Making a Scene Presents

Making a Scene Presents - Tracking vs Mixing: Two Spaces That Should Never Fight Each OtherMost home studios don’t fail in dramatic ways. They don’t blow up. They don’t announce themselves as broken. They quietly stop delivering results. Songs take longer than they should. Performances feel stiff. Mixes never quite translate. Confidence erodes one small frustration at a time. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents An Interview with The Long HoneymoonMinneapolis-based pop-rock band The Long Honeymoon has been filling venues and winning over audiences for more than three years with their high-energy live shows. Built around original songs packed with rich vocal harmonies, catchy pop grooves, and clever arrangements, the band delivers music that feels both familiar and fresh. Made up of musicians with more than two decades of experience in the Twin Cities music scene, The Long Honeymoon blends a deep love of classic pop-rock with a modern sound and a joyful spirit that connects with music fans of all ages. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Native Instruments’ Insolvency ShockWhat It Really Means for iZotope, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx, Kontakt, and Indie Artists Who Depend on ThemNative Instruments is not just another plugin company.For many indie musicians and producers, it is infrastructure. Kontakt lives inside massive writing templates. Maschine defines entire beat-making workflows. Traktor runs live rigs. Reaktor holds years of personal experimentation. iZotope tools like RX, Ozone, Neutron, and Nectar are the safety net that lets a small team sound professional. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - AI Writing Secrets for Musicians - Write Like a Marketer Without Sounding Like One The biggest lie indie artists are told about marketing is that it’s about tricks. Hooks. Hacks. Algorithms. Magic phrases that somehow turn strangers into fans. That’s not marketing. That’s noise. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The Future of Fan Data: How Web3 and AI Empowers Direct-to-Fan AnalyticsThe music industry has never had a problem collecting data. It has always had a problem giving it back to artists. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Joyann ParkerJoyann Parker is an American roots and soul singer-songwriter whose powerhouse voice and emotionally rich songwriting have made her one of the most compelling independent artists in today’s modern roots landscape. Blending blues, gospel, jazz, R&B, and vintage Americana, Parker pairs raw vocal authority with deeply human storytelling. Known for her electrifying live performances and unwavering authenticity, she has built a devoted fanbase through connection, craft, and emotional honesty rather than hype. http://www.makingascene.org

The 10 Most Common Home Studio Mistakes (And How to Fix Them Without Spending More Money)Home recording has never been more accessible. You can buy a solid microphone, a capable interface, a powerful DAW, and professional-grade plugins without leaving your house. On paper, there has never been a better time to record your own music. And yet, a lot of home recordings still sound thin, harsh, muddy, distant, or unfinished. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Carrie ZavalaZavala Sol is a San Diego–based five-piece band blending blues, swing, Southern rock, and funk into a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. Formed in 2022, the group came together with an almost immediate musical chemistry, driven by powerful original songs and a shared commitment to groove, storytelling, and high-energy performance. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Terry RobbSome musicians collect awards. A rare few become so closely associated with excellence that an award ends up bearing their name. Terry Robb is one of those rare artists.Born in Vancouver and now based in Portland, Terry Robb is widely regarded as one of the finest acoustic blues guitarists on the international stage. His mastery of fingerstyle guitar is so respected that after winning the Muddy Award for Best Acoustic Guitar multiple times, the Cascade Blues Association permanently named the honor after him. It is a distinction that speaks not only to his technical brilliance, but to his lasting influence on the blues community. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Tonalic by Celemony: Intelligent Loops That Actually Listen to Your MusicThere are two kinds of tools in modern music production. The first kind makes noise faster. The second kind understands music.Most loop tools fall into the first category. They give you sound, but not context. You drag something in, hope it fits, and then either force your song to work around the loop or spend time chopping it up so it doesn’t feel like a copy-and-paste job. That process can kill momentum fast, especially if you are an independent artist juggling songwriting, production, recording, and release schedules on your own. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Record Labels Aren’t Evil—They’re Just Optional NowFor most of modern music history, record labels were not just powerful. They were necessary. If you wanted to record, distribute, promote, or even be taken seriously, you needed a label. That reality shaped everything artists were taught to believe about success. Get signed. Give up control. Hope for the best. But here is the truth nobody in the industry likes to say out loud anymore. Record labels did not suddenly become bad. They simply stopped being mandatory. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Fixing Weak Performances Without Re-Recording: Ethical AI EditingThere is a quiet fear that sits in the back of a lot of recording sessions. It shows up right after the take feels emotionally right, but technically messy. The singer rushed a line. The guitar player dug in too hard on the chorus. The drummer pushed the fill just enough to make the groove wobble. Everyone in the room knows the truth: the performance means something, but it is not quite holding together. http://www.makingascene.org

