We were lucky to catch up with James Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

James , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

As a musician and designer, it’s essential to recognize the value of seeking support from friends while also understanding its limitations. Asking your friends to help promote your business is certainly worth pursuing, but it’s important not to get discouraged if you don’t receive the level of support you hoped for. Remember, your friends may not be your target audience. While it’s great to share ideas and get feedback from your circle, your ideal customers might belong to a completely different demographic. Personally, I’ve noticed that some of my posts on social media often don’t garner much engagement. I understand that my friends and family might be weary of my frequent updates about my art and music. I post a lot of content. Most of my closest friends will order one of my albums and “like” my posts, but I understand they can’t financially support everything I do. Even simple actions like sharing, commenting, and liking my content greatly contribute to engagement, and those little gestures really uplift me. My art and TEEEL music are unique expressions of who I am, and it’s unrealistic to expect everyone in my circle to resonate with them. Stay committed to your dream and continue striving for success, knowing that the right audience will eventually appreciate and support your creative endeavors.

It’s incredibly rewarding to hear from fans I’ve never met, especially when someone tells me that my TEEEL music helped them through a tough time. Messages like these mean the world to me and inspire me to keep creating new art. It’s crucial not to let the lack of engagement dishearten you. Instead, focus on your passion and the vision behind your work.

James , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Jim Smith, also known as TEEEL, a name inspired by the teal music room where I wrote my music. My sound can be described as a fusion of indie bedroom synthpop and dark electronic rock, featuring large 80s electronic drum machine beats, vintage synthesizers, catchy guitar riffs, cinematic textures, and vocals that range from light and distant to powerfully emotional.

I’ve been involved in music since around 1995, playing in bands and creating electronic music. While learning guitar and writing hardcore metal with friends, I spent late nights producing electronic drum and bass tracks. During college, I DJ’d on the campus radio station and worked as a mobile DJ for weddings and school dances. I also spun vinyl at underground electronic music parties in the tri-state area, focusing on genres like drum and bass, house, trance, and other club music. I’ve always loved the underground scene.

As I continued playing in bands, I started blending my rock roots with electronic beats. This exploration ultimately led me to TEEEL, a solo endeavor that allows me to leverage my experience in bands and production. I wanted complete creative control, and every piece of music I create is crafted from concept to completion.

I now have multiple albums available for streaming on all major music platforms. You can hear my music featured in Amazon’s Red Oaks, Nike documentaries, Netflix, ESPN SportsCenter, and in select clothing stores. It’s incredibly rewarding to see my brand come to life and know that my music is playing all over the world.

I also love the artistic aspect of my work, often handling the design for my album artwork and promotional content, and flyers. I’ve also had the privilege of collaborating with many talented artists and have met some amazing people. I’m super proud of this body of work and the opportunities that it has brought me. Feel free to stream my music on Spotify, and you can also check out some great colored vinyl, tees, and other fun merch at TEEEL.bandcamp.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I continue to work my full-time job, and TEEEL remains a passion project for me. While I earn monthly royalties from my songs and sales from my merch on Bandcamp, I never want to rely solely on my music for income. Doing so could add stress and detract from the joy that music brings me. I also work on music for movies and TV shows. I’m always looking for new opportunities to license my music and have also created a sample pack with Loopmasters for other artists to use in their work.

Recently, I’ve begun exploring deeper into movie scoring, which has been a rewarding experience. I love writing music with my synthesizers and not having to focus on writing lyrics and singing like my TEEEL project. I’m particularly proud of the music I wrote for the film “Lion Girl“ and I have a song in “The Gift”, that stars Jason Bateman. I also contributed music to a few D.I.Why? films like “Girls Just Want to Have Blood”, “Hi-Death” and more. I’m a huge horror and sci-fi nerd so I really want to do more scores in the future.

About a year ago, I launched another music project called Huffy Vortex, which is an audio-visual experience. I’m writing both the music and the screenplay simultaneously and plan to release this project while collaborating with other creatives. I’m looking to pitch the concept to a network or possibly develop it into a feature film.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I’ve been selling my merch primarily on Bandcamp for years. Fans can download any files they like, purchase vinyl, t-shirts, and buy songs at a discounted rate. This model allows me to connect directly with my fans, and I love being able to see who is supporting my music. I often mail out merch from home, which lets me personalize packages with handwritten notes and signed vinyl. I always include fun extras, as that personal touch means a lot to me. I’m truly grateful when other artists do the same for me when I purchase their merch. We all work hard for our money, so when someone chooses to spend it on something I’ve created, it really means the world to me.

You can also check out my designs at GeekandChicstore.com on Etsy, a small business my wife and I run together. She is the chic, and I’m the geek (though I like to think I can be chic too, and she has her geeky side). I handle all the t-shirt and hat designs, while she sources unique vintage jewelry and one-of-a-kind accessories from our travels and experiences. It’s fun to make money off of your hobbies but I could never quit my day job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://teeelmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teeelmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Teeelmusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-jim-smith/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/teeelmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Teeelmusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/teeel
• Other: Geek&Chic Store
  https://www.etsy.com/shop/geekandchicstore

Image Credits

Photos by Dana Smith