Erin McAndrew performed in several east coast bands, including as lead singer of Long Island-based rock band Tiny Giant, who played at the legendary CBGBs among other NY venues. During this time she immersed herself in writing, recording, and performing live music.
Now an acoustic solo artist based in California, Erin has been building up her career for the past four years and has released two albums to date; Skeleton of Life (2016) and Stay Alive (2018).
The Crafty Musician Blog is proud to feature Erin McAndrew in this month’s edition of Artist Spotlight…
Why did you choose to become a musician?
I’ve always been a singer first. When I was a teenager, singing was my way to escape my teenage angst and those sometimes difficult years you go through in high school while finding out who you are and your calling in this world. As time went on, I wanted to learn guitar so I could put all the songs I’ve written to music. Music and performing has always been something ingrained in me from a VERY young age. I was always putting on shows for my parents (when I watch back some of the home videos I realize just how much patience they had) and corralling my three younger siblings to join me. So this was something that came completely organic to me and developed over time. I had several jobs after college that were not related to music and one day I had an epiphany moment where I snapped out of it and felt called to follow the path of a musician.
So this epiphany that you had after college…Would you say this is what ultimately led you to become a full-time musician?
Yes! I knew that it would take a bit for me to get there, but this epiphany made it clear that doing music full-time was the goal!
Just out of curiosity, what were some of the non-music related jobs you had?
Oh my goodness, so many! haha. I worked at a few marketing firms, catered, I’ve been a background actor, worked for a small theatre company, and the longest one before going full-time with my music was working for lululemon. lululemon was a fantastic company to work for. I learned so much about how a business runs and was surrounded by so many like minded people. I worked in New York City when I had this job and 95% of my other co-workers were other artists – actors, musical theatre actors, dancers, etc…I met some amazing people who are still great friends of mine and it was great to be in an atmosphere and work for a company who strongly supports your goals outside of the company.
So how long have you been a full-time musician now and how long would you say it took you to go from a side-hustle to full-time?
I have been a full-time musician for a year now. It’s crazy to think how fast the year has gone! I first started my solo journey in 2014 and it’s now 2019. So about 4 years from side-hustle to full-time.
So your music is a mix of country and rock with a little 90’s feel to it, a la Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow. Are there any particular subjects you tend to write about or certain messages you try to get across to your listeners?
I find inspiration everywhere. I think it’s great to focus on writing about different experiences in life, even if they aren’t your own. A lot of my messages tend to focus on never giving up, staying true to yourself, relationships and how to overcome them, and reflecting on decisions you make in life. Some of my songs have even been written from inspiration I’ve received from a movie I’ve seen.
Is there something you aspire to give others through your craft?
Something I aspire to give others through my craft is that anything is possible. You can overcome traumas and hard things. You are so much stronger than you realize. You have SO MUCH POTENTIAL. And I want to help others realize that for themselves!
That’s great! I always love asking this question to independent artists because there’s usually something very deep and positive there. Would you say that this message of having ‘great potential’ in your music is also a reminder to yourself?
YES! And sometimes when I’m having an off day I need to remind myself of that!
So I understand that before becoming a solo artist you were in several bands, and even got kicked out of one. Can you tell us more about that experience and what you learned from it?
Oh gosh yes! That was such a difficult moment for me. For someone who didn’t have a ton of confidence growing up, my singing voice is where I found my confidence. I was in a cover band for awhile and received an email after one of our successful gigs (one where much of the audience was made up from my friends and family) that they were going in a different direction – basically stating I was not “polished” enough. That definitely broke me for a bit, but I knew I would get on my feet and move on from it and that it would only make me stronger. That was their opinion of me, not of myself. Over time, I realized after each cover band that I was in that it was even more reason for me to fly solo. I wanted to be the driver of my own career and not have to rely on other band members who didn’t have the same drive as I do. Now I’m not saying all of them were like that, but the priorities were different among band members…some of them wanted to do this for fun, for a hobby, to make some extra money. I saw it as a business.
Was it a difficult or scary decision to go solo at first?
Absolutely! It was very difficult and scary. I remember my first solo gig. I was accepted to play the New York City Marathon and had to play for three hours straight. I only had a few original songs, and barely knew any covers. I knew this would be a HUGE step for me though. I made it a goal to learn 50 cover songs and practiced every night for 2 months. It went surprisingly well and I knew if I could do that, I could do anything!
It sounds like going solo was not a walk in the park either and that you initially got turned down by lots of venues…
It’s actually crazy sometimes when I think about it. I’ve gotten to the point now that I’m booking gigs every week and sometimes get frustrated when things aren’t moving faster. Then there are times like this where I reflect and realize how far I have actually come. Going solo is definitely not a walk in the park and definitely not for everyone. It took me about 2 years to really build up a resume of places I’ve played…and it still isn’t easy. You have to be willing to put in the work. I generally reach out to 20-30 venues per week. Sometimes I hear back from 3, sometimes I hear back from none. When I first started my solo journey, I would follow this same procedure and generally would not hear back from anyone. However I knew that over time if I remained consistent and kept grinding, that all of my hard work would continue to pay off. And it has! I cannot express how important it is to be consistent.
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You ultimately found your niche though with wineries. Tell us more about that and how you figured out that was a good fit for you.
When I first started going solo, I saw wineries as a great opportunity. I knew that my style of acoustic music would be a great fit in that atmosphere. My first steady gig was a small vineyard in Pennsylvania. I would drive almost 2 hours every month from New York City to this vineyard. Once I had that steady gig, it opened up opportunities to vineyards in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Long Island – which not many people know is a HUGE destination for wineries on the east coast. I noticed that the audiences responded well to my music as well as the winery. I am also a wine enthusiast, so this made it easy to brand myself!
