Will Twitter and Direct-to-Fan Prove More Powerful Than Radio?

I don't do mornings. They remind me of being late for the call center and of running for buses, I was fated to miss. However, David was calling with good news, which stirred me from me from my slumbers. "Your album is bloody top five, Jon". Words I doubted I'd ever hear.

I awoke yesterday morning to a phone call to from my manager. I don't do mornings.

They remind me of being late for the call center and of running for buses, I was fated to miss.

However, David was calling with good news, which stirred me from me from my slumbers.

"Your album is bloody top five, Jon".

Words I doubted I'd ever hear. Even our debut The State of Things premiered in the album chart at a lower level before climbing into the Top 10 later in the week. Needless to say I am absolutely delighted. We are super proud of the new record and have been grafting like mad to promote it and all that malarkey. And so it seems to be a real triumph of will for us, our management, record label (INDIE BTW) and fans to have achieved such a high position.

Our new album, ThirtyTwo, has since slipped down to a still respectable number nine in the charts. This was I'm sure largely down to my repeated tweets and those of the 'Revarmy' online, using a hash tag which began in jest but has gathered pace as the days mounted to release - #getrevtonumberone became the phrase used. Our fans loved the interaction and all was well. Or so I thought.

Monday night saw the first of a handful of people moaning at me for basically filling up their Twitter timeline. Firstly I'd like to state that such people should obviously follow more people.

Secondly it's only Twitter, it's not like I've burgled your house or ran over your pet poodle is it?

However such people miss a larger point. We were the highest British act in the new chart. Of the acts above us in the chart, three were there owing to their appearance on the BRIT Awards last week and the resulting surge in sales that accompanies the appearance. Beck is of course American.

Thus we would have been number two in last weeks charts, based off the back of tweets in the main. The very fact that the highest British entry in the album charts cannot find any coverage across the entirety of the BBC troubles me. But not to the extent that I would give up. More that I have to use the tools at my disposal in order to keep going.

I assure you, i would love to tweet less. Relying instead on BBC 6 Music or BBC Radio 1 or BBC Radio 2 to promote my music whilst I laze around enjoying some time with my wife. But for reasons unbeknown to myself that isn't the case. That the highest British entry in the album charts cant find any coverage concerns me. I struggle to ascertain why. The Courteeners have a similar problem. They sell out Manchester MEN, yet struggle for radio play across the BBC.

Anyhow this isn't a moan. It's a celebration of people power if anything and an explanation of why I might clog up your Twitter feeds sometimes. Forgive me eh? I look forward to a day when its me instead of Little Mix on the airwaves and I can put me phone down a bit.

Until such time. Thanks for reading.

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