There is a quiet problem ruining a lot of good music before it ever has a chance to connect with listeners. It is not bad songwriting. It is not cheap microphones. It is not even weak mixes. It is loudness. More specifically, it is the guessing game around loudness that happens in home studios every single day. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - What Actually Matters When Building a Home Recording StudioA no-BS guide for indie artists who want results, not gear lustLet’s be honest. Most home recording studios fail long before the first note is ever recorded. Not because the artist lacks talent. Not because the gear is cheap or outdated. They fail because the studio was built around shopping instead of decision-making. Money gets spent before the purpose is clear, and gear piles up without a plan for how it will actually be used. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Julia Eubanks of Agnes UncagedAgnes Uncaged, formerly known as Creeping Charlie, has quickly become one of the most compelling voices in Midwest indie rock. The Minneapolis-based band has earned attention for their guitar-driven, cinematic sound that balances raw emotion with melodic beauty. Critic Chris Riemenschneider called Julia Eubanks “one of the Twin Cities’ most promising young songwriters,” and the group was chosen to lead First Avenue’s Best New Bands showcase in 2022, a milestone that confirmed their growing influence in the region. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The DAO Label Model: When Artists and Fans Run the BusinessFor decades, the record label model has followed the same harsh pattern. A small group at the top controls the money, makes the decisions, and sets the direction for everyone else. These decisions often happen behind closed doors, far away from the artists and fans who actually create the value. Artists write the songs, record the music, and build the culture, yet they are usually the last people with real control over what happens to their own work. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Willie EdwardsWille Edwards is a Cornwall-based musician, songwriter, and the driving force behind the internationally acclaimed band Wille and the Bandits. Known for his eclectic style and fearless approach to genre, Wille has built a career that moves freely between blues, rock, folk, and world music, creating a sound that feels both timeless and modern. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Daxton!Daxton Monaghan is an Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music lives at the crossroads of grungy blues, psychedelic rock, and funk-driven soul. His sound is raw and adventurous, built on thick guitar tones, expressive vocals, and a fearless approach to songwriting that refuses to sit inside one genre. http://www.makingascene.org

Designing a Full Fan Passport System for Indie ArtistsA practical, real-world deep dive using tools you can use right nowThis is not a theory piece. This is a build guide.A Fan Passport system sounds fancy, but in practice it is just a way to stop forgetting your fans. It is a way to make sure that when someone shows up for you, buys something, or supports you in real life, that moment is remembered and can be built on later. http://www.makingascene.org

