Innovation is all about polarity and probability, you need to see what everybody has seen and think what nobody has thought, and not live your life in the rear-view mirror – it tells you where you’ve been, not where you can go looking forward. The world isn’t waiting for you to get inspired; you have to inspire yourself. Innovation starts with a decision to make a difference.
A great example of an innovator is Robert Smith, the co-founder of the Cure, formed in 1978. He has been the lead protagonist, primary songwriter, producer, and lead vocalist and only continuous member of the band. He’s announced that he plans to retire in 2029 when he’s seventy, on the 50th anniversary of the first Cure album, Three Imaginary Boys, released in May 1979.
However, last Friday he released Songs of a Lost World, marking the first new music from the Cure for sixteen years. Throughout this sabbatical the Cure have toured, released live albums and never really went away. Their haunting, emotionally charged sound, epic-lengthy tunes and melancholic lyrics have always resonated with me – I have 26 Cure albums (174 songs) on my iPod.
Songs of a Lost World continues their trademark sound, full of emotion and sadness. Some of you will know their more uplifting tunes, Love Cats, Friday I’m in Love, but the new stuff is sombre and serious music, filled with the familiar sweeping keyboards of Roger O’Donnell, and sparse, pounding drumbeats from Jason Cooper. Think Disintegration and its singular sound. Simon Gallup’s bass lines have been the backbone of many Cure classics, and they are here again; Reeves Gabrels guitar echoes subtly.
Smith’s songs are always filled with vulnerability, and there’s rawness on Songs reflecting the unexpected death of his older brother Richard and both his parents in recent years. If there’s ever been a good excuse to be maudlin, it’s continuing to live without the people who loom largest in your memory. The songs are emotionally turbulent, imbued with sadness but not morbidity, atmospheric but not claustrophobic, immersive and intense.
I found Robert Smith as a 15-year-old. I started with the Cure in pogo frenzy with Boys Don’t Cry, absorbed the musicianship of In Between Days, shouted along to the bittersweet loveliness of Just Like Heaven, all holding the extremes of romance from morose to giddy. I first saw the Cure live in 1979 at The Factory in Manchester when I was going to live music gigs every week.
The entrepreneur, the disruptor, the instigator, the craftsman of his own self, manifesting uniqueness and original thought. Those early years provided a fascinating insight into the unique creative alchemy that set the wheels in motion for a sound that went on to shape popular culture around the world for decades. Smith comes from a generation of music entrepreneurs that changed the landscape and shaped where we are today, hankering around innovation.
So, what can we learn from Robert Smith’s thinking and attitude from an entrepreneurial perspective? Here are some of the best values of innovation that I see from him to spark your startup.
1. The fearless frontman As a musical entrepreneur, Smith has made clear statements of identity, a declaration of autonomy and expression. It might have been over the top, but he simply made his mark. Like all entrepreneurial leaders, you have to be out at the front and set the agenda, getting noticed. It’s important to make people feel something he said.
2. Be an alchemist His depth of purpose is what’s kept him relevant through the decades. His work has always drawn from a range of influences - design, literature, contemporary art, and music of all genres. His uniqueness is the product of combining existing elements in new ways, producing something entirely his own, of new combinations and possibilities. This ability to create genuine uniqueness is a key trait of an entrepreneur.
3. Restlessness. Smith never succumbed to the stick-to-a-formula mantra, each period in the Cure he emerged with something new. Not all of his experiments worked, but this willingness to try out new ideas, knowing that not all will triumph, is a trait every entrepreneur needs. Smith’s passion for novelty and spirit of experimentation is a constant presence in his music and vocal style.
4. Novelty In Smith’s own words: When we started the Cure we were organised as a group of Utopians. We shared the pursuit of a radical ideal. We practiced a total immersion to try to forge a new approach which would be something of our own. Something of lasting value. Something that was going to be revealed and created and was not yet known.
5. Stay relevant by creating your own future Musical tastes change, new artists emerge – your market can move in a new, unexpected direction. For a while in the late 1990s, Smith was pushed to one side. But he stayed relevant. The unexpected is, after all, his modus operandi. That a person should live vigorously, unapologetically remains germane, and sums him up.
6. Being different matters more than being better Smith became successful because he was different. He grabbed our attention. Rock stars have proven for years that being different is more important than being the best musician. Be different, stand out from the crowd. When opportunities don’t present themselves in a timely manner take calculated risks.
7. Don’t copy other people’s work Even if it’s just a chord sequence or a riff, take it and make something else. Just copying something is no good, unless you want to just be in a tribute band. It’s vital to keep playing around and pushing yourself in your startup, create your own product. Don’t be afraid to build a business that plays to your strengths, even if it’s unconventional.
8. Be your own image If you plan on getting noticed, establishing a brand promise, and creating an image is vital. John Pasche designed the ‘tongue and lips’ logo for The Rolling Stones in 1971, originally reproduced on the Sticky Fingers album. It is one of the first and most successful cases of rock brand marketing. Smith had his own style and image too - what’s yours?
9. Playing it safe gets you nowhere If you don't take risks you'll never excel. Playing it safe becomes the most dangerous move of all. Deviate from routines. Rote activity doesn’t lead to the path of innovation. Smith never played it safe.
10. Find what’s right for you Robert Smith teaches us to lead from your own place of uniqueness. You have to find what you do best and find what is best about you. The formula for his endurance is being a restless entrepreneur, never sitting on their laurels. Ultimately he gently asserted himself as a wholly individual voice.
Summary
A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock pile when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind. Ideas won’t keep. When we all think alike, no one is thinking. Something must be done about them As French poet Paul Valery said: The curious paradox is that once you've accepted yourself as wanting to do something different, you can then do something about it. It’s up to you as a founder to stand out from the crowd by being yourself.
Songs of a Lost World is innovation meets nostalgia for me. How many bands with this much history can make such a statement after a long hiatus? It is totally ridiculous that a new Cure album could be as good as this. Songs Of A Lost World is a triumph from a band that looked like it might never make another album. It's overcast and drizzly today. Even the weather is prepared for this one. Welcome back, old friend. I've missed your innovative mindset.
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