LEE. — Slowing Down to Build an Identity

Strategy / Artist Development / Music

LEE. performing, holding the microphone close

Taking LEE. from turning down a $200K record deal advance to signing an equitably structured distribution deal where he maintains ownership, through a new visual identity, a slower release plan and live shows.

Background

When Painfully Hueman started working with LEE., his music was strong, but he had no consistent visual identity and no release strategy. He was putting out new projects often without building on any of them. The first step was to stop releasing new music until there was a plan.

Project Design

  1. Cover art: designed the cover for LEE.’s album Boy Toy. It was simpler than his earlier covers and set the direction for his visual identity.
  2. One album for a year: LEE. promoted Boy Toy for a full year instead of releasing more music.
  3. Live shows: LEE. performed at venues across New York throughout the year to build an audience in person.
  4. Instagram: high-quality photos only, with captions about his life, his immigration story and how he got into music.
  5. Research at shows: watched which songs got the strongest reactions and focused promotion on those.
  6. Merchandise: built a merch website and product line, so LEE. had income outside of streaming and shows.
  7. Listening parties: planned two solo listening parties for the Boy Toy anniversary and the release of his next album, Airtight.

The Numbers

Where It Stands

Streams and followers roughly doubled in the same period that LEE. built a live audience and started earning from merch. The listening party series ended with the full release of Airtight. LEE. then signed with Offrip, and his streams grew quickly, with placements on Spotify’s editorial playlists.

See also MUSIC BY LEE. v1 at 66 GREENE and Music by LEE. v2 at Three Times LOUDER.

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