We recently connected with Daniel Day Zuko and have shared our conversation below.

Daniel Day, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

We’re committed to the growth of emerging artists, musicians and bands… that’s our mission.

We feel like local and regional indie music/artists are the heartbeat of all music communities. It needs to always be nurtured and cultivated so new and exciting art is constantly being pushed forward.

When we initially started Moredopemusic, a huge part of our goal was to re-ignite and fill the void that used to be artist development. With so many individuals having the ability to create at home and distribute music instantly, artist development has been transformed a bit. A bunch of their development is on their own terms and timetable. We’re now mainly trying to provide a support system and platforms for artists to be the artists they envision for themselves… and help them reach their base of music enthusiasts.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Daniel Day Zuko… folks just call me Zuko.

I’m sort of a late bloomer to this industry. Although I went to school for Visual Communications/Graphic Design at Art Institute of Atlanta, for several years I worked in the sales and fitness industry as General Manager and Sales Manager for companies like L.A. Fitness, Bally’s Total Fitness, Anytime Fitness and American Bodyworks. My love for music and the arts industries remained steady in my heart and mind. Eventually I broke away from the corporate setting to pursue activities that brought me joy and peace of mind. It wasn’t easy (and still isn’t at times lol), but I wanted my days to be filled with creative endeavors and creative people.

I’ve now been doing freelance graphic design and promoting/curating indie shows in the Atlanta market for about 14 years. A bulk of our early shows were Hip Hop/Rap related that featured acts like Trinidad Jame$, Rock City, Scotty ATL, Ra Ra, Mighty High Coup, Playboy Tre, The Dungeon Family, The Wheeler Boys and so many more. Our management of Alternative Rock band Forrest Isn’t Dead eventually lead us to primarily hosting indie band shows and doing booking services for regionally touring bands. As of now, I feel like it’s a sweet spot.

We now have our hands in about 10- 15 indie concerts per month throughout the southeast; and occasionally the northeast, midwest and southwest. Some of our favorite indie artists/bands that should be on your radar are Oceanic, MADWOMAN, Maggie Miles, Lemon’s, Koyal, Forrest Isn’t Dead, Flight by Nothing, Bathe Alone, Good Deal, NITE, Kels, Elijah Cruise, Tayls, Internet Islands, Echo Area, Alto Moon, LVVRS, Couch Cult, Kaydelis, Stardust Sonata, Desmond Myers, Slow Funeral, Aaron Rizzo, The American Hotel System, Arkose, Pinto Sunshine, Them in Uniform, Deaf Andrews, Florence Cardigan, Under High Street, Chasing Rotation, Palomino Blond, Rose Hotel, Girlpuppy, GAMMA STAR, Yes Dear, Karma and the Killjoys, Hotel Fiction, Flowerbomb, Atlanta Space Quartet and Audiophile to name a few.

We’re hoping to have some of these bands (and others) perform at Southeast Indie Fest.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Reputation and relationships are everything in this industry. I think I’ve been able to develop both by being as see through as possible, not being greedy and being respectful of all folks regardless of any differences in background, race, identities or anything else that’s not reflective of their artistic abilities.

I want folks to choose to work with me, not be obligated. On a local and regional level, I believe it’s so imperative for artists and bands to know that you’re more concerned with the well-being of the community, rather than lining your pockets. The music industry already has reputations about folks on the administrative side trying to take advantage of the creative side. I’m an artist first… administrator last.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Well, the term “starving artist” is a real thing lol. I would say anyone that isn’t rich already and still pursuing a career within the art industry, has to be resilient. And they probably just have a real passion for the field.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.moredopemusic.co
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/moredopemusic
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/moredopemusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moredopemusic
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@moredopemusic
  https://bento.me/moredopemusic

Image Credits

Live Photos by John Walters
https://www.instagram.com/jmwalters