If you’re a Radiohead fan, you already have “The King of Limbs.”

Only announced a week before its release, it caused an immediate surge of interest amongst the Radiohead tribe.  No hype build-up and no getting excited and waiting months while trying to find a leak.  It was immediate and urgent.

As an independent artist, you may not have an army of die-hard fans around the world spreading the word for you, but you do have the ability to create surprises for your burgeoning fan base.

1. You may have a 3P release party and actually have two 3Ps released.  You give the other one free with a purchase of the current one.  A fan who knew and wanted the 3P gets a bonus without expectation.

2. You could create a surprise house concert for your dedicated supporters. Plan it as a get together/party and then play.

3. You could write a tune that included all the names of your dedicated supporters somehow.

These are just some ideas that I quickly came up with. I’m sure you could think of a lot more.  The goal of the surprise is to delight and deepen the connection between artist and fan.

Music Consciousness
Hoover