Andrew Stone heads up Chugg Music, the artist services and label side of the Chugg Entertainment dynasty. Launched back in 2012, the management company and label looks after acts like Megan Washington, Sheppard, The Griswolds and more.

One of those acts is Lime Cordiale, a Sydney two-piece featuring brothers Oliver and Louis Leimbach. The duo released their EP Faceless Cat in 2012 and followed with Falling Up The Stairs the next year. Their debut LP, Permanent Vacation, was released a little over a year ago and their currently heading around the country on a 25-date tour that will see them through until December and already boasts a number of sold out shows. They’ve amassed quite a few million plays on streaming services, yet only a few on old school radio. 

In a time where traditional promotional methods aren’t necessarily king anymore, Stone has shared his tips for how bands can grow their following and start filling up venues while they’re starting out.

Make music as good as your future peers

First of all, make sure the art is really great, so it’s recorded well, it’s of a standard that’s as good or better than the bands that you would consider future peers. So if you’re trying to crack it and be like Gang Of Youths, then make music that’s as good as Gang Of Youths. So that’s number one, because you’ve got to have something that people want to listen to.

Fans first

Focus first and foremost on your core audience rather than trying to go too wide. It’s much better to sell 100 tickets to people that love you than play to a festival where no one really cares, and let them be the champions and spread the word. 

Crack open a case (study, that is…)

I would identify bands like-minded bands by virtue of what the data is saying. So if you have 100 fans or 200 fans, try to find out the other bands those core fans listen to and then do case studies on those artists to work out where their careers started, how they started to take off, and then try to retrace those steps in your own way. Who did those acts play with, who’s their publicist/producer/manager? – take them out to lunch.

Stay social

Use social media and engage with fans directly, as best you can, because in a world where people are turning off mass media channels and have entertainment options coming at them from every angle, the more personal interactions between fan and artist tend to keep fans around and turns them into super supporters. And do it in whatever way they feel is appropriate to your art – ie. it’s not a vibe for every artist to be the one that replies to every single Instagram comment or anything like that, but yeah, in whatever way you think is appropriate to your core fanbase. 

Lime Cordiale are currently touring the country, check out theGuide below for more info on dates and tickets.

Sponsored by Chugg Music.