Love Letter 19 : It Was 10 Years Ago Today...
... and the real secret to achieving what you want!
Dear Reader,
As always, i hope this love letter finds you well and that you had a lovely week last week. Mine was just amazing, as i was fortunate enough to see Deepak Chopra in Zürich on Saturday and got to thank him personally for all those years of wisdom! He truly is an extraordinary man. I'll post photos soon!
One of the things i haven't talked to you about much, yet, is my musical career. 'Love & Decibels' is still fairly new and i am still navigating the platform, as well as the content of this newsletter according to my readers' wants and needs. I think it would be fair, though, if i let you know exactly where the name ‘Love & Decibels’ originated from and why today is a really special day for my music - and for me as its creator.
Some of you know me personally and know that, as well as Substacking, i am also the singer, songwriter and producer behind the solo synthpop music act Synthie dB Shock (pronounced "Synthie Decibelshock"). If you're not familiar with my music, you are most welcome to take a look at my website, which has all the details: https://www.synthie-decibelshock.com/
On this very day, 10 years ago, I released my debut EP, 'Factory Reset'. Ahh, i remember it as though it was yesterday! 😊 Writing the title track at 3 in the morning... using editing software for the first time... booking a studio to record my vocals... having the EP mixed, mastered and redbooked... finding a distributor... signing the first copies of my CDs... getting my first radio airplay... selling my music… being blogged about... So many beautiful memories. I honestly can't believe that 10 years have already passed!
Between 2013 and 2023, the title track, ‘Factory Reset’, was streamed over 13,000 times on Spotify alone! 🙏 Compared to bigger, commercial musicians, that’s peanuts; but not to me! Because for an independent artist with no record label, that counts for something - and i am incredibly grateful to each and every person that has ever streamed, bought, and given my songs radio airplay.
It was an absolute dream-come-true to release this CD and the music that followed. Right now i'm about to release one more new song, i have another one that's ready to go, and i am working on another, with dozens and dozens of others in my hard drive that i haven't even started editing yet!
So why didn't i release more music during those 10 years?...
Because before those 13,000 Spotify plays, things weren't so rosy.
I'd fallen into a deep depression as a result of all the years of longing to make music for a living, meanwhile spending my days in mundane jobs that left me feeling flat and uninspired. The career path wasn't taken seriously enough when i was younger, unless you were in some music conservatorium learning how to play perfectly for an audience in a classical orchestra, or the like. In simple terms: i was talked out of it! Over the years, i had totally lost my confidence in pursuing what was my inner calling from the age of 5. By the time i was ready to be a full-time musician and finally found the chance to pursue my dream, my mind was filled with limiting beliefs that had already massively affected my entire being. I became wholistically sick, unable to get well for years on end. So my health suffered, my work suffered, my relationships suffered, my finances suffered... and my music began to not do very well at all. To top it all off, one sweet day i was so numbed by it all, that i ceased making music completely. That’s when my health plummeted bigtime!
So this anniversary is very special to me, because here i am, 10 years later, having got over so many physical, mental and emotional hurdles, most of my relationships have been repaired, and there’s been a positive turnaround in my music career!
Today i’m writing this post for you and for me; because despite the hardships, i never gave up on my dream completely. I hope that i can motivate you to do the same, no matter how grim things might look for you right now from where you're standing - whether you're a struggling musician, a visual artist, or anyone creative who's feeling like you'll never get there. Believe me - if you really want this, YOU WILL !! PERSISTENCE is the key word, here and the secret to achieving your dream. Every time you feel like giving up, that’s the time to get up again and just keep walking. You will get your success. But you can't give up. Ever!
Since the title track was so well-received, i dug up the original, not-so-perfect version from the archives, re-named it 'Factory Reset (embryo)' and released it today as a Bandcamp exclusive single! You can have a listen here and drift away, if you like 😊
I'd love to know what you think. Do you prefer the 2013 version, or the "embryo" version? You can hear both on Bandcamp HERE.
If you're new to my music and want to join the 10th Anniversary party over the next week, feel free to connect with me on the socials, too, as i will be posting tidbits about the history of the E.P. every day till June 14.
All my socials are listed HERE.
Love & Decibels,
xx jo xx
I enjoyed this piece and look forward to checking out your music. I’m in public without my AirPods, so it has to wait. It’s always inspiring to read of people overcoming their personal demons and achieving whatever feels like success to them. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! 🎉
Persistence - yes!
Congratulations and keep going....