How To Be Self-Reliant In The Music Business - Julia Kugel;Scott Montoya

Released in conjunction with the new Soft Palms record In Echo, HOW TO BE SELF-RELIANT IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS is a book about what we've learned during our lives in music. It's an essential read for DIY musicians and gives practical advice about the business, the lifestyle, etiquette, tour, recording, music royalties and much more. The royalties chapter is free for everyone at howtobeselfreliant.com.

This book has the information needed to get you started on your journey in music. No book can teach you everything you need to know, especially about being a musician, but reading this book will save you time, money, stress and heartache.

Julia and I don't have degrees in music business. We started as untrained, unqualified amateurs with zero experience/previous resources/connections in the music industry and built our careers from the ground up. This book is about the knowledge and wisdom we've gained over the last twenty-plus years in the biz.

Julia Kugel & Scott Montoya have been in music for over twenty years. They are married and live in Long Beach, CA. They release music / tour in the two-piece band Soft Palms and record their own music at their home studio Centre of Mental Arts (COMA) Studio.

Julia is founding member of the all-female punk band The Coathangers and has released solo records under White Woods and Julia Julia. Her second solo album "Sugaring A Strawberry" was released 11/9/2024 on Suicide Squeeze Records. She is also the vocalist in post punk band Animal Self, with drummer Coady Willis (The Melvins, Murder City Devils, High On Fire) and keyboard player Kareem Karam (The Locust, Murder City Devils).

Scott is a multi-instrumentalist / sound engineer / graphic designer / multimedia artist who spent ten years with psych band The Growlers before starting Soft Palms with Julia.

Together they own and operate a nonprofit called Studios For Schools, an organization with the goal of providing recording equipment to underprivileged schools.The couple organize a free community music "anti-music fest" in Long Beach called Happy Sundays. Their work centers around uplifting the community and helping future generations.