In today’s hyper-competitive music landscape, finding innovative ways to stand out isn’t just encouraged—it’s essential. On a recent PM Podcast episode with Bri Noble, indie singer-songwriter Eli Lev peeled back the curtain on how he turned a passion for music into a sustainable, globe-trotting career. His secret? Blending authenticity, tech-savvy marketing, and a community-focused mindset. Here’s what every modern musician can learn from Eli’s story.
Watch the episode here
Listen to the episode here
From Middle School Teacher to Touring Indie Artist
Eli’s journey didn’t follow a traditional path. A former teacher on the Navajo reservation and abroad, he returned home to Maryland to take care of family and soon realized: “I couldn’t get a standard job, you know, nine to five or a school year because I had to be around to help them. So I was doing Uber driving, Lyft driving, you know, just kind of various things on the side. And I started doing gigs, original gigs, cover gigs, bar gigs.” This hands-on dive into the local D.C., Maryland, Virginia (“DMV”) music scene gave Eli room to “develop [his] artistry”—a testament to the power of showing up and starting, regardless of your musical résumé.
Building a Business: “You just go online and…you got a business”
The spark for Eli’s indie music business came from an unexpected source: his mom’s entrepreneurial spirit. “When she retired, she created her own LLC and started her own consulting company. I was like, wait, mom, you can just start your own business? She’s like, yeah, you just go online and put on a name and pay a few hundred bucks and you got a business in Maryland.” This revelation, paired with online courses and industry mentors, helped Eli “start learning, started studying how to create a business, how to market, and how to make doing what I love sustain me financially.”
Touring Smart with QR Codes for Fan Connection
In the digital age, Eli’s marketing game is both old-school and cutting-edge. While touring internationally, he needed a way to keep in touch with new fans. Enter the QR code. “I tour. So last year I, I toured around the US and Canada and I played 250 shows all together…Think about how many people that hear me see me in that time. And for me to think that a notebook where people are going to write their names in an email is going to work in all those situations. It’s not.”
Instead, Eli uses large professional posters and tabletop QR code stands at gigs and venues. Fans can instantly join his email or texting list, follow him on socials, and even submit song requests—all with a simple scan. It’s modern engagement that captures the moment. “Oh, it’s like 5, 10, 20 people are signing up my mailing list. You times that by 250 over a year, you know, you can get a really nice kind of clip, really nice momentum going.”
Nurturing Fans with Authentic “Lifelong Conversation”
It’s not just about collecting contacts—it’s about making real connections. Eli’s first two welcome emails intentionally encourage a reply: “The first one is, did you get this email…The second email is asking them what are their favorite artists right now…my emails are not really newsletters. They’re more like just a note to a friend. That’s just kind of how my brand is.” This authenticity builds an interactive community—his “Levitators”—rather than passive followers.
Collabs, Playlists, and New Income Streams
Eli extends engagement beyond shows and email, creating collaborative Spotify playlists with local artists and cross-promoting releases, yielding both community ties and algorithmic boosts. He also leverages digital funnels, post-show follow-ups for merch sales, and Patreon to diversify his revenue. As he notes, “There’s another kind of passive income stream after every show that still allows people to connect with the music.”
The Takeaway: Know Your Worth and Work Your Way
Perhaps most important is Eli’s shift in mindset: “It’s less about, you know, emails and texts and, you know, QR codes and more about presentations. Knowing my own worth and that, like, what I’m doing as an artist is important.” Whether you’re an all-in risk-taker or prefer to build gradually, Eli’s story shows there’s no single mold for success in music.
In Eli’s words, “Not everybody’s gonna like my stuff, and that’s better if they don’t…it’s better if I find my niche and really understand who my audience is. That allows me to be more confident about my music and allows people to be more confident about enjoying my music, because I know who I am and I know what I’m offering.”
For indie musicians looking to carve out their own path, Eli Lev’s journey offers inspiration, actionable tools, and proof that blending tech, community, and self-belief can spark a thriving career—one QR code (and conversation) at a time.
