in which a code monkey quits his job and says he’s still alive October 24, 2009
Posted by theindiegeek in posts.Tags: Geek, Indie, Music
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theindiegeek on: Jonathan Coulton
To start with, Jonathan Coulton is a man that looks like this:
And writes songs like this:
And his usual topics for his songs range from zombies, to the robot uprising, the first of spring and what it brings, to an evil genius in love. And he has been quite successful doing such. Could someone explain to me how he did this, so I can copy and be successful? Please?
From his site:
In 2005 I left my day job writing software to pursue music full time. To keep myself busy I released a new song on this website every week for a year in a project called Thing a Week. A few of those songs became big internet hits (my folky cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back“, a funny video called “Flickr“, a song called “Code Monkey“), and I am now fortunate enough to make my living as a musician. I write about a lot of geeky stuff because I am a geek. Some of it’s funny, but a lot of it’s not so funny, and even more of it is somewhere in between. I’ve been compared to They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, Loudon Wainwright III, and other musicians you REALLY LOVE. I give lots of music away because I believe it helps my cause, and I love it when people use my music to create other stuff – music videos, pictures, remixes, etc. At the moment I’m unsigned, and I’m proud to say I’ve created this whole thing mostly on my own (with plenty of help from an amazingly supportive bunch of fans). But it certainly is getting busy…I will probably sell out and go Hollywood any day now…In other words, he’s been lucky.
Lucky,yes, but also admirable. Not everyone has the courage to up and quit their jobs on hopes their music careers pan out. I know quite a few people who left college with their degrees unfinished to pursue a career in music. Haven’t really heard from them since. Personally, I rely too much on the steady paycheck of a steady job to do that. Music will always be an important part of my life, but it’s just not as lucrative as one would hope, especially with this recession. A steady paycheck is important for buying things, like food and video games. So yeah, Coulton was pretty lucky. It also didn’t hurt to have an in at Valve.
The first time I heard a Jonathan Coulton song was at the end of a little game called Portal, when a computer that you tried your darndest to destroy is in fact, Still Alive. However at the time I did not know who it was, just that the song was awesome. The next song of his I heard was the extremely popular Code Monkey. Being a programmer myself, I found this one extremely great. It was then I looked into the guy behind the madness. Also, it was around that time I found this awesome video:
So what is it about his songs that are so great? Why does he have the following he does? Well children, the answer in part is: teh internets!!! Coulton has used the web very well, using contacts on the ‘net to get word out, demos and samplers. All around using the internet very smartly to create a buzz. Also, he has been lucky. Not all programmer musicians who quit their day jobs see anywhere this level of success. And finally, he is just that damn good. He has found a niche and very well catered to it. The topics he chooses to write about aren’t usually those you’ll find on pop radio. And yet there is a market for songs about zombie coworkers and robot overlords. He writes very intelligently and understandably. The songs are catchy and stay with you long after listening.
If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend picking up Coulton’s cd/dvd Best. Concert. Ever. It has most of the favorites on a very well made cd. Standout songs: The Future Soon, Code Monkey, Skullcrusher Mountain, and The First of Spring.
Until next time,
–theindiegeek
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