Making a Scene Presents

Making a Scene Presents - How to Create a Local Music Scene How indie artists can “Make a Scene” again with AI, Web3, and real-world hustle If you're waiting for your local scene to “come back,” you might be waiting a long time. That's not because your town stopped caring about music. It's because the pandemic didn't just shut down venues. It broke habits. It changed what people consider “worth leaving the house for.” It raised costs for everybody. It made small rooms more fragile. It also trained a lot of artists to aim their whole career at the internet, even though the internet is the worst place to build the kind of trust that turns strangers into regulars. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Duke Robillard Duke Robillard is one of America's most respected guitarists, singers, songwriters, and bandleaders, celebrated for his mastery of blues, jump R&B, swing, and roots rock. Over the course of a long and influential career, he has earned a reputation as a true musician's musician—an artist whose deep knowledge of American roots music is matched by exceptional skill, taste, and versatility on guitar. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Eliza Neals Eliza Neals is a powerhouse in modern blues—an artist, songwriter, producer, bandleader, composer, arranger, keyboardist, and label owner whose self-written and self-produced music has been heard on SiriusXM's B.B. King's Bluesville since 2015. Blending blues, rock, and soul into bold, unforgettable songs, Neals has built a body of work that pushes beyond traditional genre boundaries while staying rooted in the emotional truth that makes blues timeless. http://www.makingascene.org

The Receipts Era: Why SongProof Is Showing Up Right When Indie Artists Need It Most There's a moment every songwriter knows. You're in that glow right after the hook finally lands, the verse makes sense, and the demo is “good enough” to send. You export an MP3, you toss it into a text thread, you drop it into an email, you DM it to someone who says they can help. And then, if you're honest, your stomach tightens for half a second. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The Weekend Build: How to Set Up an Owned-Fan Machine in 48 HoursIf you want Spotify to be the top of your funnel instead of the end of your funnel, you don't start by chasing more streams. You start by building a place for listeners to land, a reason for them to stay, and a system that remembers them when they do.This is the part the industry skips past because it's not sexy. Infrastructure rarely is. But infrastructure is what turns a “pretty good” release into a career that compounds. It's also what makes the Making a Scene philosophy real in practice: indie artists build a music industry middle class by owning the relationship, owning the data, and turning attention into direct revenue—over and over again. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Spotify is the Billboard, Not the BuildingIf you're an indie artist in 2026, you don't have a “marketing problem.” You have an ownership problem.Most indie release plans still follow the same tired loop: post the Spotify link everywhere, chase saves, chase playlists, watch a bump happen, then start over next month. It feels like progress because the numbers move. But it's not leverage, because you still can't reach the people who listened unless Spotify decides you can.Spotify isn't evil. It's just not your business partner. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Wingman (Mixed In Key) A Demo AcceleratorWingman from Mixed In Key ($79) is built for the modern reality: a lot of great songwriters don't play piano, don't play bass, and don't want to spend three hours hunting for the “right” chord under a vocal idea. Wingman lives inside your DAW as a plugin and listens to the audio you feed it, then suggests chords and basslines that fit what it hears. It also includes AI stem separation and audio-to-MIDI tools that help you pull musical structure out of real-world recordings and turn it into something you can arrange. The headline is simple: it's an AI idea engine that helps you move from a spark to a usable demo faster, without needing to be a multi-instrumentalist. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jordan RainerJordan Rainer is an award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Atoka, Oklahoma, bringing a bold rock edge to modern country. With a guitar on her shoulder and a no-nonsense stage presence, she's been turning heads in both Nashville and the Texas country scene, building a reputation as an artist who hits hard, sings with conviction, and connects fast. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Billy Bucklers of BillobucklersBillobucklers is a UK band built around the songwriting, voice, and restless musical spirit of Billy Bucklers, a Leicester-and-Nottingham original who writes like he's lived it and plays like he means it. Rooted in the Midlands but never boxed in by geography, Billy brings a hard-earned perspective to every song—mixing grit, humor, and heart in a way that feels immediate and real. