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The UMMONTE Journal
Guides, release planning, reviews and opinions for independent artists.
The One-Sheet Isn't a Short EPK
A one-sheet isn't a shrunk-down EPK. It answers a narrower question: is this worth thirty more seconds? Here's why the order matters.
It Sounds Great On Your Headphones. That's Not Enough.
A mix that only survives in the room where it was made is not ready. Four checks that catch it before the release date locks.
You Don't Need A New Identity. You Need To Notice The One You Already Have.
Most artists already have an identity, it just never got noticed, named, or used on purpose. Five places to look for it yourself, before hiring anyone.
Presence or Release? A Straight Answer.
Two packages, two different questions. What Presence and Release each include, who each one is for, and how to tell which one your project needs first.
Your Music Moved On. Your Photos Didn't.
The sound evolves every week in rehearsal. The images wait for the next album. Here's why that gap costs more than it looks, and how to tell when it's time to close it.
Consistency Over Volume
The answer to growing as an artist isn't posting more. It's a system that runs without you living on the app every day.
Stop Posting More. Start Building a System.
The default advice treats the feed like the whole job. Here's what changed when we stopped chasing volume and started building a system instead.
Nobody Has Time to Learn Color Grading Between Shows
The content that builds an artist's world isn't the one big video a year. It's everything in between, made fast and mostly alone.
How to Write a Press Release for Your Music
One page, six parts, and no adjective you can't prove. A practical guide, with a free template.
An EPK Is Not a PDF
A PDF is a container. An EPK is what goes inside, and it can take almost any format.
The Boring Thing That Saved My Art
A sticky note with three things on it changed how I make things.
The Song Was Ready. The Rest Wasn't.
Talent gets you to the door. Order, timing and being ready get you through it.
Canary, in Motion
From a jazz house in Pai to a rebuilt session in Bali, a look back at seven projects with Canary.