Charlie Ashcroft

This is a fantastic piece of sweeping electropop, reminding me of artists like Mass Gothic and MGMT. In terms of where to pitch it for some UK exposure, I’d recommend getting in touch with the likes of John Kennedy at Radio X and She’ll Zenner on XS Manchester and Amazing Radio. It might also be worth getting a radio plugger like Olli Dutton or Josh Scarratt involved for a UK radio campaign, such is the strength of their BBC contacts and their experience in working releases in this genre. I’ll also definitely add it to my Spotify Fresh Finds playlist once it’s been released in February.

Wiley Koepp

You guys are accomplished, having been around the block more than once. I think it's refreshing that you've tapped into this medium for feedback and advice. Not many seasoned musicians seek out new resources. So kudos, just for that.

"Vacant Winds" needs to be on SiriusXM's Alt Nation. It fits right in with a Sir Sly vibe. Not saying you sound like them, just that being played before or after would be a natural feel on a radio playlist.

Musically, I don't really see room for 'improvement' or critique. Vocal harmonies are spot-on. Production is full and robust. You're professional and it shows.

Advice? Rally your fans, demand airplay. Dare Alt Nation to play you...because it might just work. There's really some sludge on that channel and it needs a fresh kick in the keister. "Vacant Winds" could be just what they need. Bravo on this tune. Really dig it.

Søren Lund Korsgaard

Nice dynamic pop/rock vibe with psychedelic undertones going on. The production is really top notch! The only thing I'm missing is a more memorable melody which is kind of essential for me. 
Good luck guys! 

Pedro Costa

Thanks for the submission.

First impressions: Cool vibe, great vocalist, and bass groove.

Some thoughts: The intro is a bit long, ok for an album track but I'd probably shorten it for radio and especially for synch. The form of the song is definitely not traditional. It feels like it's missing a chorus. The verse right now is the strong groove vibe and then it drifts into something that sounds like a pre-chorus that goes for way too long. But then there is no payoff. Just goes back to the verse. I would also finish the song on a proper ending rather than a fade (again, more of my experience for synch talking here). I also had a difficult time understanding the lyrics. Not sure if the vocal could be mixed a little differently to help with that. Levels seem good.

A groovy vibey album track but not something I would see as a single. And from a synch perspective, the vibe would be certainly usable. But a music supervisor would be looking for more of an arc which would be possible if there was a chorus that took it elsewhere.

I hope my thoughts are helpful on your journey. Wishing much success!

Hugh McIntyre

Good job on this! The only note I may have is that perhaps it could be taken to the next level with a higher-quality mixing or mastering? Not sure, but I liked this and I can see you developing an audience for your music.

Alan Cross

Well done! This track must have been a bitch to mix with all those layers. Nice harmonies, too. I hear a touch of Squeeze in the vocals. Good restraint. None of the players are looking to overwhelm the song with flashy bits. You've obviously learned that everyone needs to serve the song and not play to impress. 

Certainly no notes from me on songwriting, performance, or production.

It's good to see what you're in contact with as many blogs as you can. I'm always encouraging new artists to make friends with bloggers because every one of them is looking to take credit for The Next Big Thing.

I'm also guessing that you've figured out a social media strategy. Answer every response to everything you post. That's how you turn early vans into evangelists. 

Is there money for a lyric video? You want to have something on YouTube simply because it's still the biggest source of music discovery out there. 

As for finding a home for this song on radio, that might be touch. It sort of falls in the gaps between genres, something that commercial radio has a hard time comprehending. I'd study what Future Islands does. They've somehow managed to carve out a nice fanbase despite almost no commercial airplay. They live on campus stations, community radio, and SiriusXM. Is that a viable route for you?

Let be spread this around my networks. That'll be good for at least 100,000 people. Good luck and keep it up!

Bob Lugowe

good indie song with a modern but classic sound. congrats on being re-inspired to write music. the world def needs more creativity and positivity right now. 

In terms of promotional advice, I would start by suggesting that you include lyrics, links to hear more music and your social media (not just Facebook) in your Fluence submission along with a brief bio about the band. This is your elevator pitch in front of the right people so you want to make it as easy as possible for listeners to get the full picture of who you are and what you're about along with an easy way to find more of your music if they're interested. 

If you're not already, be sure to use all of the available and FREE artist tools across the DSPs like Spotify for Artists, Apple Music for Artists, Amazon Music for Artists and Bandcamp's artist platform as these will provide great insight into your fanbase, how your music is performing and allow you to optimize your profiles and pitch for inclusion on playlists in certain instances.

If you're looking for more promotion and building a fanbase you should consider hiring a publicist or a marketing firm that you feel you can trust and is a fan of your music to help with the release of your next single and/or album to help you get visibility on blogs, playlisting, print media, etc. If you're not already on a label, consider trying to get signed to one as they can help you with the promo and playlist pitching. Lastly, make sure you have a strong social media presence and that you're on all the right platforms (tik tok, instagram, triller, etc.) with a unique aesthetic as this will help you draw in listeners and hopefully stand out amongst a sea of performers. Having strong visual content and music videos can def help get your music out there more than just releasing it without any promotional effort. 

Lastly I said it above but can't stress enough how important it is to build your own fanbase on social media and really push your own personality across your channels and have it look and feel as pro as possible. Artists have more power than ever these days so take advantage of all the tools available! 

Best of luck!