why I'm turning this into a 100% paid Substack & asking you to STAY.

"not gettin paid isn't really workin for ya bud..."

Part of the reason I promoted Jessica from girlfriend to fiancé, is her willingness to entertain every idea I’ve ever had…

…even when it’s 3am and she’s been woken up by a “hey sooooo, are you sleeping right now orrrrrrr?…”

She was paid by my Mother to say yes.

Jess knows I’ve been writing these letters, every week, since 2017.

She knows that each letter takes me 6-10 hours to finish, and I unnecessarily obsess over each one of them, even the ones that seem like a “stream of consciousness” or a “ramble from the toilet seat.”

But just like music, achieving simplicity (that’s filled with emotion) is often most challenging.

I asked Jess if she thought it’d be wise for me to focus on improving the quality of this Substack — investing more time into each letter, a consistent schedule, maybe two letters a week instead of one, ultimately resulting in a paid subscriber based Substack.

I said, “well maybe I just leave it unpaid, and keep writing, so everyone keeps reading. I don’t wanna turn anyone off.”

She said, “Lucas. Not gettin paid isn’t really workin for ya right now, is it bud.”

We had a good laugh.

The money will literally go right back to artists who need it…

That is not a bullshit statement.

If you’ve been following my Instagram, you’ve seen dozens of clips like this…

lucasfloodpresents

A post shared by @lucasfloodpresents

I’ve been paying around $1,000 per artist (those who I really think have a shot at making it) to record & film their performances at our weekly showcase at The Hotel Cafe.

I sell tickets to the shows, and whatever I receive after artist’s are paid out, goes directly to content creation & advertising.

Videographer, Editor, Engineer, Mixer, Renting Cameras & Lenses, and so on.

All directly from the bank account of Lucas The Broke Man Flood, at NO COST to the artists.

I’m lucky to have a fiancé that’s down to watch every dollar that comes in, go out.

From there, once we finish all the video content, and release the clips, if they come out really REALLY great, I run Ads on the clips.

Paid views for artists, seen by potential fans in the local market.

In Matthew Grant’s case, I’ve put around $1500 behind his clip.

In Rachell Rivas’s case, I’ve put around $500 behind her clip.

lucasfloodpresents

A post shared by @lucasfloodpresents

A literal marketing budget for artists, similar to what a label would do.

Except there is no deal.

I own no rights.

There is no recoup.

All I can hope for is more folks come see these artists at our shows, and more folks sign up for this CURRENTLY FREE FOR 8 GOD DAMN YEARS mailing list.

Empowering artists who wouldn’t have enough money to pay for the filming in the first place.

I’ve also spent a year writing a book…

At the end of 2023, I was approached by someone who’d been following the mailing list for a while.

She was working for a large talent agency, that was managing everyone from actors & directors, to screenwriters & playwrights.

She asked me if I had ever considered writing a book.

I laughingly said “literally, no.”

Shortly after that first conversation, I signed a deal with her.

1 year, to write a book and chase a publishing deal together.

So for the past year, I’ve spent time each week organizing all of these letters into book form, as well as adding background, interludes, additional context, to make it all flow as an entertaining, but inquisitive work OF FUCKING ART.

It’s turned into a 125 page coffee table read for creatives, aimed at answering the question “is my dream actually worth chasing?”

Whether you’re at the beginning, middle, or end of your journey, you’ve asked yourself this question.

And for a generation of kids that was told to “chase your dreams,” we were in fact NOT told of the price tag that often comes with choosing to do so.

So while I’ll never be the “Top 10 ways to make it in the music industry” guy, or the “Follow these 5 steps and GET RICH!” guy…

I’ll just continue being the guy who’s talked to a LOT of people, asked a LOT of questions, all while endlessly pondering my own existence, seeking a greater purpose, and showing those on a parallel path that they are not alone.

SO KEEP THIS TRAIN ROLLING.

At the end of the day, I put my money where my mouth is.

I not only support live music, I invest in it…for really no reason at all, other than I love it.

I invest in and support artists at the lowest level, who need every helping hand they can get.

I don’t really give a fuck if you subscribe to this newsletter, because nothing will change for me.

I’ll keep going.

But if you do, you’d be empowering myself (and everyone with me) to do more.

The work I’ve done thus far speaks for itself.

So buy the ticket.

Take the ride.

AND DON’T FORGET TO FUCKING SUBSCRIBE.

Long live rock n roll,

Lucas