Following the non-traditional promotion for what was to be my very first solo record after fronting the rock band Your Favorite Enemies for over 10 years – an approach which basically consisted of surprising my former band's hardcore fans and creating a natural shock wave amongst the ultra-supportive community members – Starmaker would become an indispensable partner for what would follow the immediate success of my album Windows in the Sky.

Being an artist operating on a limited budget with a small yet dedicated team, was a real challenge, especially considering the fact that my creative style evolves apart from the traditional mainstream reality and therefore gravitates outside of the established channels. Starmaker's Domestic Marketing program allowed me to benefit from the promotion I needed not only to see Windows in the Sky reach its niche audience, but to widen its scope on a larger scale nationwide through social media presence, ads, postering and magazine features, all contributing to breaking the 15,000 sales mark and to get incredible reviews, recognition amongst influencers, and several awards considerations, amongst them a nomination for Album of the Year at ADISQ.

Helped by the robust international reputation Your Favorite Enemies had as a live act, the initial national success I had prompted several European promoters to invite me to tour all over Europe supported by what I call my mini-orchestra of 6 musicians, an opportunity I would not have been able to benefit from if not for the International Marketing and Touring Support I received from Starmaker. The European tour allowed me to develop a great following through the live shows, but also through press and taste makers such as Prog Magazine, NME, Vision, MOJO and Rolling Stone.

The United States have always been seen as a tough nut to crack for unconventional music like mine, so we decided to benefit from the 4-night residency invitation we received from the promoter of the iconic venue Pianos in New York, leading to accepting a invitation from Brooklyn Vegan to partner with them in a major live stream event, which amazing success now paves the way to our upcoming integration on the US market.

I know it might sound strange to say, but no matter how fabulous, no matter how lucky one could be, if you can’t count on a robust financial and guiding support system such as Starmaker, I honestly don’t believe that an independent, DIY, experimental artist like me would have been able to benefit from all the opportunities I had the great privilege to receive. I’m very grateful for Starmaker's support and guidance, which again, I believe are vital for any blooming artists to be able to reach their full potential - or least to have a true shot at it.

Alex Henry Foster