Greetings Gunn Runner
A new season of Celtic Christmas music and a new format to Pub Songs Podcast. Hallelujah and The Hero of Christmas and a Black Friday Sale.
It's all on Celtfather Monthly, show #271
0:11 – PODCASTS
It was a good month for podcasts. I planned ahead and recorded several Irish & Celtic Music Podcast episodes. I'm also getting ready to finishing up episodes so I can put out the Celtic Top 20 during the last week of December.
I am liking the direction of the Pub Songs Podcast. It requires a lot more planning. I also feel like there are more open loops. That's because I have multiple sections. It includes a short interview, a CD feature, and some facts about any trad Celtic songs. I have to figure out how to better streamline that. But I still feel more flexible.
For instance, I had the idea of releasing an episode at the end of December with Auld Lang Syne and what not. But it would lack many of those sections. And happily I was okay with that. I'm keeping my mind open and flexible with the format. That's tough for me.
Ultimately, I tossed that show idea, but only because of lack of time. Not because of the show idea.
The Celtic Christmas Podcast is in full swing. Two episodes in 2020. A third will be out before the end of the month. I also started a bonus podcast featured called “Hang the Holly”.
That is sort of a new podcast where I share details about artists in the latest episode of the Celtic Christmas Podcast. The idea started because I was expecting the show to be booted from Spotify. And I wanted to keep it on there.
You see, last year, Spotify was the #1 player of the podcast. But Spotify is rejecting any podcast that is primarily music. The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was kicked off last spring. Now I have Hang the Holly promoting the latest shows. Or at least that's the hope. Admittedly, the listens are so few so far, that I'm not sure I will continue this feature.
But we shall see. I'm not really sure how to measure the success. But it will continue through Christmas at least.
2:46 – VIDEOS
Season 7 of Coffee with The Celtfather is coming to an end. The first two episodes in December are Christmas music shows. And on Thursday, December 17, the season ends with who knows what kind of music. Maybe I should do a poll. What were your favorite new songs in 2020? I definitely played a lot of new music.
December 17 is also the next Celtfather Live concert. I am feeling good about those shows. If you're following, I changed the way those shows worked. Basically, tickets are $8 or you can spend $15 or more in my store and get a ticket. In November, I made the show available to all my Heroic Patrons who pledge $10 or more on Patreon.
Overall, sales were down from October. But only by $23. So that's pretty fantastic. Plus, I saw a bunch of new Heroes in the Gunn Runners Club. I say bunch but like 2 or 3 is just a lot in general and as you'll see in the stats, it greatly affects my income. So again, I call that a HUGE win.
Now as a sort of Christmas gift, the December show will be available to every member of the Gunn Runner Club plus the ticketed people. But that's one month only. Well, unless I see some major rise in Gunn Runner memberships at the $5 level. We shall see how it works out.
I had a LOT of video singles made this month. ONE of the reasons I moved Coffee with The Celtfather back to YouTube was to streamline the video single creation process. I was having a lot of trouble recording video singles of me singing songs. But if I just record a show on YouTube. I can pick the best performances and turn 'em into videos to promote my music. This month was great for those videos.
I'm releasing one new video per week. This month was “Bright Side of Everything“, “Bring Me Home, Boys“, “Hallelujah“, and “Close Your Eyes (aka The Demon Lullaby)“.
“Hallelujah”, in particular, is doing exceptionally well. It's getting a higher than normal number of views. It felt like a really fantastic performance when I sang it on Coffee at the beginning of November.
6:41 – IN THE STUDIO
I got a little bit more time back in the studio this month.
I finally recorded “Genetic Counseling Song”. I also sent it to some musicians, including Matt Hughes, who's on the next Pub Songs Podcast. And my friend Rimbo laid some bass for the song as well.
I did some practicing for some traditional Irish tunes I want on the CD. Sam Gillogly recorded the fiddle part. But I just did not know how to play along. I'm working on that.
I also started a secret recording with a daughter. I will say no more about that.
Also in November, my engineer, Mitchell sent me a recording of “Wherever I May Roam”. It was the final… version…
Well, that's what I thought. Shortly after telling him we were done, I told him, we were not actually done.
I'll be talking about that on #221 of the Pub Songs Podcast.
In a last minute move, Mikey Mason and I are officially releasing Browncoat Christmas on December 1st. This is a 4-song EP of Christmas songs inspired by Firefly, including our newest single release, “The Hero of Christmas”.
I also have lyrics by Nancy Flynn that I want to record this season. We shall see if I have anything for Gunn Runners in the next month.
8:16 – MERCH
I feel like merch should be a greater priority in a musician's career. It's one of the best ways for biggest methods for us to make money.
Alas, I just don't do it. It's lowest on my priority list behind creating music and podcasts and a dozen other things.
