Scott Andrew - lo-fi acoustic pop superhero!

We’re about a week away from the start of a new year, and now’s a good a time as any to look back at what was probably my Best Year Ever musically. I played 24 shows in 2004, a number I’d like to increase next year. Three of those shows were great opening slots for nationally touring artists. I played seven cities across four (huge) states, attended three large music conferences, and managed to record and release eight songs this year (well, the Demo Club has already heard the 8th song; it’ll be released here on the website next week).

And along the way I made a ton of new friends and learned a ton of stuff.

So on to plans for 2005. It’s funny to think that part of my plan for 2005 is to actually scale back in some areas. But I’ve learned that, as a performing artist, it’s far too easy to get distracted by all the stuff you think you should be doing when a lot of that stuff is mostly a time-wasting ego-stroke.

My goals for 2005:

• to double the number of shows. My motto for next year is “More Live in ‘05″
• to write like crazy. I have a ton of good unfinished song ideas and I’m tired of padding my setlist with too many cover songs. And frankly, even I’m getting bored with my “songwriting is sooo hard for me” griping. I don’t know if I’ll join a songwriting workshop or take lessons or take more walks in the woods, but I need to do something.
• to play closer to home. I loved playing in Austin and San Francisco and LA, but I’ve hardly made a dent here in my adopted hometown. I really need to tap into the local scene and make a mark.
• to work with other artists. I’m tired of working by myself, it’s lonely. I need comraderie and co-conspirators. Heck, until I asked Mike and Shawn to sit in, I’d forgotten what a blast it is to play with a group. Thus, I’m going to arrange more group shows, and in January I’m co-hosting the first Just Plain Folks Seattle Winter Showcase and try to get some sort of community going. It may not fly, but who cares? Ain’t gonna start itself.
• to maintain balance. I can remember to go to Kinko’s to make flyers for a show two weeks away. So why can’t I remember my nephew’s birthday? I badly need to work on this.

On the flip side: I’ve decided to put plans for another record on hold until later in the year, maybe next autumn. It’s funny, once I made that decision it was like a great weight came off my shoulders. It’s like I had imposed some imaginary deadline (”must write songs faster! Gotta do another record!“) which was having a negative effect on my songwriting. Whew.

I also probably won’t be going to any conferences this year, including SXSW (unless I’m chosen or asked to perform, which won’t happen). I spent so much money on conferences last year, and while all of them were totally worth it, I need to watch the checkbook. I’m also done with what I call “music business porn” — the magazines, the how-to books, the newsletters. There are only a handful of books and sites I’d recommend (maybe I’ll write about them sometime), but most of the stuff out there is all about commodifying the dream of a lifestyle that doesn’t exist.

So, to recap: more shows, more songs, more friends, more balance. Less stress, less expense. And I’m still gonna blog the whole thing, beginning to end.

Sound good? Cool. Dear 2005: bring it.