Singer-songwriter, guitarist and YouTuber extraordinaire Mary Spender, is re-writing the rule book when it comes to managing her musical career. She speaks to Rosanna Spence ahead of a homecoming show at St George’s on 25 September celebrating the release of her independently released debut studio album Super. Sexy. Heartbreak.
How are your DIY skills? Before you make a dash for your toolbox, hang on a minute. Because I’m talking about a different type of self-build project altogether; an independently-assembled musical career, built fan by fan, track by track, gig by gig. No middle managers. No big label contracts. University of Bristol music alumna and former resident Mary Spender has been doing just that, embracing some elements of our digital age, but combining them with efforts to recapture the original value of music by prioritising physical releases – and choosing to build a meaningful, engaged audience rather than chasing streamed plays that usually fail to properly compensate artists.
Mary’s DIY approach to a viable music career has paid off so far. She’s had more than 94 million views of her YouTube channel (@MarySpender) – via which her 744,000+ followers watch her thoughtfully created videos that cover everything from industry musings (think swear words in music to exploring ‘ageing out’ of the sector in your mid-thirties), technical gear deep dives, interviews with major artists and (of course) her own musical releases. It helps that her smoky, jazz-influenced voice paired with confessional lyrics and intricate finger-style guitar technique have created a successful catalogue of tunes combining blues, rock, folk and Americana seasoned with a distinctly British flavour that’s proved popular with her dedicated fan base.
Social media savvy
YouTube can be a brash, noisy place to explore, but Mary’s slightly longer, nuanced, calming videos (like the one pictured above) feel like a real antidote to the ultra-quick content consumption we’re all far too used to online these days.
When I tell her this, she laughs: “We always joke about trying to make me the Nigella Lawson of music. For example, if I’m talking about a guitar being built, it’s ‘Ooh, look at those wood shavings, they look just like chocolate’. To be honest though, it’s all about having people around me who really care about the quality of everything.
“I now have a full-time editor, a producer who can write and research with me, and I’ve recently hired a videographer/photographer who’s always in the studio. We’re almost like a band making YouTube videos, and I’m just the front woman. It’s really cool, because I’ve always collaborated within music, whether it’s string quartets, orchestras or rock bands. It’s so incredible to be able to make music and videos – there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. Getting to have these people around me who really care about how creative and innovative we can be is a very unique opportunity.”
Mary’s career has seen her settle into a space that she refers to as a “middle class” for musicians – plugging the huge gap often seen between the “infamously penniless musician stereotype who’s been working on their craft but can’t figure out the business side of it… And artists like Taylor Swift.”
Part of Mary’s USP is her radical transparency online, where alongside her popular original releases and song covers she also publishes videos detailing precisely how much artists like her need to earn in order to survive, how much it actually costs to be a YouTuber, and the facts, stats and figures behind certain musical releases.
Remaining fiercely independent as an artist means Mary retains the freedom to write about what she wants, as well as having complete control over what she shares on her social media platforms, too.
“We’re trying to be journalistic in a way,” she explains. “We have to keep hunting for stories. I have information about my analytics, for example, which other artists might not see if it’s hidden by a record label. I’m not signed to anyone, so I’m able to ask permission of myself… ‘Do I want to share how many CDs I’ve sold?’”
For Mary, this approach is mirrored within her creative output: “I’m pretty open and transparent about where I’m at in my life in my songs. I do like the James Joyce quote: ‘In the particular is contained the universal.’ No matter what your story is, someone will relate to it, as long as it’s open, honest and really specific.”
Finding your true fans
Speaking of specific, Mary follows Wired co-founder and author Kevin Kelly’s principle of ‘1,000 True Fans’ (which she admits she should probably get tattooed somewhere). This is an alternative path to success other than supreme stardom, focusing instead on a smaller, yet utterly dedicated following who will loyally buy your music, travel out of their way to your gigs and consistently engage with your career.
“If you only release your album on Spotify, you’re probably not going to do as well as you hope, and that’s okay,” Mary acknowledges. “However, if you’re thinking about your ‘1,000 fans’, then maybe you could sell 1,000 CDs. It turns out, my audience has CD players.”
She’s right. A quick browse of comments on the YouTube videos of her debut studio LP Super. Sexy. Heartbreak. reveals that as well as helping her tunes quickly reach tens of thousands of views (which she released track by track each month until its official independent release in July this year), her followers (read: true fans) have also been excited about being able to play the album on CD, cassette and a much-anticipated vinyl release. Yes, these processes take longer when you’re not signed to a label and doing everything yourself – but good things come to those who wait.
Thankfully, Bristolians won’t have to wait too much longer to see Mary’s return to the city for a special homecoming gig, playing St. George’s on 25 September as part of her Super. Sexy. Heartbreak. tour. It’ll be a particularly poignant performance for Mary, who once worked at St. George’s as a part-time finance assistant.
Living in our city for the best part of a decade had a profound impact on Mary’s life, from an iconic Clifton café inspiring her song Primrose, to its rich and vibrant gigging scene forming the early years of her professional career. During our chat she recalls fond memories of sitting on her roof watching the Balloon Fiesta pass by each summer, of playing four-hour cover sets on King Street at the weekend, gigging everywhere possible, and of going from supporting other acts to selling out The Louisiana for the first time in 2016. As Mary puts it, Bristol was “literally my heart” and like many other artists drawn to its creativity and community, once you’ve lived here, I don’t think its essence ever really leaves you.
Mary Spender’s show is at 8pm on 25 September 2024, tickets £20, stgeorgesbristol.co.uk; Super. Sexy. Heartbreak. is out now and available to purchase from Mary’s website
maryspender.com
