It only took me six months to get a record deal, but it took me 20 years to have a hit.
Even an independent label is looking for a hit, they're not looking for a record that's not gonna do well.
I'm a Top 40 record guy. I remember the hits and don't remember the flops. Something in my brain blocks them out.
In the middle of 'Bleed Red' coming out, a huge disproportionate majority of people in radio came to us and asked if they could have 'Cost of Livin' as a single. There was even talk behind closed doors about pulling 'Bleed Red' because they had caught wind and heard 'Cost of Livin'.' We went with that.
Back then I thought if you cut a record, you were automatically a star.
When I put out 'Video Games' in May 2011, it was a 5:25-minute love song; I was surprised when a lot of people said they were listening to it. I was surprised when it went to the radio, without me even knowing how something like that even happens!
I was doing sold-out shows before I got radio play.
As long as you're giving up quality records and you're makin' hit records, people are always gonna want to hear a hit, and they'll always want to be attached to something that's doin' great.
No artist that beefs with me or talks down on my name has that many platinum songs. They're all gold.
'Dance' got on WBLS and over 25 urban AC stations. I never had a record on urban AC and gospel stations before.
I put out my first song, 'The Other,' in 2015 just on Soundcloud. It was always my most popular song but never really went far in a mainstream way. Then, a couple years after it came out, I watched it go from 8 million to, like, 100 million.
We even have a music career. Our song 'Hold On,' charted on Billboard. I mean, we don't have aspirations to tour with Justin Bieber but we have a lot of different interests and talents.
I'm not worried about no charts or how long it's been out. Our records never go away.
If you look at the charts every year, there may be five or ten memorable songs from each year.
But I remember we sold nearly 18,000 records in one day.
All record companies want big-selling records, and my music is a little too raw for commercial success.
My first break was in my home country with some pop songs that became hits, writing for French singers Christophe & Francoise Hardy, which became hits.
Having a first single is such a great opportunity for any artist... I'm very appreciative of the support country radio's given 'Could It Be.'
It's so hard to pick a 'single.' I always want it to be whatever my favorite tune is, but often the record company and the person whose job it is to take it to radio have different ideas.
