All musicians dream of making it big, but success doesn't often come overnight. With that in mind, drummer Jeremiah Edmond of Manchester Orchestra has some words of wisdom for aspiring artists over at OurStage's Artist Ask.

"From what I have seen and experienced in the recent years, labels are looking for bands that are making things happen on their own," Edmond says. "They want to see a band that has already written a ton of songs, released an album or EP and are out touring, already building a fan base."

Edmond goes on to advise up-and-comers to make things happen on their own, by writing more songs than they really need, borrowing recording gear, regularly hitting local markets to play live and building an online presence.

"Once you have good songs, a decent recording, are out playing shows -- and playing them well -- and have a growing fan base, people will start to pay attention," Edmond adds.

But the drummer warns that even if this all does lead up to a record deal, it doesn't mean it's the end of all that hard work. Instead, it's continuing "being the best artist you can be" that is the key to success. We can't argue with that suggestion.

Manchester Orchestra Tour Dates
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