The Album/Tour cycle
Lesson time: (1min 5sec)
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This lesson is part of the course Become a Pro Musician
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Lesson transcript:
The Cycles of Music Creation
For a long period of my career, I experienced these four cycles:
- Make a record.
- Go and tour it.
- Make a record.
- Go and tour it.
And then I thought, "Okay, now it's time to do something else in between."
But actually, for a long time, this cycle was really beneficial.
The Process
You get to the point where you:
- Work on a record and feel really excited.
- Start to feel a little bored with the record and wish you could finish it.
- Complete the record and become desperate to see people again.
- Finally, you get to go on tour and think, "Yay, people!"
The Touring Experience
Touring brings loads of different social interactions:
- You travel with a group of people.
- You experience a completely different lifestyle.
But then, after a while, you might find yourself saying, "Okay, I really need my own space now."
Finding Balance
It's essential to have time to think and be alone, perhaps to:
- Write your book
- Work on another record
I think this cyclical approach helps create a balance with the ebb and flow of creativity, keeping you sane as long as you don't do too much of one thing at once.
About the instructor
Katie Melua is one of the UK's most successful recording artists, with more than 11 million albums sold worldwide and a string of multi-platinum releases. Born Ketevan Melua in Kutaisi, Georgia, in 1984, she moved with her family to Belfast as a child and later studied at the BRIT School in London, where she was discovered by songwriter and producer Mike Batt. Her debut album 'Call Off the Search' (2003), released when she was 19, spent six weeks at No. 1 in the UK and went six-times platinum, driven by the hit single 'The Closest Thing to Crazy'. Its follow-up 'Piece by Piece' (2005) topped charts across Europe and featured her signature song 'Nine Million Bicycles'. In 2006 she earned a place in the Guinness World Records book by playing the deepest underwater concert ever staged, 303 metres below sea level on a North Sea gas platform. A remarkable run of top-ten albums followed — 'Pictures' (2007), the William Orbit-produced 'The House' (2010), 'Secret Symphony' (2012) and 'Ketevan' (2013) — as Melua refined a sound that moves effortlessly between jazz, folk and classic pop songwriting. 'In Winter' (2016), recorded in Georgia with the Gori Women's Choir and produced by Melua herself, revealed a new depth to her artistry. Her recent work is her most personal: 'Album No. 8' (2020) and 'Love & Money' (2023) drew some of the strongest reviews of her career, and 'Live at the Royal Albert Hall' (2024) celebrated two decades at the top of British music. She remains a captivating live performer, touring extensively across Europe and beyond. read more