the TrueFans AMP— Issue 113

"I've never cared about being cool. I cared about being good. I cared about telling the truth. I cared about the people who came to see me, and giving them something that  would matter in their lives." 
— Bruce Springsteen (from the TIME article)

In This Issue... 15 pages (about 22ish minutes to read) You'll Get... 

• Recommends — Read: TIME Bruce Springsteen's Long Journey Home. 

• Your BIZ— How To Promote Music Releases In 2025: a Realistic Guide For Independent Artists by Ariel Hyatt (we think) of Cyber PR (we're sure) 

• The Greatest Songwriters of All Time— Sarah McLachlan: A Voice of Grace, Grit, and Lasting Influence 

• in partnership with Ariel Hyatt and Cyber PR Music 

• Feature Article— a Coffee, Imagined, with Bruce Springsteen 

• PS from PS— Bruce Springsteen & The Nobel 

Here’s the playlist

• Recommends— Read: TIME Bruce Springsteen's Long Journey Home." 

Bruce Springsteen has been called a lot of things: The Boss, America's poet laureate,  rock and roll's blue-collar hero. But rarely has he been captured with the intimacy,  honesty, and sheer depth that TIME delivers in its remarkable new feature, Bruce  Springsteen's Long Journey Home. 

This isn't just another star profile. Eric Cortellessa digs into Springsteen's half-century of music and myth, revealing a man who built anthems out of personal struggle, faith out of doubt, and community out of loneliness. The article follows him from the boardwalk in  Asbury Park to the therapy sessions that helped him wrestle down lifelong depression,  through the Nebraska years that now form the spine of the upcoming film Deliver Me  From Nowhere. 

The piece reminds us why Springsteen matters— not only as a performer who can  electrify a stadium, but as a Songwriter whose authenticity keeps touching millions. He  embodies the courage to stay true, to stand in the face of darkness, and to make art that  transcends the artist. 

For TrueFans AMP™ readers— Singer Songwriters, musicians, bands— this is a  masterclass. Springsteen's lesson is simple and timeless: you don't have to be perfect;  you have to be real. 

As he puts it himself: 

"The music was the way I kept myself alive." 

And later, reflecting on his life's work: 

"You've got to carry your contradictions with you. That's where the songs  come from." 

Cortellessa adds the context: 

"Springsteen is the rare artist who became a rock star without shedding the  humility of a bar-band lifer, who sold out stadiums while making music  about people who couldn't afford tickets." 

That's why this article is special. It's not only about a legend— it's about the man behind the legend. And if you're not already a Bruce Springsteen TrueFan, this might be the  piece that finally makes you one. 

Read it here: Bruce Springsteen's Long Journey Home | TIME 

• Your BIZ— How To Promote Music Releases In 2025: a Realistic Guide For Independent Artists by Ariel Hyatt (we think) of Cyber PR (we're sure)

__________  

NOTE: the Original post is here. It's 1750 words and this piece is 650, so... read the original and take advantage of some great free offers on the site as well.

__________  

Why Releasing Music Feels So Exhausting 

In 2025, releasing music can feel like a grind. The old model— pick a release date, map  a 12-week plan, and execute— doesn't cut it anymore. With 120,000+ tracks hitting  Spotify daily, albums rarely break through, and attention spans are gnat-sized. 

The reality? Singles. Dropped every five to six weeks. Not every four— that's too fast for most indies. A slightly slower pace keeps you sane while still giving algorithms regular  jolts. 

Why Waterfall?  
Waterfalling singles keeps your name popping up in feeds and DSPs. Each drop is  another chance at playlist consideration and new fan discovery. But don't stop at  algorithms— bond. Use the visibility to spark conversations, build relationships in DMs, and ultimately move people onto your email or text list. That's where casual scrollers  become true fans. 

What Still Matters? 
Some fundamentals haven't changed: 

• Register songs with ASCAP/BMI/SESAC and SoundExchange 
• Handle copyrights and agreements with bandmates, writers, players • Create consistent visuals (artwork, photos, branding) 
• Keep your EPK press-ready 

Skip these at your peril. 