Why Your Fan Data Is Worth More Than Your MusicIf you are an independent artist, this is a hard truth that cuts against almost everything you were taught. Your music is no longer the most valuable thing you create. Your fan data is. Even more uncomfortable is this reality: recorded music has largely lost its status as a product. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Fender Steps Into the Studio World With Fender Studio Pro 8!For decades, Fender has been the company most musicians connect with guitars, amps, and the idea of owning your sound from the very first note you play. Fender has always lived at the start of the music chain, where hands touch strings and sound is born. What has changed is how far Fender now follows that sound. With the launch of Fender Studio Pro 8, Fender is no longer stopping at the instrument. It is stepping fully into the recording studio and placing its name at the center of the modern music workflow. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The Home Studio Is Not a Shortcut, It’s a StrategyFor a long time, the home studio has been talked about like a backup plan. Something you use only because you cannot afford the “real thing.” A temporary setup you tolerate until a label calls, or until you can scrape together enough money to book time in a flashy room with a massive console and someone else running the session. That idea is deeply baked into music culture, and it is one of the quiet reasons so many independent artists feel stuck. It frames the home studio as a sign you have not “made it yet,” instead of recognizing it for what it actually is. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - AI Chatbots for Musicians: 24/7 Fan Engagement Without Losing the Human TouchThere’s a quiet lie baked into the modern music business. It tells you that if you want real fans, you have to be online nonstop. You have to reply right away. You have to post every day. You have to treat the algorithm like your boss, ready to jump the second it whistles. And if you don’t keep up, the lie says you’ll vanish.That mindset burns out good artists every single day. Not because they’re weak, but because the system is built to steal your time. It turns your creative life into a never-ending shift on someone else’s platform. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Carley's Wreck and RuinCarley’s Wreck and Ruin is a British blues duo with a dark, unmistakable edge. Their sound is raw, primitive, and haunted — a mix of gritty blues and trashy roots that feels like it crawled up from somewhere old and restless. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - SSL Auto Bundle Deep Dive ReviewIf you make music at home, you already live with a constant push and pull. You want your songs to sound finished, confident, and professional. You want them to hold up when played next to commercial releases. But at the same time, you don’t want every session to turn into a deep dive into technical theory. You didn’t start making music so you could spend hours second-guessing EQ curves and compressor settings. You want control, not confusion. You want support, not restrictions. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Dee AndersonDee Anderson is a London-based actress and creative professional whose work is deeply shaped by a remarkable family legacy in British television and storytelling. She is the daughter of television pioneers Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson, the visionary creators behind Thunderbirds, the groundbreaking 1960s puppet-based action series that redefined children’s television and influenced generations of filmmakers, designers, and science-fiction creators. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Andrew ClendenenAndrew Clendenen is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music blends thoughtful storytelling with emotionally direct performances. Rooted in classic songcraft and shaped by modern influences, his work sits comfortably between folk, Americana, and roots-driven indie music. http://www.makingascene.org

Why an Indie Artist Needs Two Additional Companies, Not a Dream and a PrayerLet’s start by being honest, because this is where most music advice goes soft. If you are an independent artist releasing music without a record company or a publishing company, you are not actually “free.” You are exposed. You may feel creative freedom because no one is telling you what to write or record, but from a business point of view, your music is drifting with no structure holding it in place. There is no clear owner on paper. There is no system collecting everything you are owed. There is no container protecting your work long-term. That is how artists quietly lose money, slowly give up control, and eventually lose confidence in their own future. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with The Lucky LosersThe Lucky Losers are an award-winning six-piece blues and soul band from San Francisco. Since 2019, they have won six Independent Blues Awards, including Artist of the Year for vocalist Cathy Lemons and Song of the Year for “Godless Land.” The band is fronted by Lemons, a powerful singer raised in Dallas, and Phil Berkowitz, a New Jersey–born harmonica player and vocalist known for his distinctive style. Together, they lead a band that blends blues, soul, rock, gospel, and Americana into a bold, full-band sound built mostly on original material. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Focal Listen Professional Headphones - A Deep Dive ReviewWhy Tracking Headphones Matter More Than Most People ThinkTracking is where the music actually gets captured. This is the moment where a vocal performance is frozen in time, where a guitar part becomes permanent, and where mistakes either get fixed now or haunt you forever. Mixing can polish things later, but tracking is where the foundation is poured. If you can’t hear clearly while tracking, everything that comes after gets harder. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The Hard Truth: You Already Run A Business, You Just Haven’t Admitted It YetIf you’re releasing music and touring locally, regionally, and nationally, you’re not “trying to make it.” You’re already operating a real business. Money comes in. Money goes out. Contracts get signed. Taxes show up whether you feel ready or not. The only question is whether you’re going to run your music business on purpose, or let it run you by accident. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents -The Indie Artist’s Guide to Writing a Real Business PlanFor independent musicians, the music business can feel confusing, overwhelming, and honestly a little intimidating. You make music because you love it, not because you dreamed of spreadsheets and contracts. But here’s the truth nobody tells you early enough: if you want music to be your career instead of an expensive hobby, you need a business plan. Not a corporate one. Not a label-style fantasy deck. A real, usable plan that reflects how music actually works today. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Andrew StrongAndrew Strong was born in Dublin in November 1973 into a deeply musical family. His father, Rob Strong, was one of Ireland’s most respected rock singers in the 1970s and remains active in music to this day. Growing up around performers and rehearsals, Andrew was drawn to music early and naturally. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents An Interview with Ross NeilsenHere’s a rewritten and expanded version that keeps the facts, adds context, and smooths the story into a clear, compelling narrative.Ross Neilsen didn’t build his career in a straight line. In 2007, he quit his job, gave up his home, and moved into his car so he could follow music full-time. For the next two years he couch-surfed, slept wherever he could, and stayed on the road almost constantly. That choice shaped everything that followed. The highway became his classroom, his stage, and his home. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - THE HITS ACT EXPLAINED FOR INDIE MUSICIANS (NO LAW DEGREE REQUIRED)If you’ve ever finished a recording project, felt proud of the music, and then felt sick when you added up the studio bills, this article is for you. Recording costs hit indie musicians before the money comes in, sometimes long before. The HITS Act exists because lawmakers finally recognized that problem and tried to fix part of it. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Unreal Engine 5.7 For Music Videos A Deep Dive ReviewEpic Games built Unreal Engine to make video games, but that is no longer the most interesting use case. Over the last few years, Unreal has quietly become one of the most powerful tools for film, television, and music visuals. Version 5.7 continues that shift. It is not a toy, and it is not a filter. It is a real-time world-building engine that lets independent musicians create cinematic environments that used to require soundstages, location permits, crews, and serious money. http://www.makingascene.org

