The only time I usually get to see MTV is at the gym, so I missed last night's debut of Ashley Parker Angel's new series, There and Back. The former O-Town singer's trying to get a solo record made, he's living with his pregnant girlfriend, and he's broke because (among other things) he spent too much money on a car.

Though I imagine it's played on-screen for darkly comic effect, this scenario is actually really, really common for bands that get signed to major labels and either get dropped or fall into shelving limbo. According to Reality Blurred, there's a truly embarrassing moment where Ashley interviews for a gig at Guitar Center and the manager really has no clue who he is (despite the camera crew).

In an era where our biggest pop stars are assembled by reality television shows for fickle mass audiences, imagine the kind of career you'd have if you focused instead on building solid, supportive relationships with just 1,000 fans?

You'd have more in the bank than Ashley does right now, that's for sure.

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