Why Pre-Saves Are OverHyped  
Pre-saves rarely matter unless you've got hardcore Spotify stats. They don't build  relationships (Spotify owns the data). Instead, ask fans to join your email list, text list, or private community. Offer lyric sheets, sneak previews, or behind-the-scenes exclusives.  

Build Direct Fan Ownership. 

Batching Content: Your Survival Strategy 
Content is as important as music. Each single deserves at least 20–30 short-form videos — teasers, lyric snippets, behind-the-scenes, acoustic takes, countdowns, fan shoutouts.  The more you create, the more likely something sticks. 

What Makes a Strong Clip 

• Hook attention in 3 seconds 
• Keep it 15–30 seconds 
• Show personality (sing, play, or speak) 
• Stay on-brand with visuals/vibe 
• Tell a micro-story 

Batching avoids release-week panic and keeps you consistent across platforms. Avoid  cheap AI lyric videos and stock-footage Fiverr edits. They look inauthentic. Use tools like Rotor and your own story. 

the 5-6 Week Release Timeline  

• Week 6— Upload to distributor, finalize metadata, register with PROs. Batch 20–30  pieces of content. 

• Weeks 4–5— Tease snippets. Launch email/SMS funnel. Schedule posts. 

• Release Week— Drop the track, announce everywhere, roll out 5–7 clips, host a  livestream or IRL event, pitch playlists and blogs (SubmitHub, MusoSoup). 

• Week After— Keep posting, share press and fan reactions, engage in comments/DMs, share Stories daily. 

• Weeks 2–3 Post-Release— Podcasts, livestreams, live shows, follow-up pitches. Push fan UGC. Share 'making of' clips. Review your data. 

• Overlap with Next Release— Keep your funnel warm and begin teasing the next  drop. 

the Bottom Of the Bottom Line  
Yes, it's exhausting. But waterfalling works. Every single is a new shot at discovery and — more importantly— at building real connections. Streams are nice, but bonds are  where the magic happens. 

When you focus on community over numbers, you're not just releasing songs— you're  building a future for your music. 

__________  

About Ariel Hyatt 
Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Cyber PR, a pioneering digital PR and marketing firm for  Music Artists. She's spent over two decades helping thousands of independent artists  navigate the modern music business, build fanbases, and create sustainable careers.  She's also the author of several respected books on music marketing and fan  engagement. 

About CyberPR 
Cyber PR is a boutique music marketing and PR company specializing in digital  storytelling, social media strategy, and fan-relationship building for independent artists.  Known for its practical guides and step-by-step systems, Cyber PR has become a go-to  resource for musicians seeking clarity, connection, and growth in an oversaturated music landscape. 

• The Greatest Songwriters of All Time— Sarah McLachlan: A Voice of Grace, Grit, and Lasting Influence 

"In Sarah McLachlan's voice, we hear not only the raw beauty of vulnerability  but the undiminished power of songwriting that belongs in the hall of greatest  singer-songwriters of all time." 

At the heart of Sarah McLachlan's one-of-a-kind musical legacy lies an emotional  intimacy that bridges pop, soft rock, and deeply personal confession. Her career—  spanning over three decades, over 40 million albums sold worldwide— cements her as a  pioneering force in modern Singer Songwriter canon. 

Production, Sales & Signature Records 
McLachlan's breakthrough album Surfacing (1997), produced by longtime collaborator  Pierre Marchand, soared to Diamond status in Canada and 8× Platinum in the U.S., with  sales crossing eight million in America alone. It yielded colossal hits— Building a  Mystery, Adia, Angel— anchoring her spot on international charts, with Adia reaching  No. 3 and Angel peaking at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Afterglow (2003)  continued her dominance—No. 1 in Canada, No. 2 U.S. Billboard, and multi-platinum  success. Other high sellers include Mirrorball (live, 1999) and Fumbling Towards  Ecstasy (1993), both moving millions of copies. 