IPFS and the Decentralized Music ArchiveHow Indie Artists Can Host Their Entire Catalog, Serve Every Kind of Fan, and Build a Real LegacyFor decades, independent artists were handed advice that sounded helpful but quietly worked against them. Upload your music to platforms. Share a link. Trust the system to take care of the rest. On the surface, that sounds reasonable. In practice, it put your entire career inside systems you never controlled. Dropbox links expire or get buried. SoundCloud accounts get capped, throttled, or flagged. Platforms change pricing, remove features, rewrite terms, or simply decide your music no longer fits their priorities. Meanwhile, your catalog, which might represent twenty or thirty years of creative work, ends up scattered across services that can disappear, lock you out, or change the rules overnight. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - AI Won’t Kill Music Careers—Starving Artists WillAs we head into the New Year, it’s time to take an honest look at one of the hottest and most misunderstood topics in the music industry right now. Every few months, the same cycle plays out. A scary headline appears. A new AI tool gets released. A video goes viral showing a fake song that sounds like a famous artist. Almost overnight, the mood shifts. The conversation turns dark. People start saying AI is going to replace musicians. They claim creativity is dead. They insist the soul has been ripped out of music and that this is the end of everything we care about. http://www.makingascene.org

If you’re an indie artist working from home, green screen might sound like something left over from old Hollywood movies. It can feel outdated, expensive, or disconnected from the way modern AI video works. That assumption couldn’t be more wrong. Green screen is actually one of the most important tools you can pair with AI today, especially if you want your music videos, branding visuals, and short-form content to look cinematic without burning money on locations, crews, travel, or permits. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Levi PlateroLevi Platero is from the Navajo Nation in the Southwest United States. He first gained national attention with his family band, The Plateros, who emerged in 2004 as a blues-rock power trio often compared to artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Los Lonely Boys, and ZZ Top. The band spent more than a decade touring across the U.S., building a reputation for their high-energy live shows and strong musicianship. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Johnny Barracuda of the Soho DukesSOHO DUKES won’t admit it, but they’re having a very good time.The band began in an unlikely way, not in a rehearsal room, but as a nineteenth-century–style drinking club roaming the pubs of London’s West End. On one of those legendary crawls, Bomber on bass and Johnny Barracuda on vocals crossed paths with Col “The Duke” Foster on rhythm guitar and Age Blackwell on drums. As the nights grew longer and the beer got more expensive, two more essential characters joined the group, Si Leach on lead guitar and the mysterious Swerve on keyboards. At that point, the cost of keeping the “club” alive became unsustainable, so they did the only sensible thing. Col picked up a guitar, and the band was born. http://www.makingascene.org

