"And everything was love…love…love" Austin Brown 85
These simple but haunting words frame a young man's vision of his birth year 1985. That young man is about to change the course of music, literally and from a business sense. You probably don't recognize his name, but you already know who he is. Austin Brown is the latest generation of the Jackson family and proof positive they are an unqualified music dynasty. Third child of Maureen "Rebbie" Jackson, Austin is Michael Jackson's nephew (as well as Janet's and the rest of the clan).
I had the pleasure of spending a leisurely Napa spring afternoon with Austin previewing his soon to be released work and riffing about the future of the music/media business. It quickly became evident that Austin is indeed another prodigy but with a twist. Austin, could write his own ticket with any major record label, but he is going S-Indy (Social Indy) with his own company The Royal Factory, building a fanbase by leveraging today's social tools. In a word he "gets" it.
This move marks the beginning of the last chapter for the traditional labels. A saga started by Napster, then legitimatized by Apple. For the last decade the industry has been in complete turmoil as business models have rapidly changed and the role of the big gatekeepers has diminished. It is not yet quite clear what the new models will look like, but my bet is they will be driven by the "artist-as-a-social-brand" model made possible via the Twitter and Facebook ecosystems. Austin will be carving this path.
"Why now?"
He's got the Jackson gene, and it has evolved. He sings, dances, does acrobatics, plays multi-instruments, writes, scores, produces and tweets. He is bottled lightening waiting to explode. So where has he been all of our lives? Rebbie Jackson, Austin's mom (and Platinum Artist herself) was firsthand witness to the challenges of childhood super-stardom. She wanted something different for her family and moved away to raise her three children. Austin exhibited his extraordinary talent at a very young age, but her instinct was to keep him off the stage to afford a more normal upbringing.
But the creative forces within him were spinning like a Category 5 hurricane. Uncle Michael was his Yoda in voice and dance, while Uncle Randy taught him to play a variety of instruments, music theory and song structure. For years Austin has been writing, producing and collaborating with likes of Grammy-nominated Ryan Tedder and others. He has been honing and polishing his skills, creating and recording material; contemplating the right moment to, in his own words, be "good enough" to take center stage. Then it happened.
"...and in the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried, and the poets dreamed…The day the music died."
Don McLean American Pie
The loss of Michael is still a very painful topic in the Jackson family, particularly so for Austin. But his resolve to perform has continued to strengthen, and he has persisted in maturing his work. He recently completed a four minute "trailer" that tells his life story via several songs from his upcoming premier album 85. It is a spectacular piece that hits on so many levels. He is purebred Jackson. Comparisons to Michael are inevitable, but Austin has his own moves and musical stylings that both fill a void and forge a new direction. Melodies are back. Dance is back: retro with a modern techie flair. It's Rat Pack meets disco meets R&B. But it is also clear Austin is going to take us on an innovative musical mystery tour.
On the business front he is clearly ready to innovate. Even with the Jackson family behind him, he is like any aspiring new artist, hopeful but hungry. He painfully understands the special burden of a long shadow of expectations. Yet he is dancing to a new beat, bypassing the traditional handlers and spinmeisters. He is counting on connecting directly with his audience, talking to and learning from them. And he will. Because Austin is grounded, humble and a real mensch. Plus he has plenty of support from co-founder and CEO of The Royal Factory, successful Bay Area entrepreneur Chester Aldridge.
Like the breakthrough social launch of LOOK the TV Series on Showtime; Adam Corolla's hugely popular podcast, now a successful paid-subscription show on UStream (with sidekick the famous @alisonrosen); and Charlie Sheen's explosive Warlock use of social media and streaming network WyTV. Austin's S-Indy launch is sure to be the next big leap in the disruption of old media. It's a game-changer. Even more provocatively, history might show it was just Target Practice.
Austin's video will premier live at KIIS-FM's Wango Tango concert
May 14th, at LA's Staples Center
Follow Austin on Twitter: @AustinBrown
Austin's Official Website
Austin Brown - The Official Austin Brown Website
