Why Do I Want To Be A Signed Artist

I think it is important to establish why I want to be a signed singer-songwriter.

First and foremost, I would like to be an artist because I think my work is very unique and it deserves to be shared with the world. This sounds a bit arrogant but I do really believe in the music I make to be special, at least to myself. I think it is also important to through my music, establish my intersectionality as a queer immigrant here in London, to be an example for people who look like me that there are more than one type of artists.

So why do I want to be signed? Why can’t I just do my music for fun and not for a living?

Because I believe in my work, I think I should be paid fairly and be able to make music without worrying too much about revenue. While I admire people who can do part-time jobs and make music on the side, I am not those kinds of people. Not because I am not perseverant, but because I do my best work when I can focus on working on one thing at a time. If I can’t be a full-time musician, I know I won’t be able to concentrate on my work and make music on a professional level. I think there is an expectation for artists that they should love their practice above money and not work for money, but I think that is completely trash talk and artists should just be paid fairly to begin with. Ultimately, being an artist is an occupation for me, not just a passion project or a hobby. If I can’t get a job in the company I want as an accountant let’s say, I will just find work in another place or even field, I believe in sticking to a profession and doing your best at it every day.

I also think I am an ambitious artist, I want to make work at a certain level, with a certain amount of resources whether it’s studio spaces, people that manage my projects, printing vinyl, or the ability to tour the world and perform my music live. I don’t JUST want to make music, I want to be able to share it with the world and travel the world with it. I want to think of marketing strategies, I want to work on photoshoot; these are all part of what it means to be a singer songwriter to me. And if I can’t operate on a certain scale or professional level, I would rather just get another job. I don’t think I can compromise this far when it comes to the music I want to make. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t, and I am fine with coming up with another way forward. I at least deserve to try and get what I truly want before I move to other things in life.

I question why I want to be signed all the time, am I doing it for the wrong reason? Is it wrong to want to go through the process of a pop star and make work that is all-rounded and not just making music in my bedroom? Maybe it is greedy to want certain things in life.