Fledgling is an exciting new project led by former The Holloways frontman Alfie Jackson. I’ve shared a couple of his collaborative tracks before but wanted to know more about Alfie’s mission, so I posed him a few questions.
Interview by Graeme Smith
We’ve shared a couple of your tracks now, most recently Flowers On The Pavement. It was inspired by quite a sad story – can you tell us about it?
Sara [Hartman], myself and Sven [Ludwig] were in a session in Berlin. Sara had just received a call about the death of her friend. We were all shocked and saddened. We were in the studio to write a song and we had no choice but to write about Sara’s friend. The lyrics like “long live the hula hoop queen” are in reference to how good her friend was at hula-hooping.
The chorus is about the time Sara and her friend were together in New York City when there was a power cut but they were still having a good time and this was her strongest memory of her friend. The fact that she’s singing to her as if she can still hear her is so moving.
What was it about Sara and her music that made you want to work with her?
Sara is a great singer and her voice oozes depth and emotion. As an artist she makes very cool, alternative music; not throw away pop. She’s rooted in real experience and that makes her believable.
And production came from Sven Ludwig – how did he get involved?
My publishers Reservoir Media and German publishers Budde Music brought Sven into the session. He’s a great guy and we continue to work together.
You’re a recording artist yourself but I think I’d be right it saying that the concept of Fledgling is about more than just putting out your own music. Can you tell us what else the name stands for?
Fledgling is many things. The main idea is to unite artists, writers, producers etc. We’re stronger together, connected in a network. We can also help each other reach a bigger communal fan base if we work together. Fledgling is fighting for fairer rights and income for creators.
We’re in talks with web 3 companies and we’re attracting investors which will lead to funding in artists in a new fair model that will be far better for artists than traditional record labels.
As well as releasing music, you’re also going to be booking concerts under the Fledgling project – what have you got coming up on that front?
The live side of things will develop once more music has been released and the Fledgling family has grown. The company we’re teaming up with are also organising a festival so we will be part of this. Individual nights featuring Fledgling artists as well as tours and festivals are planned.
You’ve had a lot of success with The Holloways in the mid-’00s, as well as song writing for the likes of Barns Courtney and Skinny Living – how have things changed for up and coming musicians in the past decade in your opinion?
It is a strange time. We’ve seen rock and indie bands phased out of the limelight. Other genres and solo artists have become the trend. This is partly due to the way record companies have allowed monies to be mismanaged, misappropriated and unfairly distributed more than ever since the age of streaming began. It does not interest the puppet masters to invest in bands as it’s not as easy and quick to make a profit. The trend has led to less people forming bands. Couple this with the explosion of the talent shows where it’s all about the singer. Solo artists have become the norm. We’re hearing a lot of similar sounding artists in very similar genres via mainstream outlets. The UK’s vibrant scene has changed beyond recognition.
What is now pushed by labels and the media is not great in my opinion. It is shaped by politics and profit margins.
We’re now seeing Tik Tok artists getting signed with no real depth of catalogue or experience or ability. It’s a huge topic.
What one piece of advice would you give to an artist just starting out on their career?
Be yourself, be brave, believe. Have a good heart and a strong heart. Aim to make the world a better place. Don’t dive into any deals without good advice. Don’t trust anyone but yourself.
Anything else you’d like to mention to our readers?
Streaming is something we aim to fix. This is just one issue with there current model: Streaming services operate on a market share model. Let’s say four people pay £10 a month to Spotify. They only listen to Fledgling, 25 times. That’s 100 listens, £40 a month.
Another two people pay £10 a month. They only listen to Ed Sheeran, but they play him 150 times each, 300 in total, £20 a month.
Ed Sheeran: 300 plays, fan generated money £20.
Fledgling: 100 plays, fan generated money £40.
Sheeran has 75% of plays so he gets 75% of the money, after Spotify and label cut. Sheeran: £45, Fledgling, £15. Mental right!?
Deezer uses a User Centric Payment System which allocates shares reflective of what paying subscribers are actually listening to. Fledgling has a model which goes even further to make the system even better for artists and fans.
You can find out more information about Fledgling on their website.
