“KEEPING IT REAL”
A DIARY OF AN UP & COMING ARTIST…
By Shanie Ryan… Singer / song writer / Artist
Follow me on Twitter: @Shanie_MissJinx
Okay….. So anyone who truly loves music will have fallen victim to watching reality TV shows such as MTV’s Making The Band or Breaking From Above and seen the ‘So Called’ struggle of trying to make it in the music industry. I say ‘So Called’ not to discredit the artists, because although these shows feature real artists just like myself trying to achieve their dreams they also have huge TV or record label deals behind them. As well as having a team of experts supporting them for example choreographers, vocal coaches and even if they don’t make the cut they gain HUGE media exposure…. So I ask the question ‘Is this really reality?’
As an up and coming singer/songwriter who has already experienced my fair share of highs and lows in the music industry I have been invited to share with the Flavour readers my personal journey, the truth about both the highs and lows of trying to make it as an artist without all of the perks of a reality TV show.
My Article will feature everything I get up to on my journey, from the high’s of my journey to the lows of my journey as well as all the behind the scenes gossip from the music industry events that I manage to blag myself into…
I introduce you too ‘Keeping it Real’….
DIARY OF AN UP & COMING ARTIST… Part 4
Thank you for returning to read the fourth instalment of my new column “Keeping It Real”
I am pleased to report that my quest to get some new images done is complete! After much organising I managed to pull off a photo shoot with an amazing nine styling looks, 4 hair changes & 4 make up changes all in one day & one location thanks to my amazing team. I said in my last column I felt a road trip coming on and that it was. My hugely supportive boyfriend drove me and my hair stylist Nate Gooding up to Birmingham from South East London to join my lovely make-up artist Kerri Baines & Photographer Dani Marin in a cool New York City loft style studio that we managed to blag for free. We worked from morning until night on what has to be my favourite photo shoot I have ever done. As an unsigned artist you don’t have endless label budgets to work with so the mission was to achieve album cover worthy & promo images on zero budget! So here’s how I did it….. I reached out to a lovely and incredible makeup artist Kerri Baines whom I’d recently met and who’d said she’d love to use my face as a canvas for make-up looks for her website. I made an agreement that she could use my face for her website images free of charge if she’d work on my shoot for free, she agreed. In turn Kerri then brought on board a photographer friend of hers whom she’d always wanted to work with Dani Marin. From there I reached out to my bestie and former Duchess hair stylist Nate Gooding who wouldn’t let anyone else near my hair anyway and is always up for a fun road trip! Now came the real dilemma, how on earth am I going to achieve nine looks on zero budget with no stylist??? Answer…. Style yourself using magazines & by putting together a mood board for each look and use the credit card! Although this is probably one of the most ghetto things to admit too, I am going share this with you all as it demonstrates that “Were there’s a will, there’s a way” and this is the kind of hustle you need as an unsigned artist. I went out on oxford street armed with my credit card and spent a whopping £700.00 on clothes and shoes for my shoot and made sure I was 100% happy with my image and then the next day…… I took the whole lot back! Yep! I said it! Lol So guys and girls…. It can be done. You just gotta exchange favours and have the front to exploit the refund policy! Lol Check out the behind the scenes photos from my photo shoot below!
EVENTS & GIGS
EVENT: ‘Storage 24’ Movie screening
VENUE: The Court House Hotel, London.
INVITED BY: Flavour Magazine
WHO WAS THERE: Lots of media peoples!
DRINKS: Bottles of Water…. Boringhell!!!
FOOD: I doubt it when water was the drink on offer…. Lol!
GOODIE BAG: No Chance!
WHAT HAPPENED?? This is the latest screen play written by the talented London born actor, writer and director Noel Clarke. We were invited to an exclusive screening of the movie in a small cinema within a hotel, though I have to say it was much more comfy than the regular cinema’s! So the long and short of the storyline is…
SYNOPSIS:
London is in chaos. A military cargo plane has crashed leaving its highly classified contents strewn across the city. Completely unaware London is in lockdown, Charlie (Noel Clarke) and Shelley (Antonia Campbell-Hughes), accompanied by best friends Mark (Colin O’Donoghue) and Nikki (Laura Haddock), are at Storage 24 dividing up their possessions after a recent break-up.
Suddenly, the power goes off. Trapped in a dark maze of endless corridors, a mystery predator is hunting them one by one. In a place designed to keep things in, how do you get out?
When Flavour magazine invited me to the screening of the latest Noel Clarke movie I was excited. I was thinking I was about to get a sneak peak at the latest urban comedy “Adulthood” style. But Clarke has stepped completely away from that genre whilst still keeping the odd comedy moment in the mix despite the Sci-Fi genre. I have to say I am not a fan of British Sci-Fi movies, I just don’t think it’s something us Brits do particularly well. It seems like we always have to have the comedy aspect present rather than producing a serious Sci-Fi film. I definitely think Noel Clarke has done a good job with creating a credible British Sci-Fi movie despite the comedy moments and overall I enjoyed the movie and the evening.
Storage 24 is released out now
CELEB HIGHS & LOWS
If there is one person who has experienced both the highs & lows of being an artist in the music industry it’s my friend original Sugababe member Keisha Buchanan. So of course I had to pick her brains on what she would consider the absolute high of her success and the low of her struggles through music, here is what she had to say….
Highs: “My highs- writing songs that have inspired, brought joy, helped people to overcome hard times, has been one of my high points. I came into this for the music, to sing and vent my frustrations as a teenager on to a record. I had no idea what the effect of songs like “Stronger” would have on people through their hard times, and that “Caught in the moment” would be played at weddings. That’s amazing to think”.
Lows: “My low points- I would say, not being on top of the business side of things. You’re so busy and there are so many people surrounding and making decisions for you that you end up leaving it all in their hands while you do what you love, the “music”. You forget that this is a business and you’ve got to be on top of everything. I’ve learned so much during my 2 years out of the industry, but it has been a blessing because now I’m coming back stronger than ever!”
UP & COMING…..
Shanay Holmes (@ShanayHolmes)
Formally a west end star in musicals such as ‘Thriller’ Shanay Holmes is currently working on her solo material and trying to break into the pop world. I recently had the pleasure of watching her perform at the famous Ronnie Scott’s venue in London and was so blown away by her vocals I had to feature her in this week’s up & coming spot!
Check out the sound cloud of her debut single ‘Worth the wait’
http://soundcloud.com/shanayholmes/worth-the-wait
THE BLAG SPOT
As an up & coming artist there isn’t exactly many perks financially so it’s all about the freebies Lol…..
So this week’s Blag comes all the way from my recent holiday in sunny Cancun, Mexico! I was grateful to be offered an impressive room upgrade to the master suite in my hotel. The suite was absolutely beautiful with a huge wrap around balcony, sitting room, walk in closet and breath taking views of the ocean.
INSPIRING TWEET OF THE WEEK
@TheDailyLove It won’t happen in your time, but it will happen in the perfect time. Keep Going #TDL