Los Angeles has been a cornerstone for rock and roll for as long as rock and roll has been around. The city helped artists shape their dreams into songs for decades and now it’s your turn to make history.
We’ve put this piece together to help you find the way to squeeze the sweet inspiration out of this amazing city and pour it all into a rock n’ roll anthem at a Los Angeles rehearsal studio.
Pump up the volume, because ready or not, here we go!
Let The City Do The Inspirational Work
The first thing you need to do is to let the city take care of the inspirational part. This means to open up to its vast history and feel the vibes that legends left behind. In other words, when in LA, you should let the LA spirit take over you instead of trying to push yourself over the city vibe.
You don’t have a clue how to get started chasing that vibe? Let’s go through the options together.
● Visit the Sunset Strip
● Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame
● Feel the vinyl history at Amoeba Records
● Visit the Grammy Museum
● Go to the Los Angeles Music Center
A Los Angeles Rehearsal Studio Should Be Your Second Home
The first thing you need to do when you reach town is book some time at a rehearsal studio. Furthermore, you need to make that rehearsal space your second home. Why is this so important? The answer is simple: because ideas need time and effort to blossom into beautiful songs. If you’re struggling to find one or timing is an issue, it is probably worth checking out these Los Angeles rehearsal studios from PIRATE who should be able to offer a studio that caters to all your needs.
Take in the great vibes and the information of LA’s tourist spots and try to condensate all that energy into a great tune. Moreover, try to imagine you’re writing music that needs to compete with the stars and legends you just visited. I know it is a challenge, but pushing your boundaries is the name of the game.
Go To Open Mic Nights
Once you’ve gone sightseeing, poured all that inspiration in chords and lyrics, and practiced as if your life depended on it, it is time to go find allies and test the material.
As you might have guessed, the number of open mic nights in the city matches the number of acts performing (sort of) so yes, there are many to choose from. Some of the best you can try are:
● Pig & Whistle
● The Baked Potato
● The Cork Lounge
● El Cid
● The Dresden
● Canter’s Kibitz Room
● Silverlake Lounge
While there, try to make bonds with other musicians and stay until the night is over. Networking is one of the main pillars to build a good reputation.
Check The Bar Scene
Did you find the right people for your project at the open mic nights? Did you take them to your Los Angeles rehearsal studio and polished the material to an obsessive detail? Great! Now it’s the ideal time to make rock and roll history and for that, you need to check the bar scene.
By this, I don’t mean going to The Roxy. The Viper Room, or The Troubadour, I mean checking the indie, underground music scene. This way, you can bond with other bands in your same situation and together sell out a room to cement your presence in the city.
The most important tip is to make the most out of every night in terms of networking. Follow the buzz, ask a lot of questions, and, most importantly, have a lot of fun. Cracking a good joke and having a laugh can potentially be the best way to bond with other musicians.
Talk To The Right People
Once the above strategy proves its worth, you need to start speaking with promoters, agents, and managers. These are the gatekeepers, the people that need to like you and your music to make magic happen.
The trick is where to find them, right?
Well, in the old days, a good R&D rep would go check the same underground music scene you’re checking and discover the fresh talent. Nowadays, with the internet and streaming services, talent seekers only go to see the acts they have already heard and liked online. To get their attention, you need to create a buzz about your band and music.
How To Create A Buzz In LA?
To create the buzz in LA or anywhere else, you need to have some music recorded, but that’s a story for a different post. Let’s say that from that rehearsal studio you made it to the recording studio and now you have a couple of tracks on Spotify.
That’s great, make sure you make stickers and pass them onto everybody you come across. Furthermore, play those songs in every gig and make a nice recording for YouTube. Make people know you’re after meeting the right people and, as long as your stuff is good, you’ll surely get noticed and they will come to you.
Conclusion
Writing rock in LA is like making it in the big leagues. By this, I mean that it isn’t exactly the easiest endeavor in the world. On the contrary, not everybody trying it will get to conquer this mighty city.
Nevertheless, if you follow the course of action described above and write the best music you can, then your chances will multiply.
Don’t forget to network, play a lot, be kind, and have a lot of fun. If you don’t enjoy the ride, you won’t enjoy the destination either.
