The Fray’s Isaac Slade – HuffPost 1.20.12

Mike Ragogna: Is there any advice that you’d like to share with new artists?

Isaac Slade: I actually do some work with a local non-profit, and we have a Battle of the Bands every year and I produce a little EP for the winner of the competition. (laughs) I actually did a little three-day session in the studio with the winners recently. They’re all about 19 years old, and I said to them, “We can do four or five songs if you want so that you guys have $5 EPs to sell at your shows. We can do every song you’ve ever written or we could just do one really good song. I think this song is the one, and I think we should get it on the radio.” (laughs) The guys were a little upset because they had already planned an EP release and release party, but I told them that they were thinking too locally. I told them that I thought they were really good, and that they could totally get their song on the same station where we got our start. Really, my advice is very specific in that I believe it all comes down to one song. There will probably be one song that you’re known for that will open the door for your career and that’s the difference between playing shows around your hometown and getting the interest of a huge label. There are exceptions like Ani DiFranco and even O.A.R. to some extent – they don’t particularly have one song that everyone knows, they just built up a grass roots fan base. If you have the financial means or patience do that, by all means go for it, otherwise, for the rest of us, it all comes down to one song. If you haven’t written it yet, keep writing only because it will open doors that no other amount of sweat equity could open.