? My name is Curtis Murphy. I'm from Jonesboro, Arkansas. His name is Curtis Murphy. Say hello to everyone. Hey everyone, how are you doing?
Speaker 1:tonight. My name is Curtis Murphy. I'm from Jonesboro, arkansas. Well, he has a song out now that is called Arkansas Memories and I reviewed it and I liked it. So I want him to take over now to tell everyone a little bit about yourself. You can start with your background or however you want to go okay, um, like I said, I'm from, uh, jonesborough, arkansas.
Speaker 2:I've been, uh, pretty much writing songs and music since, uh, probably I was about 16 years old, so it's been about 15, over, you know, over 15 years uh. But here lately it's really just when I've been trying to, you know, get stuff out there for everybody in the world, to, just when I've been trying to, you know, get stuff out there for everybody in the world to see is what I'm trying to do now.
Speaker 1:Okay, so what made you want to start in music? I mean because a lot of creators have like different outlets, so I know you started writing when you were 16, but what made you move into the music industry?
Speaker 2:I mean just music period really, uh, I I've always, you know, done it. Uh, I've always had it in my blood, you know. Uh, apparently I was uh from a little kid beating on the back of the car seat. You know, I always had the rhythm and uh, just it just started coming out and writing and stuff and learning how to explain myself and express myself through writing.
Speaker 1:OK, so tell me about Arkansas Memories. Tell me what it means to you and why you wrote it.
Speaker 2:Basically, arkansas Memories is about my childhood, growing up and all the way through my teenage years and even into adulthood. You know it's a big thing from arkansas, the hunting and fishing, and you know it talks about my grandpa on the song and it's just all around good country song from. You know the state of arkansas okay.
Speaker 1:So you know how it is to live in arkansas. I know how it is to live in arkansas and I have lived other places and when I have gotten there I have realized that I have taken some things for granted here that other people don't ever get a chance to experience. So what is one experience, especially being an artist? So what musical experience can you share with somebody that you can only experience in Arkansas?
Speaker 2:Well, well, I started. You just have an old acoustic everybody hanging out as friends, you know, just jamming out and sitting around the fire. You know, whatever you're doing, fishing it's a. It's really just a family experience. And you know, friends, it's a it's it's something personal okay.
Speaker 1:So that leads me to another question. It's kind of business. Right before I get there, I'm gonna ask you this how many projects have you completed as a professional artist?
Speaker 2:uh, actually, uh, this country project is brand new. This is starting off the ground. I have a rock background, I had my own band and my guitar player, david Anderson from the band, actually is my guitar player now for my solo stuff, including myself. So I mean, I've had a few different projects in the past, but mostly rockish style music.
Speaker 1:So they were released also.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Okay, so tell me this With being from Arkansas, having a rock background and being so close to Nashville, what has kept you in Arkansas?
Speaker 2:Honestly, uh, you know it's all my family and roots are here. It's just. I mean, I know Nashville is a big opportunity, um, who knows? But this project it might venture out. Actually, uh, my buddy, dalton Kennerly, he uh he's done some recording up there, um, and has mentioned it to me, so that might actually be a possibility in the future.
Speaker 1:So tell me as a solo artist, because it's different being with a band. As a solo artist, what fears do you have that you didn't know that you had because you had the security of a band?
Speaker 2:I mean really it's kind of the same sense in the songwriting. I mean it always started kind of the same. Like I said, my guitar player, david Anderson, is still with me today. So a lot of stuff right now we do, we write together. So in the aspect of writing and stuff it's still the same. I'm not told it by myself, because I brought him along with me on this one. So I mean I guess it's kind of the same, since it's in that same sense.
Speaker 1:OK, so tell me what do you think is more important for artists that has decided to go from a hobby to professional? Do you think it is more important to have a finished quality product or to learn the foundations of the business first?
Speaker 2:I mean it. I guess it depends what you're going for. If you're just trying to get your name out and get started uh, you know the single release then kind of learn as you go, kind of thing would work, you know. But I mean, it's always good to know what you're getting into and do your research also. Me personally, I kind of did it at the same time, you know research and trying to get stuff out there at the same time, just because I'm trying to get some traction right now okay, so now I'm moving to this other questions question.
Speaker 1:When you were saying that you would hang out with your friends and perform and form and all of that, I asked several artists this question and I'm going to ask you so do you feel that, since you have became an artist, that your actual friends have increased or decreased, and do you think that you get more support from friends or from strangers who are actually organic fans?
