Bridge The Atlantic

This week we’re joined by LA based singer/songwriter, designer, international hugger and high fiver, Erick Macek. Erick’s tracks can be heard on shows such as Life Unexpected, Melrose Place and 90210, and his upcoming EP was produced by Grammy winner Mikal Blue, and features Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Erick is also a designer, and is very hands-on in all aspects of his business - especially the design and branding side. We had an awesome time chatting with Erick about crowdfunding, video games, time management & music placements. Highlights: - We discover that we are all workaholics and feel guilty for relaxing - We talk about Erick’s love of video games - Ross and Erick bond over Final Fantasy VII - RPGs = Waste Your Life games - Ross shares a Final Fantasy related secret… - Erick tells us how personal connection played a part in getting his music placed on TV - We talk about how music placements can work and hear how there are many different options - We give Erick’s publicist a shoutout as the email she sent us was very impressive. Hey, Bettianne! - Erick tells us about his experience in crowdfunding and how he was opposed to it initially - With crowdfunding, you can create a more personal connection with your audience and learn who your biggest supporters are - We talk about how time management and how Erick manages to find a balance between all of the various projects and businesses he works on - Ross tests out some Czech on Erick and tells a story about how he accidentally offended someone with a word he was taught - Marcio shares a childhood story about speaking Portuguese (and not knowing what it meant) - Erick compares long running dramas (like Breaking Bad) to role playing games… you need to invest a lot of time! Advice: - On music placement: do your research about the licensing company - When reaching out to people, be personal and don’t make it all about what you want - If you’re sending MP3s, make sure all of your meta data is tagged and complete - Be as professional as possible - if you’ve done all the work beforehand, it makes life easier for everyone - Tag EVERYTHING you send out - Do your due diligence early on - it takes discipline, but it’s worth it Recommendations: - Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk (Video) - Citizen Cope (Music) - Special Sauce (Music) - G Love (Music) Artist Links: - Website: http://erickmacek.com - Twitter: @erickmacek - Instagram: @erickmacek - Facebook: /macekmusic Sponsors: - Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents More: - http://bridge-the-atlantic.com - Follow us on Twitter: @bridge_atlantic