Groover is an online service that allows musicians to forward their releases to so-called curators: music journalists, radio hosts, bookers, record labels and other influential people. It costs between €2 and €6 per forward. I tried it for the upcoming single “Falcon Head” and was not disappointed.
Hi, and thank you for sending us your song! The performance is full of heart, and the atmosphere it builds is simply captivating. It’s a track that fits beautifully within our selection, and we’ll be featuring it in our “Songs of the Week.” Thanks again for your submission!
One Way Ticket, music website, USA
There may be a catch, however, if you, like me, avoid using Spotify. Many journalists and online radio stations only have Spotify playlists, and only one of the 38 curators that responded to my track pointed this out:
Hello, thank you for sending through your song, it's really appreciated. Unfortunately at this time I'm only really working with songs I can use in conjunction with my Spotify playlists. So this is no reflection of your work which is great.
Howdoall, social media influencer, Australia
Still, even if the contact with a curator does not directly result in airplay or a spot on a playlist, the responses can be very helpful. One reviewer, who was personally not into the sort of music I had sent, pointed me to a number of very interesting channels:
In the UK, the site KLOF supports this kind of folk (along with a lot of other stuff). There are indie stations in the US, like KEXP, KCRW, WFUV, WPKN, but these tend to have a higher bar than the little stations. But you never know.
Planetarian, radio station, Canada
The encouragement from a record label was definitely worth the €3 I paid for it, even if they were based thousands of miles away from me. A record deal may be impractical, but I have included a quote on the press release I have subsequently sent to others:
"Falcon Head” is a great tune top to bottom. You are honouring the great folk tradition, and also have captured awesome playing in a stellar recording… The songwriting, production, and vocals are pristine!
Afternoon Tea Artist Collective, record label, Canada
So an important part of the responses was just positive feedback - and about 10 promises to share the song. To see how some people put their response to my music in words, though, was amazing, and it fills me with pride to be able to quote a fellow artist who said:
“Falcon Head” is sung with raw, moody, heartfelt vocals and stripped-back alt-folk instrumentation. It feels both grounded and untamed, as if a rumination on freedom, resilience, and the pull of nature. Its earthy acoustic tones and rugged vocal delivery evoke windswept landscapes and quiet introspection, giving it an almost folklore quality. It captures that space between fragility and flight, where emotion meets open sky.
Oghamyst, India