You are currently viewing Indie True Issue 3: February 2025

Indie True Issue 3: February 2025

Indie True Issue 3: February & March 2025

The Shape of Things To Come

In This Issue

In this issue of Indie True we talk about some of the things that can block your creativity, cause you stress and change the way your see yourself as an artist.

We also talk about the ongoing evolution of Abrasive Monologues and one of the most ambitious projects we’ve ever undertaken.

Focus on Music, Stats are for Math People

Today, followers, likes, and algorithmic placements seem to define success, it’s easy for musicians to fall into the trap of numbers. How many plays did that track get? Why isn’t this song going viral? Should I change my sound to match what’s trending?

These are real questions… and understandable ones. But the truth is, when you get too wrapped up in stats, you start creating from a place of fear and strategy instead of passion and honesty. That’s a dangerous place for any artist to live.

Music is emotion. It’s expression. It’s the sound of you. Reducing that to a scoreboard takes away its magic. Chasing trends or trying to reverse-engineer a viral hit might bring temporary numbers, but it rarely builds long-term fulfillment, or even a loyal audience. People connect to authenticity, not analytics.

The songs that stick with people for years aren’t always the ones that spiked in their first week. Some tracks smolder quietly, and take time, and societal shifts to connect. If you’re constantly refreshing dashboards, you might miss the slow burn of genuine resonance.

The Ebb and Flow, Rise and Fall, of Community

An Oar With Holes

Members of a community who don’t pull their weight are like an oar with holes in it — no matter how hard the rest of the crew rows, progress is slowed, effort is wasted, and direction becomes harder to maintain. Just as a faulty oar disrupts the balance and rhythm of a boat, a lack of contribution from even one person can strain the entire group, making it harder for everyone to reach the shared goal. It’s not about perfection — it’s about presence, effort, and being part of the motion forward.

Do Music Communities Really Help Anyone

In a community of musicians, support flows both ways, when artists work together to uplift and promote each other, everyone benefits. One artist’s reach becomes another’s stage, and what might be a whisper alone turns into a roar when voices come together. Community provides more than exposure; it offers inspiration, feedback, accountability, and motivation during the inevitable lows. By sharing audiences, resources, and encouragement, musicians create a rising tide that lifts all boats, helping individuals grow further and faster than they ever could in isolation.

Leadership Burnout

When the weight of a community falls disproportionately on a few dedicated leaders, it can quickly lead to burnout. Not from lack of passion, but from lack of support. These leaders often carry the emotional, logistical, and creative load to keep things moving, while others benefit without contributing. Over time, the imbalance drains energy and enthusiasm, turning what once felt like a calling into a chore. A strong community requires shared responsibility; without it, even the most committed leaders will eventually burn out, and the entire foundation risks collapsing under the strain.

Evaluate Your Role

Take a moment to honestly evaluate your role in your community: are you actively contributing, or are you simply reaping the benefits of others’ efforts? Are you showing up, sharing, supporting, and adding value??? Or waiting on the sidelines while others do the heavy lifting? Community only works when it’s built on mutual effort, not passive consumption. If everyone took without giving, there would be nothing left to take. So ask yourself — what are you putting back into the space that’s feeding your growth? Your answer matters more than you think.

A Growing Collective

It’s been a landmark year for Abrasive Monologues, a label built on the belief that underground doesn’t have to mean unseen, and experimental doesn’t have to mean inaccessible. What began as a fiercely independent music project has now solidified into a full-fledged creative powerhouse, and the past twelve months have made that loud and clear.

First and foremost, Abrasive Monologues has officially been recognized as a record label by Google, a significant milestone that adds credibility and visibility in an increasingly saturated digital music landscape. This recognition not only validates the work that’s gone into building the label, it also opens up new opportunities for growth and reach across major platforms.

The artist roster has expanded too, now boasting ten unique acts under the Abrasive Monologues banner. Each brings their own distinct voice, pushing sonic boundaries in ways that align with the label’s ethos of raw, unfiltered expression. From experimental noise to ambient textures and heavy, riff-driven storytelling, the diversity within the roster is becoming a defining strength.

The label also planted a new flag with the launch of its Bandcamp page, giving fans and supporters a direct line to the music and the artists behind it. This new interaction point reflects Abrasive Monologues’ ongoing commitment to community, accessibility, and artist-first values in an industry often dominated by middlemen and algorithms.

But the momentum doesn’t stop there.

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2025 marks a bold step forward into bigger and more ambitious territory with a strong focus on composing larger-scale music, developing immersive video content, and breaking into digital advertising to extend the reach of the label’s creative output. Whether it’s through gripping visual narratives, cinematic soundscapes, or strategic ad campaigns across the web, Abrasive Monologues is leaning into the future with intent and intensity.

What once lived on the fringes is now stepping fully into the spotlight. And if this past year is any indication, Abrasive Monologues is just getting started.

Beyond the Heliosphere
A Space Saga

Mario Marino, one of the creative forces behind Abrasive Monologues, is reaching for the stars with his most ambitious project yet: a space saga told through music and visual storytelling that aims to create a fully immersive world to explore. More than just an album or a video series, this endeavor is a sonic odyssey, blending cinematic narrative, immersive soundscapes, and gripping visual content into one cohesive, interstellar experience.

The vision? A sprawling sci-fi epic that unfolds through a sequence of original compositions, each piece telling a chapter of a larger cosmic narrative. But Marino knew from the start that this project needed more than just composition… it needed texture… weight… and a raw, emotional edge to truly bring the void of space to life.

Enter Jon Hadley.

Known for his signature guitar style — high-gain tones, gritty power chords, and soaring harmonic leads, Hadley was the perfect collaborator to inject the atmosphere Marino was looking for. His guitar work brings a sense of urgency and depth, grounding the ethereal synths and spacey arrangements with grit and gravity. Whether it’s the crushing weight of a dying star or the desperate propulsion of a rogue ship, Hadley’s guitar becomes a character in the story — one that speaks in screams, wails, and distortion-drenched declarations.

This collaboration marks a milestone for Abrasive Monologues. It’s not just the largest creative undertaking in the label’s history; it’s a complete evolution in scope and ambition. The space saga represents the convergence of music, storytelling, and cinematic visuals, all woven together by a shared vision of pushing boundaries… both artistically and sonically.

As the project continues to take shape, one thing is clear… this isn’t just a new chapter for Abrasive Monologues. It’s an entirely new universe. You can catch the placeholder video for the title song in the project here.

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It’s All About the Tunes… It’s All About the Indie Boom

Everyone should know by now that James does what he wants… He also does what he has to do.

The format of Indie Boom Shockwave has changed a bit over the past few months. The multiple host, submission show on Tuesday has become playlist driven for the time being. The submission show became a lot to handle, as did the multiple hosts during a part of the year where everyone is getting sick and having to drop out at random. Indie Boom still gathers on Tuesday night to have fun on live stream with other community members, and still meets again on Wednesday night. There have been some additions that are good community builders as well with the addition of game night. As things change and grow regarding Indie Boom Abrasive will likely make blog updates as apposed to Magazine features going forward. We want to transition Indie True to be about artists.

April Artist Features

The rest of the year, Indie True will include artist features. If you want to be one of those artists, reach out to us through the Indie Boom Discord or through the contact form on this website.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. John

    Great issue! I really look forward to these.

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