Born to Be Wide at GoNorth – DIY Musicians
Olaf and Derick, who run Born to Be Wide in Edinburgh most of the year, have brought their seminars to the annual GoNorth industry get together (ie piss-up) in Inverness, and I was at their DIY musicians chat today and thought I might post some of the advice given. Some to disagree with, admittedly, but mostly not.
I think the most important piece of advice can be summed up in a single word and a single misunderstanding: networking. Networking is the single most important thing you can do in this business, and some of the people who shrink from it the most are the people who are the best at it.
Most shy, face to the ground, please don’t speak to me indie kids recoil from that term like Scientologists from irony, but actually a lot of them are quite good at it. And it most certainly does not mean brazenly approaching people you don’t want to talk to and trying to whore your band to them, whilst they look about awkwardly, trying to escape.
All it means, and this point was made by almost every band present: just talk to your friends and ask them stuff. If good bands play your town, talk to them about where to play in their town, offer to put them on next time they play and they can do the same for you. And you don’t need to force conversations or impose yourself on people you don’t want to talk to, it just involves asking certain questions of people you know and like. Would you grudge putting on a gig for a friend who was coming through? No you wouldn’t. So would your pals grudge putting on a gig for you in their city, or putting you in touch with a promoter who would do a really good job for you? No of course not. And if you find three or four people like that, that’s a tour.
And then when you’re on tour, just ask the bands you play with who they’ve worked with who has been good. Then email them. And even more importantly, be available to the fans after your gigs. Just hang around and have a pint – you’d be surprised how many people come up and offer useful advice – who could put you on, who might do a communuty radio show in town, who might do this that or the other. It’s not about pushing yourself on people or stepping out of your comfort zone – just let people who want to help help.
Personally, this works well for publicity as well. You all know someone who writes a blog, has a show on student radio, might write for a local publication, or knows someone. Be liberal with your promo copies. Use Bandcamp, which allows you to sell CDs as well as downloads, as well as giving journos free downloads. Let people hear your music.
I’d personally agree with all of this, but I’d add one caveat: be really, really fucking organised. Do all these things, but please try and coordinate them a little. Send your pal at student radio in Bristol a copy a couple of weeks before you turn up and play. Get your friend who takes good photos to take a few promo shots before you even record your album, so that anyone who you send the album to has all the tools they need to give you some coverage – the music, some pictures and a one-sheet biography. And there’s no point getting a gig in London if you’re based in Edinburgh because the travel will cost you a fucking fortune. Get a night in Manchester on the way down and one in Birmingham on the way back up if you possibly can.
But the one point that everyone made, and one which every DIY artist, label and everyone else has to accept: it takes fucking ages. It will be slow and it will be tiring in a lot of ways, but if you are going it alone you can, but you have to have the stamina, and not be discouraged by how slow it is. Because it may be slow, but at the end of the day it will be really fucking satisfying.
