The fall of Writer's Block Songwriters...

& the dawn of LA's newest show + why i'm turning on paid subscriptions!

Lucas T. Flood

Jan 02, 2024

Preface:

happy new year.

to be, or not to be, is the motherfuckin question.

I choose to be, because I am.

read this one to the end.

All or nothing, as it always has been …

It's either victory, or don't bother. The only thing worth doing, is the impossible.

Everything else is gray.

Lately, I’ve been coming to terms with “that voice in my head…” the one I think might exist naturally within all of us, that tells us it may not be possible to achieve anything more than we already have.

In August of this past year, I reached a point where I had a simple choice: trim the fat, shed everything I’ve known for the better part of a decade, and continue “traveling purposefully toward an as-yet-unknown destination…”

or remain stagnant…not growing, learning, or evolving…just standing still.

Writer’s Block Songwriters is done. Forever. I tried, I thought I had it, then I “lost,” but I didn’t fail…because I’m still here, and I’ll keep going (no details, unless you catch me at a show after a few bourbons).

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

-Winston Churchill

It’ll always mean more to me than it does to you. I’m cool with that. But thank you to everyone who made the past 6-7 years of shows special. Your support is not lost on me (keep reading, I need more support lol)

The question I’ve been asked lately (by those who already knew), is “what’re you going to call the next thing…”

To be honest, I really don’t give a fuck. I don’t care about a name, a brand, an instagram, none of it. It’s all distracting.

Everyone and their mother has a fucking brand these days. Your barista is pushing a bikini line, the Hollywood bartender has his online crypto course that you can take in 20 seconds and magically become rich, but I guess he just chooses to bartend???

Frankly, it’s really just too easy to make a handle and start something “new.”

I am not “new.” What I am doing is not “new.”

But what I do believe, is existing as yourself, putting who you are at the forefront of everything, is the hardest thing to do of all.

If you’re an artist, or a songwriter, or in a similar position with your business, you understand this very well.

it’s all on YOU.

Introducing (for the time being): NOT ANOTHER SHOWCASE!

It’s not perfect, but it’s enough to keep going…to keep me going.

It will be promoted under Lucas Flood Presents, and will soon become a staple of Los Angeles (until I change the name again, and then make a new staple…i should just work for Staples).

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK CLICK HERE & FOLLOW!

A couple of important points (skip if you aren’t an artist):

Every Tuesday Night, 7pm on Main Stage @ The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood.
Submit your music HERE — I’m building a new database from scratch, now’s your chance to show me whatcha got.
I’m not fucking around with the “artist / actress / painter / dog dad / director / sky diver / producer / english teacher” types any more. I want the real deal, nothing more or less…submit your music if the only thing you’re good at in this world is writing songs & singing them.
All artists playing these nights will be forced to push their creative boundaries... incorporating more elements to your live performances: adding strings, adding the extra guitarist, background singer, bassist, drummer, etc. Now’s the time, and I know it’s hard, but I know you can try harder.
Sets are now 30 minutes long. Each night will contain a maximum of 6 artists. Bands are welcome and encouraged.
LIMIT THE SADNESS. Quality + curation are the only things that matter to me right now…the show can’t be a snoozefest-ex girlfriend-cry-about-it-for-2 hours type deal. MAKE IT FUN. love & passion & emotion are different than SAD.
Payouts have increased:
- 20 tickets sold = $200 payout
- 30 tickets sold = $300 payout
- 40 tickets sold = $400 payout
  (not life changing, but not the worst? how many streams does it take to make this? 2 billion?)

I don’t wanna go all Hollywood on ya and use the word “exclusive” but let’s just say…your girlfriend’s sister who “likes to sing” will not be welcome here pal.

I hope i’ve made this clear.

…some notable Alumni I’ve hosted over the past few years (2018):

James Bay, Dirty Honey, Barns Courtney, Lizzy McAlpine, GAYLE, JP Saxe, Fletcher, Royal & The Serpent, Natalie Jane, Sam Fischer & more!

LUCAS SANDERS NEEDS YOUR HELP!

The fact of the matter is, my next steps will require support that I don’t currently have.

Bernie Voice:

My goal for 2024 remains the same as it’s always been…provide an exceptional musical experience, featuring the most talented up & coming artists that the city of Los Angeles (and beyond) has to offer, on a weekly basis.

Effective immediately, this newsletter will require a paid subscription to view ($4.99 / month), which is literally LESS THAN YOUR MORNING LATTE REBECCA!!!!! That’s $1.00 to view each letter I send every month. 4 fucking quarters per letter. cmon

All previous posts will still be available, but the fresh-squeezed-love-juice will only be available to paid subs.

I don’t care what you think about this decision.

Paid subscriptions here will directly benefit the cause — they’ll help fund my efforts to continue hosting shows, beginning with building a much stronger foundation in LA, and eventually spanning around the country once more. I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again…and this time, it’ll be better.

If you’re curious, right now I need new logos, flyers, booking software, data storage, LLC registration (California sucks) video cameras (sony a7iii’s if anyone’s selling) multiple flights to Nashville in April, maybe the occasional nudey mag / BDC (bourbon + diet coke) along the way, and so on…

what I’m sayin, is I’m gonna need your help to do it all, and then kick it up a notch.

Below are the current stats of this mailing list:

Monthly subscribers fluctuate between 11-12k, monthly views between 40-60k. Nothing too crazy, but a strong foundation worth building off of (in my opinion).

I know this decision to go paid may cut the numbers in half…but I accept that.

Some of you are new here, some of you have been here for a while now….

Lemme tell ya, I HAVE BEEN HERE, writing this weekly FUCKING newsletter, curating some of the BEST live performances in Los Angeles County’s HISTORY, high as ALL HELL on my passion for ART & MUSIC, since 2018…EVERY WEEK, for 7 LONGGGGGGGGG YEARS…

…minus maybe a few weeks due to traveling or violent hangovers, but you get it.

Have you ever written a letter to 258 people, most of which you do not know, every week, for 365 days straight?

That was my 2019.

Outside the lines, FOREVER…

When you start down a path that’s outside the lines, you’ll probably get to a point where you ask yourself “why the fuck did I choose this….WILLINGLY?!?!?!?!.”

But as the great AC/DC once said…"it’s long long way to the top, if you wanna rock n roll.”

You may have your immediate friends and family that “support” you, but you’ll always feel their true thoughts in the back of your head…

“why doesn’t he just go get a job” or “why’s he still messing around with this” or “does he really think it’s all going to work out??”

Right now, aside from this mailing list, I’m alone in this pursuit…and honestly, I don’t really care if it “works out” or if I “make it.”

What I know, is that sitting here and writing these letters to you, and hosting a show every week in LA, where I stand by the artists I put on stage & believe whole heartedly that they have something real to offer the world…makes me happier than $100k a year ever could.

I joke around & call myself “King Lucas,” mostly because I find humor in declaring my own Kingship…

But really, I’ve always thought that the first person to believe in every King, has to be the King himself.