Starting From Scratch: Tips for the Brand Spankin’ New Musician
This is a post I’ve been meaning to write for quite a long time. Having talked to many of our readers online, I realize you all are coming from different places in your careers. Some folks have been playing for years, some have been touring for years, and some of you are closet musicians. Well, [...]
What’s Easier? Being a Singer/Songwriter or Band? Midway Fair says…
Grassrootsy is really big on reader involvement. We’ve found that, if musicians are reading a blog about living as a musician, then you probably have some knowledge worth sharing with our readers. My friend Amos calls this, “Each One Teach One”. So this week we’re asking musicians how they prefer to perform -solo or with [...]
Should All Band Members Be Paid the Same?
Today’s question comes from Central, PA reader Jenna Gross. THE QUESTION: Do you think the money earned at a gig should be split up equally? What if one member does more – books the shows, gets press so bookings are possible — should all members get paid the same amount? THE ANSWER: Here’s the short answer [...]
Should I Drive The Distance If the Gig is Only 20 Minutes Long?
THE ARTIST: Silence Kid (Baltimore, MD) THE QUESTION: Here’s my dilemma: My band is playing it’s first out-of-town gig this weekend, and we were just informed that our set would only be 20 minutes long. Obviously, my drummer and I are both pretty disappointed about this. We’re a dedicated and hard-working band, this won’t be a short drive [...]
What’s Your Merch Setup? A Spotlight on Talain Rayne
Today’s posts is a video interview with Philadelphia-based artist Talain Rayne. He and his band have some pretty creative merch ideas and it was worth getting their comments on camera. A few things we especially liked about Talain’s setup… 1. Creative Old Records: Melt old records and spraypaint them!? Awesome! Old records are inexpensive and easy [...]
How Do I Break Into A New City?
THE ARTIST: Danami (Minneapolis, MN) THE QUESTION: When booking gigs in a city you’ve never played before what is the best approach you’ve found? The whole nine yards – from payment deals to getting artists from that area (who performs when). THE ANSWER: Danami, your music sounds awesome! First and foremost, expect to go into [...]
This is Why I Don’t Have a Facebook Music Page
This post was prompted by comedian Dartanion London (cool name!) who asked us a question via one of our comments on a recent Fanbridge article: How can you turn Facebook “Likes” into actively engaged fans? This was a great article and you should read it! In any case, here are my thoughts on why I don’t [...]
What’s Easier? Being a Singer/Songwriter or Band? Doug Wilcox says…
Today’s Post is a continuation of a post we wrote earlier this week. Every artist has their own opinion on what works best for them – solo or not. Today’s perspective comes from independent artist, Doug Alan Wilcox. After spending the large part of my early musical years in various bands, I can’t think of [...]
Making the Most of Your Coffeeshop Gig
Here’s a follow-up to last week’s post: Making the Most of Your Club Gig. So, coffeeshops are great, but you probably won’t make a whole lotta mula. Well, it all really depends. Even if you don’t, playing coffeeshops has huge perks that you won’t get from a club. Here are some thoughts on the matter. Learn the [...]
What if a Band Member Can't Make it to a Show?
THE BAND: The Beggar Folk. Lancaster, PA. THE QUESTION: So we have a gig in a few weeks and we promised them we’d bring out our whole band, but it turns out our string player can’t make it. Should we just show up with a smaller version of the band, or should we contact the [...]
An Interview with Joe Squared – Things Every Venue Wishes You Knew
Todays interview is with Daren, booker of Baltimore’s Joe Squared and member of Disco/Pop/Hip-Hop Group, Claire Hux. Daren shares an overwhelming amount of knowledge with readers about how venues run and how to book and successfully promote your show. The below information will certainly make you re-think the way you or your band operates. It’s [...]
Starting a Band? Here Are a Few Things You Should Do
Grassrootsy often features (and is probably biased towards) solo artist, so here’s something for you bands out there! Its important to realize that if you’re in a band, you’ll have to figure out a few things that you might not have to worry about (initially) as a singer/songwriter. Open a Bank Account This is especially important [...]
Creating a Killer Marketing Plan for Your Music
While visiting Artist House Music (and incredible music business site) today, I came across a really rock-solid marketing plan by Boston-based Band Convey. It prompted me to put up this post. Make sure to check out Convey’s Marketing Plan when you have a chance. The key to having a killer marketing plan is being practical. Yea…you’re [...]
