The YouTube video for "Thinking Out Loud," despite its modest budget, was a quiet revelation. Shot with soft, warm lighting in the "Echo Chamber Studios" (their converted attic, artfully draped with fairy lights and fabric to hide any lingering "spare room" vibe), it focused solely on Alex. Him and his Martin D-28, his eyes often closed as he sang, conveying an earnestness and maturity that belied his fifteen years. There were no fancy cuts, no narrative, just the raw power of the song and Alex's heartfelt delivery.
It began to pick up views, slowly at first, then accelerating as radio play drove people online to find this "new" artist. Comments poured in, marveling at his vocal control, the poetic lyrics, the timeless quality of the music. "Photograph" followed a similar trajectory a few weeks later, its own simple, reflective video further cementing the image of Alex Vance as a prodigiously talented, soulful young singer-songwriter.
The sales charts reflected this growing buzz. "Thinking Out Loud" crept into the Top 100 on iTunes, then the Top 50. "Photograph" wasn't far behind. Regional radio stations in other states started adding the tracks. Music blogs, initially cautious, began to write tentative "One to Watch" pieces about this mysterious new talent.
Alex Vance was becoming a name.
This newfound, albeit still nascent, fame created a strange dichotomy in Alex's life. At Northwood High, he was still just Alex, the quiet kid who was suddenly doing a bit better in history. He kept his burgeoning music career largely under wraps. Only his parents, and by extension, the contractors and the film student crew, knew the extent of it. He didn't want the local high school gossip machine latching onto it, not yet. He needed to build a solid foundation before facing that kind of scrutiny.
But at home, in the evenings and on weekends, he was the CEO, producer, and star artist of Echo Chamber Records. He meticulously planned his next releases ("Shape of You" was nearly ready, its more upbeat tempo a deliberate contrast), strategized with his dad about scaling their micro-operation, and spent hours in the studio, not just recording his own material, but experimenting. The [Maestro's Codex] was his constant companion, feeding him data on emerging music tech of 2015, sonic trends he could subtly incorporate (or deliberately avoid), and potential collaboration opportunities (though it was too early for that).
He was also acutely aware of the ticking clock regarding other artists. Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo – their genesis stories were vivid in his memory from his original timeline. The Codex confirmed their birth years and current approximate ages. Billie would be around 13, maybe 14. Olivia, a year or so younger.
"Dad," Alex began one evening, after reviewing a particularly encouraging sales report for "Thinking Out Loud." "Beyond my own music, Echo Chamber needs to find and develop other artists. That's how a label truly grows and diversifies."
David, who was getting increasingly comfortable with terms like "A&R" and "market penetration," nodded. "Makes sense. Any ideas who you're looking for?"
Alex chose his words carefully. "I have a good ear for raw talent, even if it's undeveloped. I think I can find unique voices before anyone else does. I've been… listening online. There are platforms where young artists share early work." He meant SoundCloud, Bandcamp, even YouTube covers.
The Codex had already cross-referenced known discovery methods for key artists with the available 2015 internet landscape. It highlighted SoundCloud as the most probable platform for an early Billie Eilish discovery, given her brother Finneas's involvement.
So, Alex began his digital scouting. In stolen moments between classes, or late at night in his studio, he trawled SoundCloud. He typed in keywords related to his memory of Billie's early sound: "ethereal vocals," "indie pop female," "LA songwriter." The sheer volume of aspiring musicians was overwhelming. But he had an advantage: he knew, with uncanny certainty, the sound he was looking for.
After several nights of searching, scrolling through hundreds of amateur tracks, it happened. A song titled "sHE's brOKen" by a user named "BillieE." The username itself was a jolt. The track was rough, almost a whisper, recorded with what sounded like a laptop microphone. Just ethereal vocals and a simple, melancholic ukulele. But the voice… it was undeniably her. Younger, rawer, but unmistakably Billie Eilish. The unique phrasing, the breathy intimacy, the nascent darkness.
A thrill shot through Alex. He'd found her. Earlier, even, than he'd anticipated.
He listened to the few other tracks she had uploaded, including an early, very rough sketch that had melodic fragments of what he recognized as "Ocean Eyes." The Codex immediately cross-referenced:
[Potential Match: Billie Eilish O'Connell. Current Age: 13. Location: Los Angeles, CA. Sibling: Finneas O'Connell (likely collaborator). Current Uploads consistent with early development phase observed in Timeline A prior to "Ocean Eyes" official upload.]
He needed to approach this delicately. He couldn't just swoop in claiming to know her future. He created a new, anonymous SoundCloud account under the Echo Chamber Records name. He left a simple, encouraging comment on "sHE's brOKen":
EchoChamberRecords: "Hauntingly beautiful voice and incredible potential here. Really special. Keep creating."
No demands, no offers. Just a positive ripple. Let her, and Finneas, know someone with a professional-sounding name was listening.
Finding Olivia Rodrigo was proving more challenging. In his timeline, her path had been through Disney initially. The Codex indicated that in 2015, she would be around 12, possibly involved in acting or local talent showcases rather than a strong SoundCloud presence. This would require a different, perhaps more patient, approach. He filed that away for now. Billie was the more immediate musical priority, her sound a unique complement to what he was doing.
His own next single, "Shape of You," was almost ready. The Codex helped him adapt its production slightly for a 2015 palate – a little less trop-house, a bit more acoustic-driven pop, while retaining its infectious groove. He knew this one had the potential to be even bigger than "Thinking Out Loud."
The echoes of his actions were spreading. His songs were a balm to a world unknowingly starved of them. And now, he had cast the first, tiny pebble towards another monumental talent. The future of music in this timeline was a blank canvas, and Alex Vance was holding a rapidly expanding palette of colors. The awakenings had begun.
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Is anyone actually reading this? 👀 If you are, please drop a comment — even a simple "hi" or your favorite emoji — so I know I'm not just rambling into the void. Seriously, your words keep me alive (and caffeinated). ☕
Oh, and fun fact: Webnovel gives me some behind-the-scenes data on this novel (not sure why more authors don't share it, but hey, I'm nosy and transparent). So far, we've got 2.36K views, but only 17 actual readers, and out of those, 9 are considered 'effective readers' — which I think means they've read more than just the synopsis. 😂
I also just noticed that we hit 20 collections! 🎉 But uh... does anyone know what that actually means? Is it like a digital "I'll read it someday" shelf? Either way, I'll take it. Feels nice.
For the stat nerds (or bored readers), my average chapter length is 1.22K words. And guess what? My readers are global! We've got folks from India (11.75%), and then Argentina, Philippines, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, and the US — all hovering around 5.87%. 🌎
Gender-wise: 47.06% male, 5.88% female, and a mysterious 47.06% unknown. Are you aliens? Ghosts? Bots? I'm not judging, just curious. 👽
Anyway, thank you for being here. Whether you're a silent reader, a collector, or part of the unknown species, I appreciate you. Stay awesome, and don't forget to say hi!