For independent musicians sending a press release, aside from information about the song, there are a couple of other things that should be present as well. One of those is a short bio about the artist in which you provide as much or as little detail as you find comfortable with, albeit remembering that the purpose of a press release is to convey information. Or rather, the purpose is to convey the information you wish to provide and nothing else. By far the most important item in your bio should be what I like to call your ‘TVR moment’.
What’s a ‘TVR moment’ I hear you say – well, I previously ran the Alfie Boe Official Fan Blog and he was famously discovered singing in the TVR factory near Blackpool. This little nugget of information will have appeared in every single press release in his early career, because it still comes up now in press and media pieces about Alfie. Whilst this story is a priceless gem that appeals to all sorts of people, it nevertheless illustrates the point that you need to be completely and utterly happy with the story you choose to tell because, if done right, it will be the hook that gets you noticed for years and years to come.
Other than giving the reviewer / interviewer an easy hook to centre a piece around, your story should also be something that the audience sees as an “ooh, that’s interesting” moment, something that will keep them reading and finding out about your music. After all, the purpose of a press release is to get you into the press and media so you can sell your music. Most artists will have a myriad of stories around their start in the industry and one of these will usually end up being the story you choose to tell – the key word being choose. Good PR and marketing is all about telling the story you want heard and not mentioning things you’d rather never saw the light of day.
What story do you want to tell – what are your TVR moments?
