Collin McLoughlin

“I have seven weeks to ‘make it’ in my music career.” That was the amount of time my 22-year-old son, Collin McLoughlin, allotted himself to turn his avocation into a vocation. He had just walked off the commencement stage with a B.A. in hand and, seven weeks hence, would begin grad school at the Steinhardt School of Music Management at NYU. In the brief space of a single summer, he wanted to pursue his dream—making music. Who was I to tell him the odds of overnight fame were less than slim? All I knew was he would need that tuition check come September.

Collin’s dream started years before, in a solitary music practice room at Wooster School in Danbury. A teacher passing in the hall was drawn by Collin singing as he studied for math exams. She tried recruiting him for the school’s musical—a no-go—so they negotiated guitar lessons instead. By spring, Collin was performing for his peers between classes, crooning and playing his own tunes on the campus lawn.

Eight years later, Collin’s music style has evolved into an electronic blend of self-harmonizing vocals. It is a unique sound, honed during stints with his college rap group, Nautical Young. He has performed opening slots for popular recording artists Wale, Fabolous, K’nnan, and Lupe Fiasco; and booked paying gigs as lead artist at campuses like Penn State, Cornell, Bucknell, and Duke.

Fans have found Collin’s music website—via word of mouth, email, twitter, blogs, and YouTube—where they can get free downloads of new tracks; and his Facebook page lets fans interact with him directly through live chats. This past summer, popular music blogs, like freshnewtracks.com and goodmusicallday.com, added one of Collin’s remixes and were soon buzzing with positive reviews after it was downloaded several thousand times. Collin quickly realized that tracking fans and webpage hits have proven to be important marketing tools. The Internet is the new frontier for aspiring music-makers like my son, a blank slate that offers the possibility of a lucrative upside for an unsigned artist. This is a different path than the fame attained by winners on popular TV shows like “American Idol,” who must agree to sign away significant control of their careers in return for stardom. In contrast, Collin has been learning, onstage and in the studio, how to manage his career and keep the rights—and revenues—to his own songs.

Collin’s success this summer started with the chance to open for 23-year-old rap sensation Sam Adams, whose “I Hate College” video reached over a million views on YouTube in less than a year. Well before Adams shot to fame, Collin met him online by asking him to collaborate on a track. The payback? Adams invited Collin to open for five sold-out shows.

During one of those concerts, at the House of Blues in Boston, I whipped out my video camera and was instantly warned by a towering presence: “No recording devices allowed in the theater.” When I pleaded, “See that boy down there on the stage? I am his mother. Do you understand what that means?” the hulk smiled. “Yeah, I have a mother, too. You go ahead and film,” he said and I was proudly left to my own devices.

Collin’s growing network has led to meetings with industry personnel, a voice coach who trained Lady Gaga, and a stylist who dresses Justin Timberlake. He’s got an entertainment attorney fresh out of law school and a management advisor just out of the gate. Hopefully, Collin’s team will be the making of the next pop star—some unknown kid with an armload of books in one hand and a microphone in the other. - Town Life Magazine

The more music I hear from 20-year-old New Yorker, Collin McLoughlin, the clearer it becomes that he has a bright future ahead of him in the music industry! I previously posted his upcoming artist profile and first two singles, “Back To The Wall and “Come Back To You” which I strongly recommend you check out if you missed them the first time around! Now, Collin lends some powerful vocals to B.o.B.’s hit “Airplanes”! Look out for his upcoming single, “Monster” featuring Sam Adams!!! Jeff sent this my way, so props to him! - muzikismylife.com

I saw this guy a while back on FNT and at the time I knew he had an unreal voice but I couldn’t really decide what I thought about him. However when I watched the above video this morning I was pretty much sold on this dude. Quick fact about the Dean: I am a sucker for acoustic rap covers and if you can blend more than one plus my favorite RHCP jam into one dope melody, then thats absolute perfection. That fact that he can play the acoustic guitar, but can also hold his own singing pop ballads off electro beats makes him a deadly double threat in today’s music world and I expect to see more of him in the future. He just released a solid remix to Airplanes so if you are anything like me you need to check him out. - freshoncampus.com

I can’t say enough about this guy. A few days ago, I sat down and watched this video. After watching the first video, I went on to listen, for literally hours, every video of his on youtube. I was completely blown away. From my perspective, he has one of the richest voices I’ve ever heard. What I love about Collin’s music is that he incorporates hip-hop lyrics with an acoustic sound. He truly makes it all his own. For more information on Collin, check him out here. Below, I included some additional videos for you to check out. - freshnewtracks.com

I get a lot of submission e-mails a day. I mean, a lot. It’s almost nauseating. I get an e-mail everyday telling me that it would be “in my best interest” to post their song on my site or “my music is really popular so you should post it”. Yada yada yada… To be frank, music blogging has jaded me slightly. I got into this game because I truly had a deep seeded passion for music. Now, I frantically sift through emails and various sites looking for the newest song to post on time so I don’t have to hear it on the chat box. In a sense, blogging has taken a lot of the fun out of the music for me.

