Creatives 05: Real Artist Struggles and Record Deals with Joel Vaughn
Most of the time, we hear stories of success and rapid fame out of the music industry. It’s rare to hear the behind-the-scenes perspective of how that artist got there and the sacrifices they had to make for a worthy cause. Today, I am speaking with a young up-and-coming artist that you need to know about. Joel Vaughn is on the rise, but his path to the music industry was anything but straightforward or easy. He’s going to give you the inside scoop on what it takes to sign to a label, produce a record, and then deal with the ebb and flow of fame and recognition.
Joel started out by leading worship in just about every church in the Texas panhandle. While he enjoyed it and was clearly good at leading worship, Joel couldn’t deny the doors that were opening up in the music industry. Taking a leap of faith, Joel moved his family to Nashville to record music. In 2016, everything was coming up roses. He had a hit song appear on Dude Perfect, and all signs pointed to another strong year after landing a record deal. However, just because you land a record deal doesn’t mean everything lands perfectly.
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Listen this week as Joel shares the sacrifices, side jobs, and struggles that Joel faced as he made the transition to music. If you ever wanted to know how musicians make ends meet, Joel will clue you in. Above it all, Joel keeps his eyes on the mission—to make great music that will lead people to Jesus. Along the way, he will have to wrestle his pride, take a few hard knocks, and realize that everyone making Christian music is working together towards the same goal. It’s really an inspiring story from an artist you will want to support.
“There are so many things that can take root if you let it.”
More in this episode:
- Joel shares who he is, and the background that has led him to the music world.
- Lessons learned on the church worship team gave Joel deep roots in writing music.
- Why Joel is pursuing music full-time.
- God clearly opened doors for Joel to be signed to Christian record labels.
- How a one song deal for Dude Perfect exploded Joel’s career.
- 2017 was the year of silence.
- The songs that put Joel on the map were “In This World,” “Wide Awake,” and “As You Are.”
- It’s a struggle to stand out in the music industry.
- Behind the scenes of someone in the record industry.
- How Indy Artists make things happen financially.
- Everyone in Nashville wishes the best for the others in the industry.
- The ministry is the reason!
Resources:
Instagram and Twitter: @joelvaughnmusic
