Liv Austen indie artists (1)

“My overall professional and personal goal is to constantly keep making music for myself and for others. To be able to travel and tour with my music and feel like my songs actually have an impact on people’s lives.” @LivAusten

 

Listen to the show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2015/09/17/episode-258-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax

Jacqueline Jax logo photo

GETTING TO KNOW LIV AUSTEN
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio

I got into music…
because of my family since I grew up in a family that loved music. Music was always playing, someone was always singing and both sides of my family are very gifted musicians, although they would never say anything like that themselves, they are way too shy!

My personal definition of success is..
to be able to be in control. To know that you are doing what you want to do on your own terms, and also, I have to admit, to prove people wrong! When I got offered a slot at a festival earlier this year on a big stage, a lot of people had no clue who I was or what I was capable of. It felt pretty darn good to prove myself in that setting.

My overall professional and personal goal is…
to constantly keep making music for myself and for others. To be able to travel and tour with my music and feel like my songs actually have an impact on people’s lives.

I challenge myself in order to move forward towards my goal by…
1) Practicing my instruments (piano, voice and guitar), so I constantly get better.
2) Trying to get in to co-writing. I find it absolutely terrifying and so different, but I know it can be a great thing to do!
3) Staying updated on what is happening. Who else is out there that I can take inspiration from

I live in London, UK…
so I would have to write an essay about the music scene here! It is just incredible. You can find top musicians, both local and visiting, playing in every genre pretty much every night. There are tiny music pubs and huge arenas. For me, especially, it is really cool to see how many American country singers are eager to come over here and play now.

I am most afraid of…
being misunderstood. I do sometimes worry that people will not get me, or will believe rumours and make assumptions about me. That sort of thing.

I would love to have 5 minutes alone with…
Shania Twain. She seems so warm and her head is in the right place. I would love to know the secret to becoming an international country success and to be completely timeless!

“The Guts You Always Had” is…
a song about my sister and how our relationship has changed through time and how much I look up to her! I was originally just going to give it to my sister as a birthday present! It is very bizarre to think about that now that it has become an audience favourite. I recorded a demo and sent it to her. But then, I decided to perform it at a gig and the reaction was completely overwhelming! My sister sent me a photo of herself after hearing it for the first time and she was absolutely sobbing! I have never made so many people cry with one song. I have lost count of how many people have told me it reminds them of their sibling relationship. One man even wrote to me and told me it reminded him of his late wife. That one really stuck with me.

I am in the process of making a new EP…
for the people who know my music, let’s just say we are going to kick it up a notch. I have not shied away from serious topics in my lyrics and the production is also much, much bigger this time around! I will be releasing a single first and I am incredibly excited to share it with people. It may take some people by surprise, the sound is quite “punchy”!

Liv Austen indie music

The music business is…
not the easiest business to be in, that’s for sure! And being a musician pretty much consists of at least three full-time jobs! I am very lucky to have a manager now who helps me, and I believe that there are a lot of musicians out there that are eager to be in this together and help each other out, which makes it so much easier for all of us. There is a lot you have to be good at though; being a talented musician is just a small part of it: you need to know about legalities, be good at networking, think strategically. It is hard work but it is SO rewarding when it pays off.

Releasing singles vs an album…
I believe that when timed right, which I hope I will do this year, releasing a single can be very smart. If you release something that is good and represents the rest of the album, then hopefully the audience will be eager to hear more. But, in the end, you want to be able to provide your fans with an album or at least an EP so they get more material.

Social media has been absolutely essential to me…
to get my music out to people. I cannot even imagine how different my career would have been without it. There is the constant pressure of being active on it, which can be difficult, but for an independent artist, it is probably the most valuable tool of all.

There is probably quite a lot of emphasis on being trendy and current…
However, I do not really feel pressured to be trendy as to me, it is all about the music and everything else is just stuff you have to deal with. I can only be myself and see if that resonates with other people.

 

BIO:
Liv Austen grew up in a musical home and sang from a very early age. As a teenager, she started writing her own songs and in August 2014, she released her first record, the four track EP called “Workin’ Man’s Dream”. The EP was recorded at Ten21 Studios and produced by Sean Kenny, with funds to record it raised through a campaign on pledgemusic.com, that saw friends, family and strangers pledging generously. Liv Austen’s first record started gaining momentum and received praise from other musicians and bands, and got rave reviews from blogs such as 4000 Miles to Nashville. At the end of last year, it was awarded UK EP Of The Year by W21 Music.Over the past years, Liv has performed at prestigious stages and events such as Country2Country at the O2, London FolkFest and the band Dexeter’s album launch at Camden Barfly.

Liv Austen Social Media Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/livausten

Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/liv-austen

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/livausten

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/livausten