Ex-Idol star Corby ready to help others break into ‘super-competitive’ music scene

ARIA-winning rocker Matt Corby is on a mission to help struggling Aussie musos for one heartbreaking reason.

Singer-songwriter Matt Corby believes he would struggle if he was starting his career today, such is the super-competitive state of music in 2023.

The ARIA-winning indie-rocker, who was runner up in the 2007 season of Australian Idol and has released two top five albums, says that “it’s very hard to infiltrate the collective consciousness these days” due to the sheer amount of music released and the impact of the Covid pandemic. Recent stats cited by giant labels Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group claim that 100,000 songs up being uploaded to digital services every day.

“There is so much oversaturation with music,” Corby says. “No one can listen to all that music. It’s a completely different landscape to what it was even 15 years ago when I started.”

Australian singer-songwriter Matt Corby.

After the chaos caused by the Covid lockdowns of the past three years, during which live music almost ground to a complete halt, aspiring Australian musicians are finding it tougher than ever to break into business. New research undertaken by Wild Turkey bourbon shows that 83 per cent of musicians are finding it harder to get noticed, 78 per cent are struggling to pursue their career, and 73 per cent are considering a career change altogether.

Of the musicians surveyed, three quarters said that mentorship was essential to help them navigate the music industry, and Corby has teamed up with the alcohol brand for Music 101, which is designed to help aspiring musicians turn raw talent into a viable career.

“I love the idea of the mentorship program,” Corby says. “It’s closely aligned with what I do anyway. Music has suffered over the last couple of years and I think musicians are struggling to even go on tour.”

Matt Corby performs in Sydney during 2020’s Great Southern Nights tour.

Corby says he has had several mentors over the course of his career, who have helped him musically and psychologically in his transition from teen reality TV star to one of the country’s most respected artists. Now 32, and with third album Everything’s Fine due to be released next week, Corby is mentoring the next generation of artists, by taking up-and-coming artists out on tour for the Wild Sessions and producing younger artists such as ARIA-winning indigenous singer Budjerah.

“It’s so rewarding for me,” he says. Maybe more so than doing my own music just to know that I have played a part in helping someone is a big soul food kind of reward.”

Corby’s advice for musicians trying to carve out a career in the notoriously fickle industry is simple – put in the hours, perform live as much as possible, and be original.

“It’s basically work as hard as you can on your craft and make sure you’re not really copying anyone,” he says. “Half of it is luck and half of it is really hard work behind the scenes in your room, doing your scales.”

Marihuzka Cornelius, artists and repertoire director for Australian record label Ivy League, whose roster includes chart-toppers The Teskey Brothers and The Rubens, agrees that it’s tougher than ever for artists to make their mark but the basics remain the same.

Ivy League artists and repertoire director Marihuzka Cornelius.

She says that artists should be prepared to be patient and take the time to hone their craft and find their voice before even contemplating releasing music. Any artist can upload a track to digital service such as Soundcloud or YouTube, but she warned against putting songs out before they were ready.

“Not rushing into releasing music allows you to discover your own voice and helps you get a real understanding of who you are and what kind of music you want to make, and how your music is different to others,” she says.

In addition to needing good songs and the drive to succeed, Cornelius says that social media is a crucial component of the musical landscape in 2023, saying that a musician who is not on social media is like a word that’s not in a dictionary.

“It is a hugely important tool to be in the conversation and to reach people because that is how people are discovering music nowadays,” she said. “They want to know more about the artists and to be able to not just hear their music but know where it came from.”

Visit wildturkeybourbon.com to apply for the Music 101 music mentorship program

HOW TO MAKE IT IN MUSIC

Practical pro tips from Ivy League artists and repertoire director Marihuzka Cornelius

Master your craft: “Get good at playing, get good at playing in front of people, get good at writing really great songs.”

Be original: “Take your influences but be yourself. They already exist – and you aren’t going to be better than them – but what you can do is take the influence and create something new. There is only one you.”

Patience and resilience: “So much of what makes an artist successful is hunger and wanting it so much that you’ll do what you need to do to get there. But wait until you’re really good to be discovered.”

Share yourself: “Social media is hugely important to connect to an audience. Gone are the days of mystery – people just want to be able to touch and feel and see and connect.”

Get a mentor: “Having peers who have gone through what you’re going through can really help an artist with get the right perspective.”

Love it: “True artists are making art because that’s all they know how to do. It doesn’t really matter if people are listening or not. They’re the kind of artists that I look for.”

MATT CORBY’S TOP TIPS

Play live when you can: “The best place to grow as an artist is either performing live on stage or on the road. Playing live is the main part of the job, it’s the way you create connections with people. You can have great records but have no live presence, and people will really struggle to understand who you actually are and how you can create an experience.

That’s why I am teaming up with Wild Turkey to launch Music 101. A bespoke mentorship program for aspiring artists to learn from some of Australia’s best.”

Find a mentor: “New research from Wild Turkey revealed that although 75% of aspiring musicians say mentorship is essential to help them navigate the music industry, 78% of aspiring musicians have not received any mentorship throughout their music career.

I am teaming up with Wild Turkey Bourbon to mentor up and coming Aussie artists. We’re building a mobile recording home and taking it on the road with the band or artist I mentor.

The bespoke mentorship has been designed to encourage aspiring artists to believe in their craft and feel confident in their artistic ability and vision as they continue to embark on their journey as a musician.

Practise: “There is a reason the age old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ has stuck. The more you play, the more in tune you will become to your own sound and the intricate details of your music. If you’re in a band, or even playing solo, practicing helps you sync with your band mates so that instead of each instrument or voice performing solo, you become one collective sound.”

Find your voice: “When you trust your spirit to follow your inner voice and instincts no matter what, then you’ll make great music. In an industry like ours, there are so many people trying to pull you in different directions all trying to tell you what to do. In some instances this can be super helpful, but in others it can lead to a lot of self-doubt. It’s hard to trust in your spirit sometimes, it’s hard to back yourself when you’re not sure if you’re doing something right. As an artist, you need to hold onto that feeling, irrespective of what people tell you. There is no rule book on how to be a musician or a songwriter.”

Originally published as Ex-Idol star Corby ready to help others break into ‘super-competitive’ music scene