Recording Vocals at Home: From Living Room to Radio-ReadyRecording vocals at home used to feel like settling. You’d stand in a bedroom or living room, sing into a mic, and then hope the computer could “fix it” later. That old approach is done. These days, an indie singer with a normal room, a few smart choices, and good habits can record vocals that sit right next to commercial releases without sounding out of place. Not because home gear is some kind of magic cheat code, but because the real process of making great vocal recordings is finally available to everyone. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Why AI Video Finally Makes Sense for Indie Artists using AIVideo.comFor most independent musicians, the music video has always been the most expensive piece of the puzzle. You can record at home, distribute digitally, market on social platforms, but the moment visuals enter the conversation, the price jumps and control disappears. Crews, locations, schedules, favors, compromises. That is the old system. AI video changes that system, not by replacing creativity, but by breaking the video down into its smallest, most manageable parts. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene is reaffirming and expanding its commitment to the independent music community with a clear editorial mission: to continue delivering in-depth, practical journali/sm that helps artists take control of their careers instead of asking for permission from systems that were never designed to work in their favor. This commitment is not rooted in trends, hype cycles, or surface-level commentary.It is grounded in the belief that a healthy music ecosystem depends on a strong, informed, and economically sustainable music industry middle class made up of independent artists who understand both their creative value and their business power. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - What the Hell Is an AI Agent and How can you Use it for your Music BusinessLet’s strip the mystery away right now. An AI Agent is not a robot. It’s not a sci-fi brain. It’s not some Silicon Valley thing meant for billion-dollar companies. An AI Agent is simply a digital helper that can think through tasks, make decisions, and take action for you, without you babysitting every step. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Johnny "V" VernazzaJohnny “V” Vernazza was born in San Francisco and raised in Daly City, right in the middle of one of the most explosive music scenes in American history. In the 1960s, the Bay Area wasn’t just alive with music, it was overflowing. Clubs were everywhere, and it was normal to jam at four or five spots in a single night. Add legendary rooms like the Fillmore, the Avalon Ballroom, and massive concerts in Golden Gate Park, and you had a city where music wasn’t a hobby, it was a way of life. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey's Interview with Laura RainDetroit is a city built on grit. After decades of being written off, it is rebuilding itself as a powerful center of ideas, art, and creation. The city is once again attracting artists, innovators, and dreamers who bring new energy and purpose to the Motor City. Detroit didn’t lose its soul. It was just waiting for the right moment to rise again. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Why the Music Industry Middle Class Matters More Than SuperstarsThe Lie We Were All SoldFrom the very beginning, most musicians are taught the same story, whether anyone ever says it out loud or not. If you work hard enough, sacrifice enough, and stick it out long enough, someone with power will eventually notice you. A label. A manager. A gatekeeper of some kind. That moment, we’re told, is when your real career finally begins. Until then, you’re expected to struggle quietly and call it “paying your dues.” http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - The Power of Reference Tracks: Learning to Mix by ListeningIf you want your mixes to sound more “pro” without buying more gear or plugins, this is the shortcut nobody talks about enough. Reference tracks. Not copying. Not stealing ideas. Just listening smarter.Most indie artists think mixing is about twisting knobs until things sound good. That’s half true. The real skill is knowing what “good” even sounds like in the first place. That’s where reference tracks come in. They train your ears faster than any tutorial ever will. http://www.makingascene.org

Making a Scene Presents - Record Labels Should Be Terrified: Artists Are Building Their Own EconomiesFor most of music history, there was one road. If you wanted a career, you went through a major label. They had the money, the power, the distribution, and the connections. Artists were told this was the only way. Sign the deal. Give up ownership. Wait to get paid later. Maybe. That story is breaking down fast. Today, artists are quietly building something new. Not a trend. Not a side hustle. A real replacement. Artists are creating their own economies where music, fans, data, money, and marketing all live under their control. No gatekeepers. No middlemen. No waiting. http://www.makingascene.org