Every single aspiring independent artist, band, producer, or musician should pay close attention. We all know that the music industry has undergone extreme changes, and it continues to change in this current age of transition. Labels are folding, music is free, and the digital age is upon us. What do we do? Can artists still do this, be happy, and support themselves? All these questions and more are discussed in Will Gray’s Broke* Documentary. However, Will didn’t just wake up one day and decide to do a documentary about the struggles of emerging artists. He has been living it for over a decade. Broke* is about the music industry, and what it takes to thrive as an independent artist or music executive in search of their big break. The documentary features interviews from industry names like Don Was, John Legend, Isaac Slade from The Fray, Seth Godin, Kelly Clarkson, and many more. After sifting through 300+ hours of footage and more than 60 interviews, Broke* has been created and directed with perfection. In fact, the film won the Special Jury Prize at the Nashville Film Festival this spring. “The film digs beneath the clichés and standard storylines to reveal an industry struggling to find a new identity and an artist who’s simply trying to establish one.” The question: “Can a new act be “broken”?”
Will Gray is not only a great director for his documentary Broke*, but he is an amazing musician that combines folk and hip-hop to create some truly incredible, fresh, and intelligent music. His influences range from jazz greats like Miles Davis to pop icons like Michael Jackson. “Will Gray is an independent Hip-Hop/Americana artist who has shared the stage with acts ranging from Erykah Badu, Twista, and Jurassic 5, to Justin Townes Earle and Los Lonely Boys. His original songs have been licensed by MTV, Ford Motor Co., Warner Bros. Records, Playstation, and Motorola.” This is music that I feel speaks to everyone musically, and conceptually. Will Gray released his debut album “Introducing Will Gray” under the production of Grammy Award-winning producer T Bone Burnett. Check out one of my favorite songs from the album called “Back to the Wall:”
Will Gray may be one of the most influential artists of this generation; not because his music is number one on the charts (although it certainly could be), but because he is grabbing the industry by the horns and showing the world what it takes. As the industry continues through a transitional period, this film gives an inside look at how music executives, producers, and artists feel about its current and future status. Will music survive the digital age? Will true and significant art be able to endure pop culture? What is the breaking point, if it still exists? As music continues to thrive upon the feel-good listener, Will Gray’s music explores new musical concepts as well as lyrical concepts untouched by the mainstream. Please explore what this artist has to offer at willgraymusic.com. Check out the Broke* Documentary, and buy “Introducing Will Gray.”
By: Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC
The Beat-Play Experiment 