Recently, Finn McKenty made waves by stating in an interview that “musicians are a lost cause.” He wasn’t pulling punches, implying artists lack effort in getting their music out into the world and clinging to unrealistic expectations of success. Unsurprisingly, this struck a nerve in the music community, myself included. It was blunt, maybe even rude, but beneath the sting was a hard truth that I couldn’t ignore.
Rather than reacting emotionally, I took a step back to reflect on what he really meant.
Musicians are creators. We live and breathe our art, pouring our souls into songs, hoping the world will feel the same passion we do. But let’s face it: getting that art out into the world is where so many of us fall short. Myself included.
I’ve never been a fan of social media. Keeping up with trends, battling the algorithm—it’s an uphill climb that feels disconnected from the joy of making music. Like many musicians, I’ve often wished for a world where all I had to do was write and release songs, and people would just find them. No marketing, no algorithms, no TikToks. Maybe that was possible once upon a time, back in the glory days of magazines, radio interviews, and behind-the-scenes TV specials.
Or was it?
When I thought deeper about Finn’s comment, I realized that those old-school platforms still exist—they’ve just transformed. That magazine photoshoot? It’s an Instagram post now. Those in-depth interviews? They’ve shifted to blogs and podcasts. The late-night TV performances we dreamed of? They’ve been replaced by YouTube live sessions.
Sure, this shift can feel overwhelming or even unappealing. But let’s not romanticize the past. Breaking through in the “old” music industry meant navigating gatekeepers who decided which bands made the cut. For independent artists, those doors were often locked tight.
Today, the barriers are lower than ever. The internet is saturated with blogs, podcasts, playlists, and social media curators desperate for content. As musicians, we have direct access to these platforms. Yes, there’s effort involved in reaching out to playlist curators or submitting your music to blogs, but it’s far more accessible than trying to land a Rolling Stone cover or a spot on MTV.
For example, my latest release with King of Cups, “Merry Christmas, Don’t Get Me Anything,” has seen surprising success with minimal effort. It gets 150 streams a day, was added to 50 Spotify playlists, and was covered by 15 blogs in its first week. And here’s the kicker: I know we could have done even better with just a bit more focus on outreach.
Finn McKenty wasn’t wrong. Too many of us have been resistant to embracing these new platforms, clinging to outdated ideas of what success should look like. But the truth is, the things we’ve always wanted—an audience, exposure, a chance to connect with fans—are all still possible. The medium has changed, but the goals haven’t.
With a small shift in mindset, we can stop seeing social media and modern platforms as a chore and start seeing them as opportunities. Because at the end of the day, our music deserves to be heard. And these tools? They’re the bridge that can make it happen.
It’s time to stop being “a lost cause” and start finding our way.