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Erick BrandtErik Brandt has been the ringleader of the award-winning Twin Cities eclectic Americana group the Urban Hillbilly Quartet since 1995. When he's not on stage, he's in the classroom teaching high school English in St. Paul, Minnesota—bringing the same love of language to both his students and his songs. Over the years, he's performed in venues across the United States, Canada, and Australia, and even on street corners throughout Europe. In between tours and gigs, he's taught everything from Shakespeare and grammar to haikus and standardized test prep. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Booking the Festival Circuit Isn't About “Buzz.” It's About ProofFor a long time, getting booked on a festival felt like being chosen. You got the email, you posted the graphic, you told your friends, and you hoped the weekend would change everything. That feeling still matters, because it means you care. But the festival world has changed, and the artists who keep winning in it have stopped treating festivals like a lottery and started treating them like a system. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Why Ownership Beats Virality Every TimeThe day the internet “loves” you can still be the day you learn you own nothingEvery indie artist has felt it. You post a clip and you don't expect much, and then your phone starts buzzing like a broken snare. Comments show up from strangers, shares stack up, and somebody types, “How are you not famous?” and for a minute you can taste the alternate timeline where one moment fixes everything. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Why Monitoring Is the Most Important Part of Your Home Studio (And the Most Ignored)There's a specific kind of heartbreak that only home studio people understand. You finish a mix at 1:30 a.m., tired but proud, because in your room it finally sounds like a record. The vocal is sitting right where you wanted it. The drums feel tight. The chorus lifts. You do that little head nod like, “Okay… I'm getting good at this.” http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Melody GuyMelody Guy is a Nashville-based Americana singer-songwriter whose unforgettable voice and fearless honesty have powered a life on the road, with more than two million miles of touring across the United States. Blending rock, country, soul, and pop, she delivers songs with the kind of emotional clarity that stops people mid-conversation. Her voice has drawn comparisons to Eva Cassidy, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and Grace Slick, but her sound is ultimately her own—grounded, dynamic, and deeply human. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Streaming Growth is Slowing And That's Good News for Indie Artists.For the past ten-plus years, the music industry has sold indie artists one simple dream. Get your music on streaming. Get on playlists. Get the numbers up. Then, somehow, the money will follow. A lot of artists found out the hard way that this dream has a catch. Streaming is real. Streaming is powerful. Streaming can introduce you to new listeners all over the world. But streaming, by itself, rarely builds a stable living. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Jamiah Denzel RogersDeacon Denzel and Dirty Church is the kind of band that doesn't just play a set — they build a room, light it up, and then invite everybody inside. Rooted in the sweat-and-soul tradition of rock, blues, funk, and gospel, their sound feels like a late-night revival meeting colliding with a barroom jam: gritty, joyful, and impossible to fake. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Otis WalkerOtis Walker was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and came up in the deep musical tradition of the American South. He cut his teeth in the music business in Muscle Shoals, absorbing the sounds, work ethic, and soul that have defined generations of legendary recordings. That foundation shaped both his playing and his approach to songwriting, grounding his music in feel, groove, and authenticity. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - More Artists Need to Earn Enough Instead of a Few Earning EverythingFor most working musicians, the real problem isn't that people stopped loving music. Music is everywhere. The problem is that the money stopped landing where the work actually happens. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Dana MaragosDana Maragos is a Chicago-based singer-songwriter whose music is rooted in storytelling, tradition, and a lifelong relationship with song. Her journey began early, when her grandmother bought her a $25 guitar in Chicago's Old Town at just six years old. Growing up on the city's South Side, Dana learned her first chords from a teenage neighbor, singing along to the songs of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Eric Andersen. Those early influences planted the seeds for a songwriting voice built on honesty, melody, and quiet emotional strength. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Austin and the Syd ExperienceAustin & The Syd Experience is a Columbus, Ohio–based funk rock ensemble delivering a fearless, high-voltage blend of hard rock, psychedelic soul, and raw, merciless funk. Known as “ASYD Funk,” their sound is loud, sensual, and deeply groove-driven, built to hit the body as much as the ears. