Red River In A Green City

The Artist: Tyler Sjöström

Schubas

Schubas offers a great series of free shows on Tuesday, and I have been looking forward to checking them out.  This Tuesday, the three artists slotted were folk/americana and totally worth seeing.  I did my research, called up a concert buddy, and couldn’t wait to feature Indie Folk artist Tyler Sjöström this week.

Tyler released his single, Red River, a while back and his album dropped in September '14.  Between rich acoustic guitar, artistic storytelling, and his entertaining personality, we were totally into his show.  The audience was supportive and engaged, and the food and drinks were delicious.  I’m not one for rose-colored glasses, but nothing was missing from this live show’s supportive, artistic setting.  Tyler’s songs, in true folk style, shared stories we have all lived and recognized as they were told back with haunting melodies.  

You can find his music on iTunes, SoundCloud, and his website; if you wanna keep up with Tyler, check out his Instagram and Facebook.

Now it’s your turn: Share the love and tell me about your favorite Chicago Indie artists!  Leave a comment; I want to see who you love and share their music.

Indie Amped: Connecting Your Brand

While he is just starting out, he has the right mix of qualities for success.  Between his Mumford And Sons-style, stage presence, and quality merchandise, Tyler has a great start.  He has a small online following, but there are a lot of ways he can expand it.

This is an artist to watch, guys.  He’s a lot of fun to see live, so check out some of his upcoming shows in the Chicago area (next one is Friday) when you’re visiting his pages.

His Instagram account is strong, sharing bits of his life with gorgeous photography and posts linking back to his music.  Facebook is equally well done, promoting events and artists who are connected with his work.  There are just two missing components for building an strong online following.  He doesn’t cross-link media platforms very often.  His IG promoted a Spotify playlist with his music, and his Facebook linked an album by a separate party that had one of his songs.  However, it would be smart to link his SoundCloud on his band website of IG.  Maybe highlight a standout IG post on FB with a follow invitation or ask friends who are excited to share his posts.

Another great way to grow a following is to get his fans involved.  Offer a contest at a show for the fan who posts the best picture with his hashtag TySjoMusic.  Maybe they get a free hard copy of his album or merchandise that is more personalized from him.  This points them back to his page while keeping them engaged.  Online, start a conversation, asking favorite songs that he could cover or doing a mini blog talking about some part of his tour.

Schubas and Lincoln Hall have shows every night, and great eats.