Neon Music Profiles Kenneth W. Welch Jr. and Jolene Burns on Independent Artist Revolution

UK Music Publication Examines How Belfast Singer and Moxie Media CEO Are Empowering Independent Artists to Build Careers Outside Traditional Label Systems

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, February 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Neon Music, a global voice in music and culture based out of the UK, has published an in-depth feature profiling Belfast singer-songwriter Jolene Allison-Burns and entrepreneur Kenneth W. Welch Jr. of Moxie Media Marketing. The piece examines how independent artists are building sustainable careers outside traditional label systems, with Allison-Burns' recent trajectory serving as a case study for broader industry power shifts.

The publication opens with Allison-Burns reflecting on her career momentum coming out of TikTok LIVE Fest season. "It's weird, because you work your whole life for momentum, right? And then momentum finally shows up, and it doesn't knock politely. It just kicks the door in," she states in the feature.
Neon Music describes Allison-Burns' journey from performing in Belfast venues night after night to establishing herself in "a new kind of music economy where 'going live' can function like touring, radio, and fan club all at once." The article notes her work is rooted in Belfast community experiences, with songs connected to documentary projects and lived experiences around her.

The profile details her partnership with Moxie Media Marketing and its CEO Kenneth W. Welch Jr., who Neon Music describes as positioning himself differently than traditional music executives. "That's the part people don't really talk about," Welch states in the piece. "We love to romanticize 'the grind.' The hustle. But we don't always admit that the game is uneven from the start. There are artists who show up to these competitions, these platforms, with full teams behind them—managers taking percentages, budgets, infrastructure. Most independent talent just doesn't have that. They're showing up alone."

Allison-Burns confirms this assessment in the feature. "And that's not shade. That's just reality. It's not a level playing field. Never has been," she states. "But what I'm proud of is—I didn't need to become someone else to compete. I didn't need to fake a persona or wait for a label's permission. I needed a plan. Consistency. And the right people around me."

When Neon Music asks what support actually looks like in practice, Allison-Burns describes the behind-the-scenes realities. "Moxie showed up in the unglamorous parts," she explains. "The strategy calls. The scheduling. Figuring out how you pace a week so you don't burn out by Thursday. How you build a show, not just a stream. They treated me like an artist with a future—not like a moment they were trying to capitalize on."

The publication emphasizes this distinction throughout the feature: the difference between building sustainable artist development versus capturing temporary viral spikes. Neon Music highlights Allison-Burns' newest release "Can't Control Me" as embodying this intentional approach, dropped through her official channels as part of the Moxie Media ecosystem rollout.

"I wrote that song from a place of finally claiming my own voice," she tells the publication. "And then it became bigger than just me. Because I think every independent artist has had that moment—where someone, an industry person, a gatekeeper, sometimes even a well-meaning friend—tries to tell you what you are. What you should sound like. What you should do to be 'marketable.'" Making air quotes around the word, she continues: "And I just thought... no. You can't control me. That's it. That's the song."

Welch responds to her creative independence in the feature with clear appreciation. "That's exactly why people connect with her," he states. "You can't manufacture that. It's a real artist with something real to say. Audiences know the difference."

Neon Music expands the conversation to examine Moxie Media's broader thesis: that independent artists can build sustainable careers without waiting for traditional industry machinery to validate them. The article details Welch's work developing the Global Talent Billboard Directory, which the publication describes as "an online visual platform designed to spotlight independent talent and connect artists into a wider discovery and promotion ecosystem."

Allison-Burns discusses the platform with the publication not as a corporate product but as infrastructure she wishes had existed earlier in her career. "People need places where independent talent isn't treated like a hobby," she states in the feature. "Where you're not just another name in someone's DM inbox, hoping they'll respond. The Global Talent Billboard Directory is the kind of thing that says, 'No—this is real. This is organized. This is professional.' It gives you a place to actually be an artist, not just hope someone notices you are one."

The publication highlights what becomes the center of the entire conversation when Allison-Burns states: "I want artists to bet on themselves."

Neon Music reports that she doesn't mean this in vague motivational terms but in practical ways, listing the unglamorous realities: show up when no one's watching, keep writing even when songs don't hit, keep performing, learn how audiences actually behave rather than how you wish they did, protect your energy, find a team that doesn't treat you like a line item.

"Trust is a skill," she explains in the piece. "Trusting yourself when you're not getting the outside validation yet—that's a skill. And you don't get it from affirmations. You build it by doing. By performing. By finishing songs even when you're not sure about them. By putting the work somewhere people can actually find it."

When the publication asks what she would tell artists who feel they've already missed the wave—who think TikTok, livestreaming, and the creator economy have already peaked—Allison-Burns doesn't hesitate in her response. "I'd tell them to stop asking if it's too late and start asking if they're ready," she states. "Seriously. Because the world doesn't reward perfect. It rewards the person who keeps showing up—who shows up consistently enough that people actually get to fall in love with the journey. That's what builds fans. Not one viral moment. The journey."

Welch adds industry context in the feature. "And the industry sees that now. The platforms, the brands—even the old gatekeepers, the ones who used to decide who got a shot—they're following the crowd now, not leading it. Artists who can build real community have actual power. That's new. That wasn't true ten years ago."

Neon Music positions this observation as representing a fundamental change in how music careers develop. Where traditional systems required artists to wait for industry permission—label deals, radio airplay, playlist placement controlled by gatekeepers—the article notes that independent artists with direct audience relationships now hold leverage that wasn't available in previous decades.

Allison-Burns reflects on her position with measured gratitude in the profile. "I'm grateful," she states. "Not just for what happened this year, but for who showed up while it was happening. There's so much incredible talent out there—some of them will never get the shot they deserve because the traditional system just can't hold everyone. It's not built for everyone. So if Moxie can open doors for real independent artists—people who aren't waiting around for permission—then that's something I want to be part of. That matters to me."

The publication concludes the feature with Allison-Burns offering direct, practical encouragement. "If you're an artist and you're tired of waiting for someone to pick you—go build your own stage," she states. "Go perform. Go live. Write the song that scares you a little. Look at what's happening with the Global Talent Billboard Directory, because the whole point is giving artists a way forward that doesn't require begging for access."

She adds in the closing moments of the conversation: "And when you do it—don't do it trying to be someone else. The only thing you can't fake in this industry is heart. People feel it. They know. So give them something real."

Neon Music's complete feature exploring the changing power dynamics in the music industry, Jolene Allison-Burns' career development, and practical paths for independent artists is available on the publication's website: https://neonmusic.co.uk/kenneth-w-welch-jr-jolene-burns-independent-artists-winning

Jolene Allison-Burns' music, including her latest release "Can't Control Me," is available on all major streaming platforms. More information about the Global Talent Billboard Directory and Moxie Media Marketing's artist development programs can be found at www.moxiemediamarketing.inc.

Broc Foerster
Moxie Media Marketing
+1 949-409-4700
email us here

“Can’t Control Me” Original Song by Jolene Allison Burns

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