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Why Streams Don't Build Careers (And What Actually Does)For a long time, streaming has felt like the finish line.You upload your music. You watch the numbers climb. You refresh your stats like they're a scoreboard. You cross your fingers that the algorithm notices you, blesses you, and turns your song into a “moment.”And then you wait. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - How AI Can Turn Your Fans Into a Street Team (Without Burning You Out)For decades, street teams were built on chaos. Flyers stuffed into backpacks. Group texts that started strong and then quietly died. Friends-of-friends who swore they would help spread the word and then vanished the moment real life showed up. It was almost always unpaid labor, held together by enthusiasm, favors, and blind hope. Labels leaned on this model when they were small and scrappy. Indie artists copied it when they had no other options. And most of the time, it fell apart for the same reason every time: nobody had the time, energy, or systems to keep it running. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Tracking vs Mixing: Two Spaces That Should Never Fight Each OtherMost home studios don't fail in dramatic ways. They don't blow up. They don't announce themselves as broken. They quietly stop delivering results. Songs take longer than they should. Performances feel stiff. Mixes never quite translate. Confidence erodes one small frustration at a time. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents An Interview with The Long HoneymoonMinneapolis-based pop-rock band The Long Honeymoon has been filling venues and winning over audiences for more than three years with their high-energy live shows. Built around original songs packed with rich vocal harmonies, catchy pop grooves, and clever arrangements, the band delivers music that feels both familiar and fresh. Made up of musicians with more than two decades of experience in the Twin Cities music scene, The Long Honeymoon blends a deep love of classic pop-rock with a modern sound and a joyful spirit that connects with music fans of all ages. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Native Instruments' Insolvency ShockWhat It Really Means for iZotope, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx, Kontakt, and Indie Artists Who Depend on ThemNative Instruments is not just another plugin company.For many indie musicians and producers, it is infrastructure. Kontakt lives inside massive writing templates. Maschine defines entire beat-making workflows. Traktor runs live rigs. Reaktor holds years of personal experimentation. iZotope tools like RX, Ozone, Neutron, and Nectar are the safety net that lets a small team sound professional. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - AI Writing Secrets for Musicians - Write Like a Marketer Without Sounding Like One The biggest lie indie artists are told about marketing is that it's about tricks. Hooks. Hacks. Algorithms. Magic phrases that somehow turn strangers into fans. That's not marketing. That's noise. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The Future of Fan Data: How Web3 and AI Empowers Direct-to-Fan AnalyticsThe music industry has never had a problem collecting data. It has always had a problem giving it back to artists. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Joyann ParkerJoyann Parker is an American roots and soul singer-songwriter whose powerhouse voice and emotionally rich songwriting have made her one of the most compelling independent artists in today's modern roots landscape. Blending blues, gospel, jazz, R&B, and vintage Americana, Parker pairs raw vocal authority with deeply human storytelling. Known for her electrifying live performances and unwavering authenticity, she has built a devoted fanbase through connection, craft, and emotional honesty rather than hype. http://www.makingascene.org

The 10 Most Common Home Studio Mistakes (And How to Fix Them Without Spending More Money)Home recording has never been more accessible. You can buy a solid microphone, a capable interface, a powerful DAW, and professional-grade plugins without leaving your house. On paper, there has never been a better time to record your own music. And yet, a lot of home recordings still sound thin, harsh, muddy, distant, or unfinished. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Carrie ZavalaZavala Sol is a San Diego–based five-piece band blending blues, swing, Southern rock, and funk into a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. Formed in 2022, the group came together with an almost immediate musical chemistry, driven by powerful original songs and a shared commitment to groove, storytelling, and high-energy performance. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Terry RobbSome musicians collect awards. A rare few become so closely associated with excellence that an award ends up bearing their name. Terry Robb is one of those rare artists.Born in Vancouver and now based in Portland, Terry Robb is widely regarded as one of the finest acoustic blues guitarists on the international stage. His mastery of fingerstyle guitar is so respected that after winning the Muddy Award for Best Acoustic Guitar multiple times, the Cascade Blues Association permanently named the honor after him. It is a distinction that speaks not only to his technical brilliance, but to his lasting influence on the blues community. