Although most singers understand the power of marketing and social media, Colter Wall seemed to care little about followers or likes. Focusing only on his music, the country singer released his last album over two years ago with Little Songs. While fans loved what Wall produced with the album, he quickly retreated to his quiet life. Still traveling the country to perform, Wall recently promoted his newest single with “1,800 Miles From Music Row.” And when advised to purchase a billboard, the singer decided to make his own.
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Looking at the numbers, a billboard could cost around $1,000 to $15,000, depending on the location. And that was per month. For a location like Times Square, it can run a company $1,000 per day. With advertising cutting into his production costs, Wall found a way to promote his new song without breaking the bank. He shared a picture on Instagram that showed a small sign with “1,800 Miles From Music Row” painted on it.
Colter Wall Considers The ’60s And ’70s The Peak Of Country Music
While a clever idea, there was a slight problem. Wall positioned the sign in the middle of a field. With little traffic, it appeared to be the perfect place, given the name of his new song. As for the promotion, it already gained over 30,000 likes. He captioned the post, writing, “Management suggested getting a billboard to promote the upcoming single. A cheaper option was selected.”
Not giving away too much information surrounding the song, the lyrics included, “I don’t know what you think you’ve been told/If I ever was for sale, I never sold/It’s short on/flashing lights and rhinestone clothes/1,800 miles from Music Row/It’s Tyson songs on the fiddle and guitar/And the pedal steel man drives a real mean bar/You won’t hear it on your radio/It’s 1,800 miles from Music Row.”
Back in December, Wall discussed the style of country music he liked to record. And when it came to “1,800 Miles From Music Row”, he promised, “I kind of just wanted to make a straight… it’s just a love letter to country music. Really it’s just a bunch of sad drinking songs mostly. I just wanted to make a record that sounded like Merle Haggard and the Strangers—late 60s into the early 70s.”
With country music going through some major changes over the last few decades, Wall always considered that time as the peak of the genre. “Honestly, to me, that’s where country music peaked. That’s my favorite stuff to listen to, and I think that was the best band in country music. I wanted to make a record that reminded me of that. So that’s what we did… or tried to (do) anyways.”
And in true Wall fashion, he proved the best kind of promotion isn’t flashy – it’s honest, timeless, and a little bit off the beaten path.
(Photo by Robin Little/Redferns)
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