So how do you make your money as a musician, just from gigs or are there other things you do as well?
I make my money as a musician from gigs, tips from gigs (a tip jar is always key!), CD sales, Musician Coaching, and Patreon. I also am a Goal & Wellness Coach which is another passion of mine. I think it’s SO important as musicians to set powerful and uncomfortable goals for ourselves to constantly push us out of our comfort zone. It’s also so important for us to stay healthy in mind, body, and spirit which is where being a Wellness Coach comes in.
Wow, that’s amazing! How long have you been a Goal & Wellness Coach?
I first started Goal Coaching others when I worked for lululemon. Once I left the company to pursue music full-time, I knew that it was a business I wanted to create to teach others about creating powerful goals for themselves while also leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
How do you deal with the financial uncertainty that can come from being a full-time independent artist?
Since I became a full-time musician last year, budgeting and Google Sheets have become my best friends. I keep track of my expenses, bills, and income from month to month as well as create a projected income for each month so that I have an idea of if I will have an extra cushion or if this month will be less than the previous month. I always keep some savings as well if I think that one month I will be making less than the next. I know that this is something some musicians won’t want to hear, but we are in the business of ourselves and keeping a close eye on our finances is so important!
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Yeah, keeping money saved on hand to compensate for inconsistencies on any given month is key! We always recommend having at least one month of expenses saved up, and as you probably know, having that extra security can be the difference between being in a huge hole every time there’s a weather cancelation or a venue doesn’t come through as planned, versus not being phased by it at all.
Agree 100%!
So you also have a youtube show where you discuss wine from the various wineries you perform at. What gave you that idea and how has that helped you as an artist?
Ahh yes! I wanted to start a YouTube show that would allow my fans, supporters, and followers to see more of my personality. Since I started performing at a lot of wineries, I brought home bottles of wine from a lot of these wineries. I thought this would be a great tie-in and a way to promote my music, promote the wineries, and talk about wines from different wineries I have been to or would like to go to in the future. It has helped me as an artist in creating more opportunities to play at other wineries as well as my branding as an artist.
Wow, so the show has actually helped you get into some venues that you weren’t already playing at? Does it seem like the more wineries you play at, the more new ones are willing to hire you?
Yes! It has definitely helped. And yes. I’ve played at several wineries now in several different regions and states – so wineries are more likely to hire me than say a sports bar because wineries have a more specific clientele and they know that I’ve played to a similar crowd to their clientele.
A recurring theme that we’re noticing with the full-time independent artists we interview is that they all seem to have had a moment where they had to redefine what being a successful musician was before taking the plunge. Did you have a moment like that and if so, what did it look like for you?
YES. I think nowadays the ones who are able to become full-time independent artists without a label have all had this moment. I had this a-ha moment when I started taking some courses on becoming an independent musician and how to do it without the help of a label. From then on, my goal was to be able to make a living full-time with my music. I didn’t need the record label to do that! I think that “shiny object syndrome” impacts a lot of artists and deflates their dreams. There are so many ways nowadays to get out there and make a living as a musician. You just have to be willing to put the ego aside and make it happen for you! That’s how it looked like for me. Once I let go of my ego, I felt limitless. And still do! There’s still so much I want to accomplish and I’m not slowing down.
So the a-ha moment for you was the realization that you didn’t need a record label to ‘do it?’
Absolutely!
Where do you see your music going next and do you have any other exciting projects coming up you can tell us about?
I see myself still going the country rock route, but my next release is going to be SUPER stripped down and raw. I’m planning on doing an EP where it’s just me and my guitar. I’m really excited about it! Aside from music, I’m also working on a health and wellness program specifically for performers and musicians. Let me know if you are interested!
The stripped down and raw album sounds really cool and we can’t wait to hear it! Also, we’d love to know more about the Health & Wellness Program for artists. It sounds really beneficial and the kind of thing we here at The Crafty Musician can get behind.
Yes! It’s a lot to explain, but it focuses a lot on mindset and having a healthier relationship with your body. As musicians and performers, we are under a lot of pressure to look good or look a certain way. As someone who has dealt with a lot of self image issues over the years, changing my mindset and using positive affirmations to help heal my relationship with my body has helped immensely. This is some of the coaching that I offer to my Health and Wellness clients from what has helped me that I KNOW can help others who have gone through this as well.
What advice do you have for other artists looking to go full-time?
Create a system for yourself for reaching out to venues and stick to it! Don’t be afraid of cover gigs. I play mostly cover gigs, and always mix in a few originals. They are GREAT ways to make really good money that you can mix in easily with your other shows. It also gives you a lot of credibility. Venues and your fans/potential fans are going to take you much more seriously if they see you are playing multiple times a month instead of once a month or every other month. Stay away from pay-to-play gigs. You deserve to get paid for your work! Start creating an email list…and be consistent in sending those emails! Developing a loyal fan base is only going to help you in getting closer to your goals. Also, one of the best pieces of advice I can give is having patience. This takes time. You can’t expect to have it happen overnight. Showing up consistently and being patient will pay off over time.
Well thank you so much Erin for your time and we wish you the best as you continue your music career. And good luck with all of you health and wellness endeavors as well.
Thank you! And thank you so much for featuring me. This was a lot of fun!
Check out Erin’s website here and her YouTube channel here. Also, check out some of Erin’s original music on Spotify or by clicking in the box below.
TheCraftyMusician.com is looking for independent artists to feature. If you’re interested in being featured on TheCraftyMusician.com, please fill out this questionnaire.
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