Caleb Long is a 2017 graduate of Blackburn who has a love for music. He has been playing the drums for fifteen years, has learned to play several other instruments including the bass, and has been writing songs for the past two years. Long had been in bands previously, but thought if he wanted to go somewhere in the field, he would have to go solo. In 2016, he released five songs and eight in 2017. He is currently finishing up an album that is set to release on Feb. 28.
Long found his inspiration through independent artists such as Kevin Parker, who performs under the name Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper. In his personal life, he finds inspiration from his partner Katrina who is often the subject of songs and is very encouraging. He also credits his friend Bryan for inspiring him because he does his own thing with no care of what others are doing. The music produced by these artists is the kind of music Caleb intends on producing/releasing.
According to Caleb, his earlier music was “very sad and dark.” He wrote songs about things that were important at the time, for example, a girl he liked. His previous life experiences have shaped him and his music into what it is today. The music that he has released is currently available on Spotify, and is intended to be available on Apple Music, Google Play, Pandora, Amazon, and other music streaming apps soon. Caleb’s music was previously available on a few lesser-known streaming apps like Bandcamp.
Uploading your own music onto Spotify is not an easy process. An artist must register for publishing rights and pay a fee to use the app. Being a self-managed artist can take a toll on anyone. Caleb referred to a friend of his that has their own business. This friend wishes they were able to hire someone to do the management part of running a business, because it is a time consuming task, and that time could be better used to create product. The work is worth the stress for Caleb, though. Seeing his work available to the public is an extremely rewarding sight for him.
Caleb Long playing drums with Subtle Issues
Long is very excited for what is to come with his music. “Jones Allison should be available on other streaming apps soon, which is really huge.” said Long. His new album should also be available on these steaming apps soon after its release.