Nashville, TN (DANKER & DANKER PUBLIC RELATIONS) - Indy country star
Eileen Carey is shaking her head at the 'good old boy' country music system. Instead of waiting around to be discovered and 'labeled,' this seasoned country singer and writer is grabbing her fans in places other singers aren't looking, including the Internet.
How can an L.A. country-singing gal without a label get played all over the U.S., as well as England, Germany, Australia and even Japan? Eileen would be the first to say, it's not always easy.
'I'm a musician, but I realized I needed to develop a strategy to get more fans,' says Carey. 'Once I have a broad fan base and sell more CDs, the label will follow. Fortunately I found a great publicist who encouraged me to think out-of-the-box.'
Eileen started with 'guerilla' marketing to country stations. She keeps the costs down by doing much of the legwork herself.
Her first national success came from participating in a country music radio contest. Carey's energetic cover of Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" took off after a very impressive debut on Blair Garner's syndicated 'After MidNite' Country Radio show, which airs on stations in major and medium markets all across the United States.
Reflecting on that success, Carey said: 'To be the only independent artist on the same list with major-label artists, and having your song picked by the fans - what more could you ask for!"
But there was more. Eileen was discovered by Martina McBride fans and discussed on McBride's fan site. Besides admiring Carey's rendition, McBride's fans had noticed that 'Walkin' After Midnight' seemed to be attracting more playtime than McBride's 'I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.'
Yes, newcomer Eileen Carey had gotten noticed and started gathering fans across the country. But her strong LA fan base gave her the confidence to keep going.
Although Carey grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, she's been in LA for many years, gaining recognition and success in the regional music scene. She's released two albums, performed at charity events, and acquired several awards for her performances.
You may even remember Eileen as one of the original 'uh-huh girls' that backed Ray Charles in a Pepsi campaign and at the Super Bowl. Eileen also had some success with acting parts in Batman, Hoffa and Basic Instinct.
'We decided it would be good to build on my success in LA, so I asked my radio promoters to give more attention to the LA and Denver stations that are closer to me,' says Carey. 'It makes performing at their special events and local venues much easier."
Besides building a solid local fan base with radio and personal appearances, Eileen is exploiting the Internet press, radio press and local newspapers.
'It seems like today's music industry doesn't give you a choice,' according to Eileen. 'You have to create your own buzz."
All the buzz leads to more people hearing her music, which can be found on iPods and computers globally through Apple's iTunes at https://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=97178104. Another distributor of her music is The Orchard the world's leading digital distributor of music at https://www.theorchard.com.
Does it work? Last week, New Music Weekly (NMW), part of the Spins Tracking System, listed Eileen Carey's latest release 'Hollywood' as No 11 on their Country Most Added chart. That's impressive considering she's following established artists like Shedaisy (No 1), Trace Atkins (No 2), Sammy Kershaw (No 3), and Brooks & Dunn (No 9).
This week we know 'Hollywood' is being played all over the U.S., as well as England, Germany, Australia and even Japan. Meanwhile, Eileen's California country dance fans are saying 'It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This' from her Hearts of Time CD will be her biggest hit.
But Eileen is concentrating on one more local market, Nashville. Her recent appearance at the famous Bluebird Cafe's Chicksinger Night Showcase, impressed the crowd and increased her fan base. She left with an invitation to come back to this Bluebird Café, as well as play other Bluebirds throughout the country.
'I know my strategy is working,' says Carey. 'I can tell I have more fans, because I'm getting more letters from them, I'm selling more CDs, and my venues are consistently filling up.'
As Eileen's appearances attract more fans, she has larger venues requesting her performances and in turn, is gaining even more fans, which means more CD sales. Her strategy is working and it's all go for this very talented and determined entertainer.
'I love writing and performing my own music,' says Carey. 'I also love watching the audience dance while I sing.'
'It hasn't been easy to get this far, but I know my success will continue growing as long as my fans and I are having fun together...and I keep making a buzz outside of that box!'
Eileen's latest CD, Hearts of Time, is surpassing all expectations. Meanwhile she's working on a new CD collection that includes collaborations with major Nashville songwriters.
For more information about Eileen Carey, go to www.eileencarey.com or contact Danker & Danker Public Relations.
