This month we feature Grace Potter and the Nocturnals fan site, This Is Somewhere. Here are some some word from the site’s founder…
I first heard Grace Potter and the Nocturnals back in the middle of 2006 when a video of their performance of Nothing But The Water at the Boston Music Awards was posted on YouTube. The music, the performance everything about the band spoke to me. Perhaps it was my Midwestern music upbringing on the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Led Zeppelin. Perhaps it was the current New Englander in me that responded to a band of locals playing wide open, accessible rock and roll. Either way something clicked.
At the time I was running a website for a very popular recording artist. I ran online promotion/marketing for a CD release and a tour and managed a front and back end effort that served up to 20,000 unique visitors a day. I learned a huge amount about how to run a blog, produce and seek out content and help artists connect with their fanbase. Unfortunately, that site was mostly about business. This Is Somewhere, on the other hand, is about passion much like Grace Potter and the Nocturnals music.
I fully support the do it yourself mentality that the band embraces and I want to be part of helping them achieve their vision of success on their own terms. Ive seen first hand what can happen to artistic integrity with the dollar driven strategies that the major labels employ and I want to help show fans and artists that there is another way. Im also a firm believer in the notion that the best marketing efforts for a band are person to person. A site like This Is Somewhere simply helps one person stand on a bigger soapbox.
I hope that This Is Somewhere can be appealing both from a visual design perspective as well as with well chosen photography, audio and video clips. In the end, its all about helping Grace Potter and the Nocturnals connect with the fans and share their music with the world.