"Music has always been incredibly cathartic for me, whether it's writing my own stuff or singing other people's music; it's very freeing." 

Concerts, Collaborations & Trailblazing Moves 
Beyond her recordings, McLachlan reshaped the festival scene by founding Lilith Fair in 1997— the all-female-led tour that became the top-grossing festival of its era, raising  millions for women's charities and forging space for Songwriter voices in a male dominated industry. Her live album Mirrorball captured that tour's emotional frontiers  and earned her another Grammy via the performance of I Will Remember You. She's  shared stages with a range of artists— from Carlos Santana to Josh Groban—  showcasing the tenderness and universality of her songwriting in concert settings. 

Awards & Artistic Impact 
Surfacing alone netted two Grammy Awards and four Juno Awards, including Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. She's been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (2017) and remains celebrated for her trailblazing role in songwriting craft, emotional resonance, and festival production.  

"Her voice in that song— When She Loved Me— is a voice that can hold  notes… moving beyond words to memory."  
— paraphrased from Randy Newman's praise for her rendition.)  

Inspirations & Influence 
McLachlan draws inspiration from artists like Joan Baez, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel,  Simon & Garfunkel, and even the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir— a  testament to her eclectic approach and artistry rooted in emotional depth and sonic  expansiveness. Her influence radiates through countless Singer Songwriters who value  lyrical sincerity and intimate production. As one admirer noted: 

"Sarah's songs have challenged my own interpretation of what mainstream  music should sound like… a timely reminder that even artists outside of the U S  A can still create music with heart, feeling, emotion, and encouragement."  — 365 Days of Inspiring Media 

Enduring Legacy 
McLachlan's music— a blend of vulnerability and resilience— continues to resonate.  Her upcoming album, Better Broken, set to release September 19, 2025, promises to blend personal introspection and catharsis, with tracks like Gravity reflecting on her journey through motherhood and reconciliation. Detailing the emotional core of Gravity, McLachlan shared: 

"I wrote Gravity as a way of saying to her, ‘I've always loved you and want the  best for you, and you're perfect the way you are.'" 
— People Magazine  

Adding to her narrative legacy, McLachlan's voice in the iconic ASPCA "Angel"  commercial raised over $30 million in one year— a cause deeply felt, though she admits the ad was emotionally painful to watch. 

Personal High-Points, Struggles & Activism 
McLachlan's early years included training in voice and classical piano before being  discovered and signing with Nettwerk as a teenager. Her personal life saw tragedy and  joy— losing her mother in 2001, becoming a mother herself, stepping back from music, then returning with emotional clarity in Afterglow 

"Every once in a while an artist like Sarah McLachlan comes along who not  only creates great and lasting music, but also great and lasting change."
— Performing Songwriter 

On activism, beyond Lilith Fair's philanthropic reach, she has spoken openly about  mental health, women's empowerment, and animal welfare, leveraging her music and  public platform to forge empathy and action. 

Personal-Life Spotlight 
McLachlan's personal narrative is one of evolution— from a young artist shaped by loss, to a mother finding healing in songwriting. Her candid reflections on motherhood,  particularly via Gravity, reveal both challenge and love in equal measure. 

"Sarah's songs have challenged my own interpretation of what mainstream  music should sound like… a timely reminder that even artists outside of the U S  A can still create music with heart, feeling, emotion and encouragement."
— 365 Days of Inspiring Music 

a Legacy Beyond... 
Sarah McLachlan's music has never chased trends— it has set its own timeless course. With a voice that soars and soothes, with songs that turn private longing into universal  truth, and with a vision that reshaped the music industry through Lilith Fair, she leaves a legacy of courage, compassion, and creative excellence. Her impact stretches far beyond sales and awards; it lives in the countless artists she inspired, the listeners she  comforted, and the cultural space she carved out for women in music. For Singer  Songwriters everywhere, Sarah McLachlan is both a model and a reminder: when you  tell the truth in song, the world listens— and never forgets

• in partnership with Ariel Hyatt and Cyber PR Music

• Feature Article— a Coffee, Imagined, with Bruce Springsteen by John Fogg and his  AI of the week.  