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Tonalic by Celemony: Intelligent Loops That Actually Listen to Your MusicThere are two kinds of tools in modern music production. The first kind makes noise faster. The second kind understands music.Most loop tools fall into the first category. They give you sound, but not context. You drag something in, hope it fits, and then either force your song to work around the loop or spend time chopping it up so it doesn't feel like a copy-and-paste job. That process can kill momentum fast, especially if you are an independent artist juggling songwriting, production, recording, and release schedules on your own. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Record Labels Aren't Evil—They're Just Optional NowFor most of modern music history, record labels were not just powerful. They were necessary. If you wanted to record, distribute, promote, or even be taken seriously, you needed a label. That reality shaped everything artists were taught to believe about success. Get signed. Give up control. Hope for the best. But here is the truth nobody in the industry likes to say out loud anymore. Record labels did not suddenly become bad. They simply stopped being mandatory. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Fixing Weak Performances Without Re-Recording: Ethical AI EditingThere is a quiet fear that sits in the back of a lot of recording sessions. It shows up right after the take feels emotionally right, but technically messy. The singer rushed a line. The guitar player dug in too hard on the chorus. The drummer pushed the fill just enough to make the groove wobble. Everyone in the room knows the truth: the performance means something, but it is not quite holding together. http://www.makingascene.org

There is a quiet problem ruining a lot of good music before it ever has a chance to connect with listeners. It is not bad songwriting. It is not cheap microphones. It is not even weak mixes. It is loudness. More specifically, it is the guessing game around loudness that happens in home studios every single day. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - What Actually Matters When Building a Home Recording StudioA no-BS guide for indie artists who want results, not gear lustLet's be honest. Most home recording studios fail long before the first note is ever recorded. Not because the artist lacks talent. Not because the gear is cheap or outdated. They fail because the studio was built around shopping instead of decision-making. Money gets spent before the purpose is clear, and gear piles up without a plan for how it will actually be used. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Julia Eubanks of Agnes UncagedAgnes Uncaged, formerly known as Creeping Charlie, has quickly become one of the most compelling voices in Midwest indie rock. The Minneapolis-based band has earned attention for their guitar-driven, cinematic sound that balances raw emotion with melodic beauty. Critic Chris Riemenschneider called Julia Eubanks “one of the Twin Cities' most promising young songwriters,” and the group was chosen to lead First Avenue's Best New Bands showcase in 2022, a milestone that confirmed their growing influence in the region. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The DAO Label Model: When Artists and Fans Run the BusinessFor decades, the record label model has followed the same harsh pattern. A small group at the top controls the money, makes the decisions, and sets the direction for everyone else. These decisions often happen behind closed doors, far away from the artists and fans who actually create the value. Artists write the songs, record the music, and build the culture, yet they are usually the last people with real control over what happens to their own work. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Willie EdwardsWille Edwards is a Cornwall-based musician, songwriter, and the driving force behind the internationally acclaimed band Wille and the Bandits. Known for his eclectic style and fearless approach to genre, Wille has built a career that moves freely between blues, rock, folk, and world music, creating a sound that feels both timeless and modern. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Daxton!Daxton Monaghan is an Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music lives at the crossroads of grungy blues, psychedelic rock, and funk-driven soul. His sound is raw and adventurous, built on thick guitar tones, expressive vocals, and a fearless approach to songwriting that refuses to sit inside one genre. http://www.makingascene.org

Designing a Full Fan Passport System for Indie ArtistsA practical, real-world deep dive using tools you can use right nowThis is not a theory piece. This is a build guide.A Fan Passport system sounds fancy, but in practice it is just a way to stop forgetting your fans. It is a way to make sure that when someone shows up for you, buys something, or supports you in real life, that moment is remembered and can be built on later. http://www.makingascene.org

