I play with a lot of new artists and it seems some “get it” and others don’t. I put together this little list to help new musicians do their best right out of the gate. Enjoy!

Tips for newly gigging bands:

So, you’re in a band. Great! Your first gig has been booked and you’re looking forward to rocking out. Listed below a few tips to remember if you want your gigging career to be long and fruitful.

1. Stay on time.
FYI, you’re not the only band on the planet! A venue usually books a billing of multiple bands, each of which want their fair share of time on stage. By showing up on time, playing your allotted slot, and getting off stage quickly for the following band you’ll show your professionalism.

2. Know your stuff.
No one likes to watch a band crash and burn; it’s awkward for everyone. Double check your equipment, your lyrics, and your band line-up before playing. If you have unreliable gear, or unreliable musicians it may be wise to plan for failure, bringing backup equipment (or band-mates) if necessary.

3. Play your part.
Now that you’re playing live shows you’re part of a scene. Venues, fans, other bands, media…they’re all part of the scene too. Be gracious to the venues that are kind enough to book you. Stick around and listen to the bands that play after you. Thank the fans for coming out. Support your local music media. Be the kind of band that people want to like…it’ll pay off in the long run.

Rock on!

The rainy Des Moines skies are reminding me of the time I spent living in Portland, OR! As the grass brightens into various shades of green I’m listening to an early mix of “The Telltale Heart,” one of songs on our upcoming album, Telltale (To be released this summer). My favorite part? Honestly…it feels so good to hear a guitar solo on a Finn Miles album!

Usually we don’t do this kind of thing…but hey, we like to share! Take a listen to “Telltale” and let us know what you think!*

*Since this mix we’ve brought the vocals down and added tambourine…for all you tambourine fans…

A couple of microphones, a rock climbing wall, falsetto, and unreleased music from Finn Miles. You’ll find it all here at the latest release of Onesongs, a website put together by my brother, producer, and all around good guy, Scott Gratton. He cornered me (literally) into playing an unreleased song “The Firing Line” for him. We had just finished recording vocals for our upcoming album “Telltale” when he pulled out the camera and mics for a one take solo-acoustic performance.

Check out the solo Finn Miles Onesongs live performance here.

That’s what we’re doing here at FinnMiles.com. I just finished vocals on the upcoming album “Telltale” with great help from my talented producer/brother Scott Gratton. I sat down in our kitchen/studio with Scott to talk about the new album. Listen up!