Creative homage: a fictional conversation in the spirit of Bruce. No participation, approval, or endorsement implied.  

__________  

We're on a boardwalk bench in Asbury Park, (New Jersey, just in case you didn't...)  gulls carving the wind. The back door of a small club coughs pink noise from a  soundcheck— snare pops, a bass thrum. Bruce sets a paper cup on the slat between us  and nods like we've met here a hundred times. 

Q: For working artists, what's the first principle? 
Show up ready to work, he says. Not to be discovered: To. Work. Your job is to make a  room feel like it matters to be alive inside it. The song is the tool. The show is the proof. 

Q: How do you protect your voice— the voice— when trends pull hard?
Your voice isn't a costume, it's a scar. You earn it by telling the truth about where you're from and what you've seen. You can borrow sounds, you can borrow beats— you don't  borrow a backbone. Keep your ear open and your center unmovable. 

Q: What's your hook test? 
If I can say it to one person across a kitchen table and it lands, it's a hook. If I need  lights, smoke, and a 32-bar intro to sell it, it's a poster, not a song. 

Q: Verse craft— nuts and bolts? 
Every verse adds one new fact. Don't keep painting the same corner. Give me the shift  change whistle, the late bill, the last light in the row house. The listener doesn't need  your explanation— give 'em the evidence. 

Q: Chorus that lifts without shouting? 
Put your strongest image and your plainest words in the chorus. Let the vowels breathe  on the long notes— ah, oh— and let the band get under it like a floor. The chorus is the  promise you keep coming back to: make it honest enough to stand on. 

Q: Arrangement: how do you decide key, tempo, size? 
Find the key where you can talk to people. If it's too high, you perform the song; if it's  right, you live in it. Tempo follows the lyric's feet: if the story walks, don't make it sprint. If it runs, don't tie its laces together with fills. 

Q: BandLeading— what makes a great band for songs? 
Ears and trust. You want players who leave space, who know the song's center and  protect it. I tell new folks: listen to the singer, listen to the drummer, listen to the room.  If all three are talking, you'll know what to do. 

Q: Do's and don'ts for the road? 
Do: rehearse endings, dynamics, where to get quiet. Do: change the arrangement  before the band gets bored. Don't: over-explain from the mic; a 20-second story beats a sermon. Don't: play the same set you played last night unless you want the same night. 

Q: The ‘secret' to connecting with fans and keeping them? 
Attention. That's the whole secret. Look them in the eye. Bring the balcony to the rail  and the rail to the balcony. Sing like you're passing a flame hand-to-hand. When the  lights go up, let folks feel seen— not impressed. You honor people by the way You.  Show. Up.  

Q: Building TrueFans— the real ones who stick. 
You build 'em one room at a time. Deliver every night. Leave a piece of yourself on the  stage, then come back with more. Make records that sound like you meant them, and  shows that prove you did. Answer with songs, not press releases. 

Q: What about the business side— publishing, deals, all the paperwork?
Know what you're signing. Keep what you can sleep with. If the paper asks you to trade  your voice for convenience, walk. The folks who came before you paid cash for the rights you're about to give away— respect their invoice. 

Q: Co-writing? 
Pick people who challenge your better self. Set room rules: who's driving, how you split, how you say no. The goal isn't to be clever in turns— the goal is to catch the thing that'll still feel true in 10 years. 

Q: Editing— how ruthless? 
Ruthless enough. Kill the line you're keeping to look smart. Keep the line that makes you feel something when you whisper it alone. If you love a cut line, fine— keep a notebook of orphans. Songs are big families; some kids live next door. 