Oh well. I did at long last put A Celtic Christmas in my Mage Records store. This is a compilation CD I released in 2013. It's a great album with a lot of fun Christmas songs by Celtic musicians.
Nevertheless, I did create a Black Friday sale, of sorts. And it's good until the end of November.
You can buy Any CD in my store. You'll get a second copy of that CD to share with a friend for free. Then you can pick one more CD from my store and get that one doubled as well.
Basically 4 CDs for just $20.
Oh! If you're subscribed to my mailing list, you still get a discount code to save 15%.
9:27 – CELTIC TRAVEL
I have my first invaders for the Celtic Invasion of Scotland. And I'm happy to see there are vaccines coming out. That's a good sign for the 2021 invasion. I suppose it's time to do some serious planning.
9:41 – WEBSITES
I updated lyrics for the Irish Song Lyrics website, including:
- “Barnyards of Delgaty”
- “Genetic Counseling Song”
- “Hero of Christmas”
- “Galway Shawl”
- “Maid Went to the Mill”
- “Wild Colonial Boy”
- “Wreck of the Bold Lady Jean”
– SHOWS PLANNED FOR DECEMBER
THURS: Coffee with The Celtfather, YouTube (Season 7) @ 12:00 PM EST
End of Season on December 17. Season 8 will start on January 7.
DEC 4: The Lost Druid in Avondale Estates, GA @ 7:00 – 9:00 PM ET. Free.
DEC 17: Celtfather Live on YouTube @ 8:00 – 9 PM EDT. Tickets $8.
11:15 – STATS
Mailing list subscribers = 1194 is down from 1196
Celtic Music Magazine = 4021 is up from 4001
YouTube Subscribers = 4891 is up from 4853
Facebook Likes = 3752 is down from 3755
Instagram = 1856 is up from 1851
Spotify followers: 1670 is 16 up from 1654
# Number of listens on Spotify: 3265 is up from 2532
Latest Spotify Single Stats:
“Hobbit Hornpipe” released Aug 26: 447 is up from 399
“Whiskey in the Jar” released Sept 8: 17 is down from 73
“Brandywine River Reel” released Sept 22: 19 is down from 75
“O'er the Way” released Oct 1: 20 is down from 85
“Together (KrabbeConnect) released Oct 7: 52 is down from 257
“October Waltz” released Oct 14: 103 is up from 54
“Tough Times” released Oct 21: 163 is up from 28
“Wild Colonial Boy” released on Nov 3: 63
“The Hero of Christmas” released on Nov 17: 148
Most-popular songs on Spotify: The Widow and the Devil (1.5K), “Christmas in the Shire” (493), Doctor of Gallifrey (483), Hobbit Hornpipe (447), Slainte Mhaith Christmas (403), A-Working in the Garden (330), Frosty the Irish Snowman (268), Hero of Canton (187), Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster (172), Tough Times (163)
Most-popular songs on Amazon Music: Doctor of Gallifrey (379), Hero of Canton (342), The Widow and the Devil (117), As Long As I'm Flyin' (84), Jedi Drinking Song Prequel (82)
Christmas playlist starting nov 14 = 1762 is up from 1743
18:34 – PATREON
Patreon Subscribers: 158 is up from 157
Patreon Monthly Income: $1221 is up from $1208
Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting!
Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts.
– RANT
Before I conclude, I want to send a HUGE congrats to President-Elect Joe Biden. America definitely spoke with a landslide victory. At least by Trump's past definition of a landslide. Except Biden won definitely won the popular vote AND the electoral college vote. America wanted kindness back in the White House. We got it!
I thought about not mentioning this at all because I know a lot of people in our country voted for the incumbent president. Our nation has a lot of healing to do.
But I spent the last couple o' months promoting Biden. I firmly believe he is the best person to not only actually make America great again, but to heal our country.
No. I don't expect a smooth transition. Trump has already corrupted our democracy by declaring voter fraud, without ANY actual evidence that stands up in a court of law. yet, millions of Americans believe that lie.
But the fact is Trump lost the majority of American votes, again. He lost the popular vote. He lost the electoral college.
Joe Biden definitely won the presidency. And I'm proud that America stood up for what is right.
There's obviously more to talk about. I was shocked by how many people did vote for Trump. After all the verifiable lies, after all the attacks on decency, and the intentional inflammation of division, I'm curious why.
I believe in balance. Trump tipped the country into extremism and corruption.
Why would good people continue to support him?
I just don't know. Hopefully, I can ask that question in the future and try to understand how we can better unite our country.
Until then, I'm thankful that we have a new president coming in January bring a more principled character as the leader of our country. Congratulations President Elect Joe Biden and definitely a big congrats to America's first female Vice President, first Black and Asian woman VP, Kamala Harris.
This is a BIG step for a better America.
Thank you for supporting Sci F'Irish music at Celtfather.com!
#CFMonthly
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