I remember the first time I received an e-mail from Collin’s camp. Not only was his e-mail short and to the point, it wasn’t pushy. It wasn’t prideful. It certainly wasn’t arrogant. He simply let the music speak for itself.

When I clicked “play” Collin’s voice jumped out of my g-mail and hit me in the face like a train. I was stunned. I was surprised. I was impressed. As “Back To The Wall” played through my speakers, I knew I was listening to a talent that was not only special but unique. That night, I went through countless youtube videos of him performing. (The one above is perhaps one of my favorites). I knew when I laid my eyes and ears on Collin’s music, he was something special.

Part of the fun of this site is seeing artists come and go. It’s fun to watch them employ their “market strategies” and extend their friendships to me via a social networking site even though it’s simply artificial. I don’t fault them, they’re just trying to get on “another” blog. I mean common, how hard can it be to get a post? I realize most artists are friendly to bloggers out of obligation. I know what they’re after. I don’t mind making posts, I just don’t like the fakery. (If you are fake, try to make it less obvious next time).

I have chosen to put the spotlight on Collin because I feel he stands for everything that isn’t fake. Collin McLoughlin’s music and person have a central theme in common, they’re authentic. Not only do I believe in his music, I believe in him as a person. This is what the music industry lacks these days. It’s just a bunch of money hungry label execs looking for a quick buck to make in a slowly dying industry. To eloquently quote Kanye West, “Does anyone make real s*** anymore?”

To make it in this industry, you have to have solid music. It’s a prerequisite. You either have it or you don’t. No amount of social networking, posts on Fresh New Tracks, or clothes can get you a record deal. You are either talented enough to make it or not.

That’s kind of how life works doesn’t it? Whether you’re an aspiring artist making songs in your bedroom on garage band, or you’re a Political Science major trying to get into Law School, it comes down to talent. That’s not to say that hard work isn’t necessary (it is) but there’s an intrinsic amount of talent that is given to us upon birth. We shape our destiny by cultivating our talent and using it to the best of our abilities.

Collin has chosen a difficult but potentially rewarding path. It’s a path that will invariably have its ups and downs. However, I am of the strong opinion that Collin will come out on top. Why? Barring the fact he’s a shoe in for record labels based on his talent, he’s also a quality person. It’s not enough these days to just be a good artist. You have to also be well rounded. You have to know how to relate to others. You have to have the humility to let the music simply speak for itself.

Every once in a while artists like Collin re-energize my passion for music and remind me why I blog. Collin is currently working on his debut EP that is slated to drop sometime this year. I want to share with you in advance that’s is truly something special. I believe in Collin McLoughlin. I hope that as he drops more songs in the near future, you come to believe in him too. - freshnewtracks.com

You know the last time I was this excited about a new artist? When I posted a song called Watcha Say by an unknown singer named Jason Derulo. Then spent the next year talking about how sick Jason Derulo was and how he was the next big thing and how great his voice and sampling was. How'd that turn out by the way? Heard of him yet? Anyway this kid Collin is 22 from Bedford NY. I just checked out Collin's 2 singles and they're absolutely unreal. Like I'm blown away. His voice is incredible. I love the electro-beats vibe. Everything about this guy screams superstar. A white soulful hip dude from NY making his own music. You need to check this shit out. - Hypefloats.com

10 Songs You Should Know About - Farifield Mirror

Collin McLoughlin is a 22 year old singer/songwriter out of New York who blends soul, pop, r&b, and electro into one. Collin recently launched CollinMcLoughlin.com and will be touring with Sam Adams on select dates throughout July. Be sure to follow Collin on Twitter to stay informed on the latest news. Here are two cuts off his upcoming debut solo release that will drop later this year. - ThaCarterCartel.com

Each Wednesday, FreshNewTracks.com supplies us with at least five sick tracks over several genres, as well as a little eye candy (see: above). The entire archive can be found here. For more music, head over to FreshNewTracks.com. This week's freshness is after the jump. (One of these tracks happened to be Collin McLoughlin)
- Brobible.com

Nice Refreshing Sound

Got this one in an email and I’m really liking the feel of this track…

Collin has a refreshing sound that blends electronic, soul and pop rhythms. He has performed with Wale, Fabolous, K’naan, Sam Adams, and Lupe Fiasco. Collin plans to release his solo album in the electro / soul genres in the coming weeks, followed by a solo tour to promote the project all while juggling his role as a graduate student at NYU’s Music Business Program. Needless to say, we think he’s the next big thing. - goodmusicallday.com

A fellow by the name of Jeff Rutkowski was referred to me by the crew that manages Sam Adams, so he reached out to me in regards to promotion for a singer/songwriter he represents, Collin Mcloughlin, and let me tell you, I am extremely impressed with what I have heard! Collin’s future appears to be very bright! In the weeks ahead, he will be releasing a track called “Monster”, featuring none other than Boston’s Boy, Sam Adams! In the meantime, lend your ears to the two tracks below, your eyes to his press bio, and your support to Collin on Facebook & Twitter! Also make sure you check out his official website! - muziksmylife.com

This is is certainly on the poppy side of new music, but it sounds great and is run up by a very good beat. i think that this artists songs will have a home inside clubs across the country in these next few years. - Big O's Music Source