Speaker 2:that's a really good question actually. Uh, the friends is uh the same friends I've had the whole time that supported me from all the projects I've done, so they're still there. That actually has grown, you know, through the years. And, uh, with this new project and the new song, mostly right now, the friends and the family and all my surrounding people are what's pushing it and backing it and sharing it. Uh, if it weren't for them, I honestly could say it probably wouldn't even be near where it's at. And it's just been out for a week. Oh, look at, yeah, the video has been out for a week. The single actually releases on all major streaming platforms on March 18th.
Speaker 1:Okay, so tell me, since you are a writer I ask writers this. I get different answers from everybody. Tell me, what is your process writing a song.
Speaker 2:It's always been the same no matter what style I'm writing, I'll sit down, I'll play with my acoustic, get a good little riff going, or I might just be like, hey, these lyrics might sound good with this, and it's pretty much trial and error. If I get into a verse and don't like it, I'll just scrap it, or if I get to a point where I don't feel nothing else coming motivationally, I'll stop working on it entirely, maybe come back the next day, or you know, that might be an ideal that never goes anywhere, or I could be trying to write something totally different than that ideal or work in the next track. It's pretty much just the same process as me and an acoustic setting down the basics.
Speaker 1:Okay, so is your process the same for writing for yourself as you write for other people?
Speaker 2:Actually well, with the band stuff. In the past it has been that they would send stuff back and forth online too, off the Dropbox. We have wrote a few songs like that, but, like I said, mostly with this country project it's just, you know, writing with the old acoustic and sharing our deals.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm going to ask another question and I'm not going to say specific names, but I give you clues because I don't want to be shadow banned would be shadow band. So on the platform where people post a lot of videos, do you think that it is almost set up where you have to pay for promotion to even get seen, or do you think that social media still has this foundation and organic growth?
Speaker 2:I mean it's if you got a good fan base already and they can't support you for a little while. But really to get it out there, you got to promote, you got to get promotions, you got it, you got to do the groundwork or you're not going to get anywhere. Uh, I mean, it's the problems everybody face. I'm facing it now, just trying to get it out there and push it, but that's actually something I'm learning myself right now.
Speaker 1:Okay, so, as an artist, and just to say, somebody want to do the same thing as you and sometimes I have seen that, um, if you're doing the same thing that somebody else is doing, sometimes people don't want to help you alone, even if they know you so do?
Speaker 1:what type of information or struggles or hurdles that you have had that you know another artist have had and you know they need the help but they don't ask you for it as an artist. How will you get that information to the artist because you're genuinely, genuinely trying to help?
Speaker 2:I mean, I would just tell them, you know, to keep grinding at it. Like you know, try everything, Don't never stop. Keep at it, it will happen. You just got to believe in it and you got to push it and just you know, follow your heart and rock what you feel. Then people will relate to that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so how has your journey been with trying to get radio play?
Speaker 2:It's actually it's getting there. Like I said, this project is fairly new. I'm still on that level myself with the song. I actually have submitted it to a few different stations. So I'm really just waiting to hear back right now.
Speaker 1:OK, tell me about that. I mean about, because you said that you submit different things. How do you feel about not getting an answer?
Speaker 2:I mean it is what it is. So you know, just keep trying. That's where it goes back to never give up. If I would have gave up I wouldn't have gotten this far. You know you learn over the years and try on there. You know what works and what don't. I mean, don't get discouraged about you know what ain't happening. Just keep trying to make something positive come out of that outcome.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, how do you feel about social media?
Speaker 2:It's a great tool. I mean it really is. I mean right, you know, today, as an artist, it's almost you got to have it, you know.
Speaker 1:Okay, so what advice? Because I had another artist, I think he was. He decided that he wanted to be an engineer for all of his life and he started and his music out and he said social media is not for him. So if you were his manager, what would you say to him? Because you just told me that it was important, what would you say to him? That social media that is actually needed, what it is?
Speaker 2:well, all you got to do is just walk around and look at how many people are staring at their phones, and that will actually show them what it's done for yourself and you know if it's doing good for you, then maybe that will convince them to try it out for themselves. But you're right, once you're in your ways, it's hard to change somebody.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, I want you to give everybody on social media the name of your project If a new album is coming out, anything that you got coming up.
Speaker 2:You can find me on YouTube at Kurt Murphy. You can just look up the song Arkansas Memories. You can go and follow my Facebook page under Kurt Murphy. The single will be released on March 18th. We're excited about that. We're working on some more tracks right now A brand new one hopefully about to come out soon. Hopefully get an album pushed out pretty soon also.
Speaker 1:Well, you can find all major platforms coming out on March 18th. You can reach us through Facebook, our podcasting platform, that's 5, pandora, our business, those things, and we will see you again next week. Thank you for coming. Thank you, alright Bye, alright bye.