(Podcast #12) Launching an Artist Career

👍 Stream the audio-only version of this episode on Samply by clicking here.

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🎶 This episode features “False Hope” by featured artist Cole Ritter. You can listen to the full livestream of Cole’s upcoming EP by clicking here.

This week’s podcast features the one and only MAD Records artist…. Cole Ritter 🌵💀 🌵💀

Cole grew up in Nashville and started playing violin at just three years old. Music has always been his foundation. Over the years, he built a career as a highly respected musician and sideman, touring, playing sessions, and checking off many of the boxes people are told to chase. Eventually, that experience led him to a difficult but necessary decision…

…stepping away from the security of sideman work to fully invest in his own artist project.

Cole and I have an honest, wide-ranging conversation about identity, musicianship, and what it actually means to choose the independent artist path in 2026.

In this episode, we talk openly about what that transition has looked like, both creatively and personally. Cole shares why it took him so long to release solo music, how he thinks about ownership and long-term fulfillment, and why live performance still feels like the most honest expression of who he is as an artist.

We also get into creativity and spirituality, the feeling of letting music come to you rather than forcing it, and the importance of staying human in an industry that prioritizes virality, content, and numbers. Later, we talk about AI, authenticity, and why live music may become more meaningful than ever in the years ahead.

This is a reflective conversation about patience, trust, and defining success on your own terms. If you are an artist navigating big decisions or stuck between stability and passion, there is a lot here that will be impactful.

Topic Overview

00:00 Intro and background02:03 Growing up with music as identity07:22 Sideman life vs choosing the artist path11:13 How the music industry has changed20:25 Why Cole waited to release solo music27:40 Music as healing and emotional connection30:11 Studio vs live performance39:03 Spirituality, creativity, and songwriting41:44 AI, authenticity, and the future of music49:15 Defining success, touring, and long-term vision54:09 Advice to his younger self and closing

(Podcast intro music created by Luke Despain, Thomas Muer, and Rob Schustack.)

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