Q: How do you handle songs that people think mean one thing when you meant another? 
Let them have their song. Once it's out there, it meets a thousand lives. That's not a  problem; that's the job. Your meaning is one story; their story is the purpose. 

Q: Politics and art without losing the human scale? 
Start with the person, not the slogan. Put me in a room with a name on a timecard and a light that won't stay on. If you do your job, people will hear the times in the details. The chorus can carry the weight; the verse just tells the truth. 

Q: Health, longevity, discipline— the stuff most artists ignore until it's late.
You can't pour from an empty tank. Sleep, move, shut up for a while every day. Protect  your mornings for writing and your nights for living. Don't let the job steal the reasons you wanted it. 

Q: Mistakes you still make? 
Thinking work owes me magic on a schedule. It doesn't. You show up anyway. Build the  fire with small sticks: title pages, a verse that actually adds a fact, a melody you can hum standing at the sink. Magic likes a warm room. 

Q: One rule for soundcheck? 
Soundcheck is where you take risks. Play the quietest thing you'll do that night and make it work in a bright, empty room. If it works there, it'll crush at 9:30. 

Q: One rule for encores? 
Don't come back to repeat— come back to reveal. Give them the song that tells them why you came. 

Q: For the artist torn between ‘make it' and ‘keep it real'— what's the path? Define success in verbs: write, play, connect, return. Those you can do today. Fame is a weather report. You can work in the rain. 

Q: Three concrete habits our readers can start this week. 
He ticks them off with a finger against the cup. 

1. Title Pages: fill one page of titles daily for seven days— no judging. Pick one  Saturday. Finish the song, pretty or not. 

2. Chorus Kitchen Test: speak your chorus to one person at a table. If it doesn't  land, change the words, not the volume. 

3. Setlist Story: arrange ten songs so the room goes somewhere— open warm,  deepen by song 4, pin-drop at 7, lift at 9, sing-together at the end. 

Q: Last one Bruce: What do we owe the audience? 
Presence. A little surprise. And a promise: I came here to meet you, not to perform near you. Keep that promise and people will carry your songs like house keys. 

Inside, the snare cracks twice— ready. Bruce stands, palms the paper cup, and aims a  grin you can hear. Do the work, he says, and leave the lights on for the next one. That's it. That's the whole deal. 

__________  

John Fogg is a million-selling author and the editor of the TrueFans AMP™.

• PS from PS— Bruce Springsteen & The Nobel 

When Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, the world was  shocked. Some called it a bold recognition that songwriting could stand alongside novels and poetry as true literature. Others scratched their heads. But what few could deny was  that the honor elevated the art of song. 

I believe Bruce Springsteen should be next. 

Springsteen isn't only one of the greatest performers alive— he is a song poet of  astonishing brilliance. His lyrics hold the grit of the streets and the grandeur of myth,  telling stories that define not just moments but whole generations. 

Take a single line from The River: 

"Is a dream a lie if it don't come true, or is it something worse?" 

That's Shakespearean in its weight— an entire human tragedy distilled into one  unforgettable question. Or look at Born to Run: 

"The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive." 

That isn't just rock 'n' roll— it's epic poetry compressed into a chorus, myth and reality fused into a line you can shout from your lungs and feel in your bones. 

And then there's this... 

"Words were passed in a shotgun blast.  
Troubled times had come to my hometown..." 

Springsteen has been doing this for five decades. His words don't just ride the music— they carry the truth of working lives, the ache of loss, the fire of hope, and the stubborn belief in redemption. He has written the American story into song, with an uncompromising authenticity of thought and feeling. 

If Dylan showed the world that popular music could be literature, Springsteen proves  that it can be literature with blood, soul, and fire. Awarding him the Nobel would not  just honor a single artist— it would affirm that the Songwriter's craft, at its highest level, shapes culture, tells our stories, and gives them back to us with power and grace. 

So yes— Dylan deserved his Nobel. And if there's any justice in Stockholm, Bruce  Springsteen should stand beside him as the second Songwriter honored with the prize. 

Until we speak again

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...