Why Your Fan Data Is Worth More Than Your MusicIf you are an independent artist, this is a hard truth that cuts against almost everything you were taught. Your music is no longer the most valuable thing you create. Your fan data is. Even more uncomfortable is this reality: recorded music has largely lost its status as a product. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Fender Steps Into the Studio World With Fender Studio Pro 8!For decades, Fender has been the company most musicians connect with guitars, amps, and the idea of owning your sound from the very first note you play. Fender has always lived at the start of the music chain, where hands touch strings and sound is born. What has changed is how far Fender now follows that sound. With the launch of Fender Studio Pro 8, Fender is no longer stopping at the instrument. It is stepping fully into the recording studio and placing its name at the center of the modern music workflow. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The Home Studio Is Not a Shortcut, It's a StrategyFor a long time, the home studio has been talked about like a backup plan. Something you use only because you cannot afford the “real thing.” A temporary setup you tolerate until a label calls, or until you can scrape together enough money to book time in a flashy room with a massive console and someone else running the session. That idea is deeply baked into music culture, and it is one of the quiet reasons so many independent artists feel stuck. It frames the home studio as a sign you have not “made it yet,” instead of recognizing it for what it actually is. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - AI Chatbots for Musicians: 24/7 Fan Engagement Without Losing the Human TouchThere's a quiet lie baked into the modern music business. It tells you that if you want real fans, you have to be online nonstop. You have to reply right away. You have to post every day. You have to treat the algorithm like your boss, ready to jump the second it whistles. And if you don't keep up, the lie says you'll vanish.That mindset burns out good artists every single day. Not because they're weak, but because the system is built to steal your time. It turns your creative life into a never-ending shift on someone else's platform. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Carley's Wreck and RuinCarley's Wreck and Ruin is a British blues duo with a dark, unmistakable edge. Their sound is raw, primitive, and haunted — a mix of gritty blues and trashy roots that feels like it crawled up from somewhere old and restless. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - SSL Auto Bundle Deep Dive ReviewIf you make music at home, you already live with a constant push and pull. You want your songs to sound finished, confident, and professional. You want them to hold up when played next to commercial releases. But at the same time, you don't want every session to turn into a deep dive into technical theory. You didn't start making music so you could spend hours second-guessing EQ curves and compressor settings. You want control, not confusion. You want support, not restrictions. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Dee AndersonDee Anderson is a London-based actress and creative professional whose work is deeply shaped by a remarkable family legacy in British television and storytelling. She is the daughter of television pioneers Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson, the visionary creators behind Thunderbirds, the groundbreaking 1960s puppet-based action series that redefined children's television and influenced generations of filmmakers, designers, and science-fiction creators. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Andrew ClendenenAndrew Clendenen is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music blends thoughtful storytelling with emotionally direct performances. Rooted in classic songcraft and shaped by modern influences, his work sits comfortably between folk, Americana, and roots-driven indie music. http://www.makingascene.org

Why an Indie Artist Needs Two Additional Companies, Not a Dream and a PrayerLet's start by being honest, because this is where most music advice goes soft. If you are an independent artist releasing music without a record company or a publishing company, you are not actually “free.” You are exposed. You may feel creative freedom because no one is telling you what to write or record, but from a business point of view, your music is drifting with no structure holding it in place. There is no clear owner on paper. There is no system collecting everything you are owed. There is no container protecting your work long-term. That is how artists quietly lose money, slowly give up control, and eventually lose confidence in their own future. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with The Lucky LosersThe Lucky Losers are an award-winning six-piece blues and soul band from San Francisco. Since 2019, they have won six Independent Blues Awards, including Artist of the Year for vocalist Cathy Lemons and Song of the Year for “Godless Land.” The band is fronted by Lemons, a powerful singer raised in Dallas, and Phil Berkowitz, a New Jersey–born harmonica player and vocalist known for his distinctive style. Together, they lead a band that blends blues, soul, rock, gospel, and Americana into a bold, full-band sound built mostly on original material. http://www.makingascene.org