BEHIND THE MUSIC: LIBERTY SPINKS
As the realm of music continuously adopts new forms and runs at a much faster pace, more and more creatives are choosing to operate as a one-person band. Introducing Liberty Spinks, a PR extraordinaire and mediator for some of the artists we love, aiming to ensure that your favourite tunes are shared with the broader masses. Established just last year in August after almost a decade working in music, Fleur Publicity has shown signs of rising prestige, representing a diverse array of artists spanning the realms of R&B, soul, and pop. From the captivating melodies of Sipprell, Joya Mooi, BEKA, JERUB and Aaron Taylor to the slick-retro sound of blackwave. Liberty's roster is a rich spectrum of talent highlighting the contemporary European alt-soul scene continuously growing in every corner.
Reflecting on her earliest encounter with music, she reminisces a cherished memory of a live performance. "I thought of Alicia Keys instantly when I read this question," Liberty recalls. "I have a very early, vivid memory of my mum taking me to see her in concert when I was 10 years old. I remember what I wore. I remember everything. And I love that album so much; I listened to it back to back in my mum's car."
"I suppose Alicia's sound very much shapes my roster and the music I love."
Like most music lovers, Liberty's taste isn't promised to one specific genre. Discovering the infectious rhythms of House during her early years of self-discovery sparked the humble beginnings of her music career. "At uni, I was partying and clubbing a lot more. That kind of speared me onto working in music. My first job was working in dance festivals. Two different genres but those were my two routes [into the music industry]."
So, what does a typical day at Fleur Publicity look like for Liberty Spinks?
"A typical day would start with some exercise or a walk. I can't go from bed to desk. I work from home, so I have to have that separation," she clarifies.
"A lot of what I do is email-based. I'll send a release to the press if I have a release out. Pitching to press and writing press releases. I love writing press releases," she laughs. "It helps you get a good understanding of what you're sharing with others. I love writing a lot."
As the world of streaming runs rampant within the industry, 100,000 songs are released daily. Breaking through the noise and capturing the attention of media outlets is much more challenging as their attention is constantly being pulled in numerous directions. Liberty's approach is the antidote to delivering results for her clients, emphasising the importance of clarity and conciseness when crafting pitches. "To cut through the noise is pretty tough," Liberty admits. "You've got to pitch clearly and concisely, get your message across, and unearth the nuggets of information about the artists you want to convey."
When asked about the essential do's and don'ts of pitching, Liberty offers invaluable insights she's found herself utilising within her every day. "Do your research," she advises, underlining the significance of understanding the publications and journalists you are contacting. "Look at what artists they like, what specific journalists have covered before, and go off the back of that." By tailoring pitches to the interests and preferences of media outlets, artists and PR professionals increase their chances of capturing attention. Working with Liberty personally, she has successfully captured the WE ARE SOUL's essence and fully understands the type of artists that excites our community.
Liberty underlined the importance of maintaining clarity in messaging while cultivating relationships. "Be clear in your messaging. Be kind, don't be rude." Like everything, building relationships takes time, and patience is vital to this work. "Just be friendly, and your relationships will build over time," Liberty explains. "You can't always expect to just pitch to someone and instantly get a cover," she said. "Don't take it personally if they don't come straight away."
As a freelancer and self-employed, she recognises the importance of building a supportive network. "Having that network to rely on is invaluable," Liberty affirms.
Progressing our conversation on the importance of creatives and their brand image, Liberty highlighted the need for a vision while acknowledging that it doesn't have to be fully polished from the beginning. "You need to have a vision," she explains. “You want to be able to portray who you are as an artist and what lane you're in.”" From a PR perspective, Liberty suggests that good press shots are crucial for emerging artists. "That's not always easy for emerging artists. When you don't have the budget for fancy photographers," she acknowledges. "But if you're going to focus on anything rather than getting a logo or anything like that, I would say decent press shots."
"That's going to be the image for features in publications. So if you focus your energy on anything, it should be timeless press shots."
Music PR requires a deep understanding of the industry and its constant moving of trends, leaving Liberty to practice a ritual of her own to stay ahead. "You just have to read a lot. Read newspapers, and read online features. Always be looking for new blogs. They kind of call PRs glorified stalkers because you've always got to be looking out for new contacts." Also, Liberty advises paying attention to young journalists and growing platforms. "Those journalists are going to be the tastemakers and the ones leading the creative field in years to come," she explains. "Don't always just go for the huge journalists. As an emerging creative, you're dealing with emerging people. You should also look for emerging journalists since the two will marry."
In response to how the music industry can support artists and their incomes in the streaming realm, Liberty expresses her concerns and calls for a significant change. "I think a lot can be done. I think the whole system probably needs a reset," she claims. "They don't get paid on big record labels with streaming. It doesn't reflect the modern-day streaming landscape."
When offering advice to emerging PR professionals seeking to enter the music industry, Liberty shares her words of wisdom. "Do it for enjoyment and love, not clout," she advises. "The music industry is enjoyable. But don't do it just because you think it's cool. That's not going to be long-lasting."
"Do it because you enjoy what you're in. And enjoy it where you can. Also, be nice to people!"
