Amelia Day on Touring, Spotify Growth, and Building a Music Career Without Cutting Corners

Zack Lyman Podcast

On this episode of the Zack Lyman Podcast, I sat down with musician
Amelia Day to talk about touring, Spotify growth, stage fright, and how to
build a sustainable music career without shortcuts.

Amelia is in a moment of real momentum — touring more, seeing streaming growth,
and preparing to release new music — all while staying grounded and intentional.

Overcoming Stage Fright as a Musician

Amelia opened up about experiencing severe stage fright early in her career,
including full panic attacks before performing.

What helped most wasn’t a trick or mindset shift — it was repetition.
Performing regularly slowly reduced the fear.

Over time, performing stopped feeling like a high-stakes event and started
feeling familiar.

Interestingly, the anxiety didn’t disappear — it just moved.
The nerves became more about social interactions, green rooms, and unfamiliar
venues than the performance itself.

Seattle vs. Nashville for Musicians

Seattle Music Scene

• Strong local talent across genres
• Supportive artist community
• Fewer labels and industry offices than in the past

Seattle still produces great artists, but it’s no longer a central industry hub.
Musicians don’t typically move here to “make it.”

Nashville Music Scene

• High concentration of working musicians
• Constant collaboration opportunities
• More industry infrastructure

Nashville feels built around music as a profession.
Collaboration is everywhere — sometimes genuine, sometimes transactional.

Seattle feels more personal.
Nashville feels more industrial.

How Amelia Day Finds Gigs

Amelia’s early gigs weren’t glamorous — but they mattered.

• Open mics
• Small bars
• DIY shows
• Farmers markets

Farmers markets, especially in Washington, often receive city funding and
intentionally support local artists.

These gigs provided consistent stage time, unexpected audiences, and real pay —
all of which helped build confidence and experience.

Booking Shows and Handling Rejection

Booking shows often means sending hundreds of emails and hearing nothing back.

Silence isn’t always rejection — sometimes emails just aren’t opened.
Following up matters, but knowing when to stop matters too.

Opening slots, personal recommendations, and real friendships have been far more
effective than cold outreach.

DIY Touring for Independent Musicians

Amelia’s first real tour came with a steep learning curve:

• Routing cities
• Booking unfamiliar venues
• Convincing promoters to take a chance

The first “yes” is often the hardest.
After that, momentum builds.

Touring is still a people business — even for introverts.

Balancing Touring, Recording, and Creativity

Instead of doing everything at once, Amelia now works in focused blocks:

• Touring seasons
• Writing periods
• Recording months

This structure reduces burnout and allows for more intentional releases.

New Music Release: “Margie”

Amelia’s new single “Margie” releases on
October 10 2025.

The song leans more country than her previous work and pairs upbeat melodies
with emotionally heavy lyrics.

“Margie” will be part of a larger EP scheduled for release in early 2026.

Spotify Growth and Playlist Virality

One of Amelia’s older songs — released over two years ago —
recently became her top performer.

The reason was simple:
a major playlist curator featured it.

There was no planning or warning — a reminder that growth in music can be
unpredictable.

The only constant is continuing to create work you believe in.

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation is about building a music career without pretending to have
everything figured out.

It covers fear, rejection, logistics, touring, streaming, and staying motivated
through uncertainty.

If you’re an independent artist trying to keep going, this episode will resonate.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of the Zack Lyman Podcast with Amelia Day
🎶 Follow Amelia Day on Spotify and catch “Margie” on October 10 2025