We recently connected with Zach Kelly and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Zach thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Being a musician that played in numerous bands I was always frustrated with every project I was apart of not growing in the way I wanted it to. And being involved in my local music community I saw plenty of other bands that were always in the same boat, having talent but not moving forward. I decided to take it upon myself learn how to grow the careers of artists and bring that knowledge to my community so we could all move forward together
Zach, 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’ve been a musician for my entire life, and have been playing in bands for over a decade. Being a part of my local music community I have seen so many artists that have lots of potential, but can’t seem to break out of the rut of playing to empty rooms. I decided to create Fever Dream Entertainment as a one stop shop for these artists to come to to get whatever they need help with in their music career. We act as a recording studio, a record label, a management and promotion firm, and an event promoter for artists to team up with in order to help grow their fan base and elevate their music career.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I think there’s this prevailing way of thinking in the music scene that’s from a time long passed, where all you have to do to make a career for yourself in music is to write some songs and grind away at playing every gig you can get yourself on. Just keep playing out and eventually you play a show in front of the right crowd and you get approached by a manager or somebody from a label that wants to whisk you away and make you a star. It took me years of doing the wrong thing to come to realization that the music industry hasn’t worked that way for a long time. In the age of the internet if you want to get signed to a record deal you have to grow your career and your fan base on your own. You have a reach a tipping point where there’s such a demand for your art that industry gatekeepers have no choice but to notice you and see what a safe bet you are to invest in. And at that point why do you even need the label? What are they providing you that you haven’t already shown you can do yourself? Fever Dream strives to give artists these do it yourself skills so they can find their own way in the music industry
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I hold my team very close to my heart. Without them I wouldn’t be anything. We all bring such important sets of knowledge and skills to the table that we’re constantly learning, improving, and motivating each other just by being in a room together. I met Dave O’Neil when a band I was in at the time was looking for a bass player and he was brought in. We’ve been friends for over a decade now and have been working on Fever Dream for about 5 years. He started this whole endeavor with me and I’m super proud of all he’s accomplished since then both personally and professionally. I met Jimmy Butler when I was in my senior year in highschool, he was this goofy awkward freshman that loved guitar and music. We weren’t close but I thought he was a good kid. Years later I ran into him again as an audio engineering student at college when my band came into record a single. When that same band was in need of a new guitarist I reached out to him and he saw what I was doing with Fever Dream and we thought that he would be a great fit for that too. 3 years later I rely on him to handle so much of what we do. He’s one of the hardest working guys I know and the perspective and skill he brings to our operation is immeasurable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://feverdreamnj.com
- Instagram: fever_dream_entertainment
- Facebook: Fever Dream Entertainment
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@feverdreamentertainment?si=he7_FTWvQFVBmAB8
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/KzdayJyc88inHsBU6
- Other: TikTok: @feverdreamentertainment
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/31khmg74iq5xnxlrr5pgfgvltw4i?si=qks91ElOTMWzRRJTm7l2ow
Image Credits
Kristen Osman
Seventh Side Productions