CREDITS:
Production & Creative Direction - WE ARE SOUL
Photographer & Writer - Esi Mongo
Producer - Sharnae Petgrave
BTS: Hannah Harding
Talent: Liberty Spinks / Fleur Publicity
BEHIND THE MUSIC: LIBERTY SPINKS
As the realm of music continuously adopts new forms and runs at a much faster pace, more and more creatives are choosing to operate as a one-person band. Introducing Liberty Spinks, a PR extraordinaire and mediator for some of the artists we love, aiming to ensure that your favourite tunes are shared with the broader masses. Established just last year in August after almost a decade working in music, Fleur Publicity has shown signs of rising prestige, representing a diverse array of artists spanning the realms of R&B, soul, and pop. From the captivating melodies of Sipprell, Joya Mooi, BEKA, JERUB and Aaron Taylor to the slick-retro sound of blackwave. Liberty's roster is a rich spectrum of talent highlighting the contemporary European alt-soul scene continuously growing in every corner.
Reflecting on her earliest encounter with music, she reminisces a cherished memory of a live performance. "I thought of Alicia Keys instantly when I read this question," Liberty recalls. "I have a very early, vivid memory of my mum taking me to see her in concert when I was 10 years old. I remember what I wore. I remember everything. And I love that album so much; I listened to it back to back in my mum's car."
"I suppose Alicia's sound very much shapes my roster and the music I love."
Like most music lovers, Liberty's taste isn't promised to one specific genre. Discovering the infectious rhythms of House during her early years of self-discovery sparked the humble beginnings of her music career. "At uni, I was partying and clubbing a lot more. That kind of speared me onto working in music. My first job was working in dance festivals. Two different genres but those were my two routes [into the music industry]."
So, what does a typical day at Fleur Publicity look like for Liberty Spinks?
"A typical day would start with some exercise or a walk. I can't go from bed to desk. I work from home, so I have to have that separation," she clarifies.
"A lot of what I do is email-based. I'll send a release to the press if I have a release out. Pitching to press and writing press releases. I love writing press releases," she laughs. "It helps you get a good understanding of what you're sharing with others. I love writing a lot."
As the world of streaming runs rampant within the industry, 100,000 songs are released daily. Breaking through the noise and capturing the attention of media outlets is much more challenging as their attention is constantly being pulled in numerous directions. Liberty's approach is the antidote to delivering results for her clients, emphasising the importance of clarity and conciseness when crafting pitches. "To cut through the noise is pretty tough," Liberty admits. "You've got to pitch clearly and concisely, get your message across, and unearth the nuggets of information about the artists you want to convey."
When asked about the essential do's and don'ts of pitching, Liberty offers invaluable insights she's found herself utilising within her every day. "Do your research," she advises, underlining the significance of understanding the publications and journalists you are contacting. "Look at what artists they like, what specific journalists have covered before, and go off the back of that." By tailoring pitches to the interests and preferences of media outlets, artists and PR professionals increase their chances of capturing attention. Working with Liberty personally, she has successfully captured the WE ARE SOUL's essence and fully understands the type of artists that excites our community.
Liberty underlined the importance of maintaining clarity in messaging while cultivating relationships. "Be clear in your messaging. Be kind, don't be rude." Like everything, building relationships takes time, and patience is vital to this work. "Just be friendly, and your relationships will build over time," Liberty explains. "You can't always expect to just pitch to someone and instantly get a cover," she said. "Don't take it personally if they don't come straight away."
As a freelancer and self-employed, she recognises the importance of building a supportive network. "Having that network to rely on is invaluable," Liberty affirms.
Progressing our conversation on the importance of creatives and their brand image, Liberty highlighted the need for a vision while acknowledging that it doesn't have to be fully polished from the beginning. "You need to have a vision," she explains. “You want to be able to portray who you are as an artist and what lane you're in.”" From a PR perspective, Liberty suggests that good press shots are crucial for emerging artists. "That's not always easy for emerging artists. When you don't have the budget for fancy photographers," she acknowledges. "But if you're going to focus on anything rather than getting a logo or anything like that, I would say decent press shots."
"That's going to be the image for features in publications. So if you focus your energy on anything, it should be timeless press shots."
Music PR requires a deep understanding of the industry and its constant moving of trends, leaving Liberty to practice a ritual of her own to stay ahead. "You just have to read a lot. Read newspapers, and read online features. Always be looking for new blogs. They kind of call PRs glorified stalkers because you've always got to be looking out for new contacts." Also, Liberty advises paying attention to young journalists and growing platforms. "Those journalists are going to be the tastemakers and the ones leading the creative field in years to come," she explains. "Don't always just go for the huge journalists. As an emerging creative, you're dealing with emerging people. You should also look for emerging journalists since the two will marry."
In response to how the music industry can support artists and their incomes in the streaming realm, Liberty expresses her concerns and calls for a significant change. "I think a lot can be done. I think the whole system probably needs a reset," she claims. "They don't get paid on big record labels with streaming. It doesn't reflect the modern-day streaming landscape."
When offering advice to emerging PR professionals seeking to enter the music industry, Liberty shares her words of wisdom. "Do it for enjoyment and love, not clout," she advises. "The music industry is enjoyable. But don't do it just because you think it's cool. That's not going to be long-lasting."
"Do it because you enjoy what you're in. And enjoy it where you can. Also, be nice to people!"
CREDITS:
Production & Creative Direction - WE ARE SOUL
Photographer & Writer - Esi Mongo
Producer - Sharnae Petgrave
BTS: Hannah Harding
Talent: Liberty Spinks / Fleur Publicity