Another year done and dusted. Even though I only published eight sessions this year, I feel a lot of optimism towards 2022, because I know what’s coming. I’ve got fifteen sessions waiting to be edited and/or published in the new year. And I plan on filming more in the months to come.

These years haven’t been easy for anyone, and I hope the videos on The Influences have brought you some distraction from anything to do with lock downs, infections and illness. I promise to keep providing these videos, and to introduce you to my favourite musicians and their influences.

In 2021, I didn’t post many sessions, as for some time I was just too distracted and busy with life. I started a nice new job in June and maybe for a while this whole music thing felt like something from too long ago, after not filming anything new for over a year. But, the fire’s back and so are the sessions. Also, many of the sessions this year were accompanied by lengthy interviews, often done over Zoom. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend you reading them, when you have a minute.

Here are some numbers from the YouTube channel:

• The Influences’ videos got 1,4 million views in 2021
• All those views count up to 60.000 hours of watch time
• Our community of subscribers grew with 2.800 this year, now 17.000 in total.

This is where the most viewers lived this year: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Australia. So, it appears writing in English has been a wise move. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please consider doing so today. All you need is a Google/YouTube account, subscribing is free and it helps me grow and maintain this website. Also, you can’t beat word to mouth, so if you enjoyed a particular video, send that link to some friends and tell them about The Influences, please.

Alright, that’s enough on that. Enjoy this overview of sessions published in 2021. Enjoy these days and have a wonderful and healthy 2022! See you on the other side.

Kind regards,
Matthijs.

2021, recommended by The Influences

Looking back, it blows my mind how much incredible music has been released this year. I probably missed many releases, but I’ve kept a playlist with some of 2021’s releases that made an impression on me. You’ll find it below. Remember; if you like something a lot, please consider buying a record, directly from the artists or at your local record store. Thanks.