26 minute read
Music Will Survive COVID-19
We don’t know whether clubs and venues will be able to subsist on very limited capacity and demand and for how long. We don’t know whether consumer listening and streaming shows will be a blip or a sustained change in behavior. We don’t know whether entertainment productions which rely on underlying music will be ramped up quickly enough to truly get back to a sustainable model of sync for licensors and composers.
That sucks, right?
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Musicians are naturally an optimistic bunch. Hell, we’ll drive halfway across the country in hopes of a half sold out show, we’ll blow $8-15k of our own money on a recording that we hope people will buy, listen to, or at the very least give a damn about. And now, as some bars and venues slightly reopen with limited capacity and outdoor patios, tons of players are willing to risk it just to play live in front of actual live people (rather than a phone that’s live streaming from a basement).
So, what’s the truth? As with everything, it lies somewhere in the middle. Clubs will try putting on these limited shows and yes, some fans will come out and support. Will your band be able to book out 6 months in advance like normal? No. Will you be able to go on tour anytime soon? Not a chance. You may see a small bump in streaming numbers from a certain percentage of fans, but keep in mind, your fans are also getting hooked on new podcasts and Spotify is still suing to prevent songwriters and publishers from making more money.
Here’s what we do know. Music will survive. It always has. During the pandemic 100 years ago, these same questions were raised, believe it or not. Opera houses and musicals were shut down, as were small musical outfits. But lo and behold, it gave way to the Roaring ’20s, when Jazz, Big Band, Blues, and Broadway exploded.
There will be live music again.
There will be a recording industry, people will stream, TV shows will need licensed songs. Even though the phonograph was invented in 1877, it wasn’t until the 1920s right after a global pandemic when independent record labels and new acoustic recording technology was invented which paved the way for records to take off. Coupled with an explosion in radio and ASCAP, the modern music industry as we know it can be traced right back to the 1920s after the last great global pandemic. There will be recorded music, and it will flourish.
We are a country driven by entertainment; productions will come back. They will need great music to place in the shows, games, movies, and yes, even ads. Except these ads won’t just be filled with sad piano chords under narrators somberly saying, “In these challenging times, we’re with you” and other such crap. Pretty sick of THAT commercial, which seems like EVERY commercial.
I’m going to be brutally honest with you though, not everyone is going to make it. Many venues and probably most small clubs won’t survive past the fall unless something drastically changes in terms of a vaccine or treatment. The demand just will not outweigh the risk. By the way, go support National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) www.nivassoc.org and do what you can to help.
Some small studios and filmmakers won’t make it. Some gaming companies will be swallowed by bigger ones for the IP.
When live music comes roaring back, people will demand the best of the best; “good” won’t do. With fewer venues, fewer gigs and lower budgets, the bands that guarantee a draw will be first in line for bookings, and in some cases, that means a stable of safe cover or tribute bands. But there will be a desire for new, exciting, independent, sweaty, and sexy music. Right now, pretty much every big tour planned for this summer is already booked for the same date next year. So, sorry, I know it’s a huge letdown, but you will not be able to play Red Rocks or Wembley until 2022 at the very earliest, no matter how big your next EP hits!
The point is to be optimistic, but also realistic. Don’t try to push your band or your fans too hard right now. Everyone has to deal with this in their own way. Take care of your own music community, pay attention to the changes in public policy. This is a perfect time to get your music prepared for licensing. Write and produce something new, not with the intention of putting it out, but just to be alive and awake in this time as an artist. It’s going to take patience, but music will come back, and if history teaches us anything, it may be better than ever.
No one is sure how long this virus crap will last, but I know how long music will: forever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
-Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development.
Club Passim Raises $100,000 For Musicians in Need
Money Has Helped More Than 180 Artists To Date
Club Passim has raised more than community for its generous support of the to nurture artists at all stages of their career, $101,000 for musicians in need PEAR fund.” and to build a vibrant music community. Passim through its Passim Emergency Artist does so through their legendary listening Relief (PEAR) Fund. $87,000 has already been Passim launched the “Keep Your Distance venue, music school, artist grants and outreach distributed to 182 artists, with additional Fest,” a virtual music festival to support the programs. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim applications coming in every day. Launched on PEAR Fund. Artists including The Wolff carries on the heritage of our predecessorsMarch 16, the PEAR Fund was created to help Sisters, Darlingside, Laura Cortese and nearly the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit musicians dealing with the financial impact of 170 others have submitted videos sharing Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a diverse mix the COVID-19 pandemic. Passim continues to songs about staying calm, hope, and sticking of musical traditions, where the emphasis is take donations and requests for aid at together and encouraging people to give to the on the relationship between performers and passim.org/PEARfund. PEAR Fund. The complete playlist is online audience and teachers and students. Located in now at Passim’s YouTube page. Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and
“It has been very meaningful for us to be the broader region by featuring local, national able to do something positive to help artists About Passim and international artists. Our ultimate goal is to get through this difficult time,” said Jim The mission of Passim is to provide truly help the performance arts flourish and thereby Wooster, Executive Director of Passim. “All exceptional and interactive live musical enrich the lives of members of our community. of us at Passim are extremely grateful to the experiences for both performers and audiences, For a complete schedule, visit www.passim.org.
Student Organization Launches ‘Worldwide Day of Gratitude’ to Honor COVID-19 Heroes
First responders and healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic were honored on April 30 as part of “Worldwide Day of Gratitude,” a global coming together through the arts organized by the student-run organization, YOUnison.
Music has long served as a unifying force during challenging times. For Worldwide Day of Gratitude, teachers and students of all ages, as well as the general public, were invited to learn and share the iconic Bill Withers song, “Lean on Me,” which has emerged as a rallying cry for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting April 14, sheet music authorized by Hal Leonard Corporation, as well as sample lesson plans and thought starters for participation were available at https://www.younison.org/leanonus. Participants were encouraged to download the materials, then record and share their unique versions on YouTube and post on social media channels using the hashtags #LeanOnUs and #DayOfGratitude.
“The effort put forth by the first responders and healthcare workers has been incredibly inspiring to so many around the world,” says Andrew E. Morrison, co-founder of YOUnison, a student-centered community empowering YOU to achieve musical excellence based around selfdirected learning, creativity and collaboration. “To show our gratitude, teachers, students, and people of all ages can use the power of music and the arts to unite to honor these amazing heroes.”
The Worldwide Day of Gratitude has attracted the attention and collaboration from the leading organizations in music and education, including Arts Ed NJ, CMA Foundation, D’Addario Foundation, Drum Corp International, Grammy Music Education Coalition, Hal Leonard Corporation, John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, Little Kids Rock, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, NAMM Foundation, Noteflight, Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, Save The Music Foundation, Teach Rock, Yamaha and YOUnison.
About YOUnison
A student-centered community empowering YOU to achieve musical excellence based around self-directed learning, creativity, and collaboration. YOUnison’s mission is to redefine lifelong individual development through music, leadership and social-emotional learning.
Shure Works With Musicians To Start #FoundSoundChallenge While Supporting MusiCares Foundation
While people adhere to stay-at-home guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are looking at new ways to maintain creativity. Shure, a global leader in audio equipment, is working with top artists from a range of musical genres to recreate songs using household items and posting their performance on social media. These performances will serve as inspiration to others to re-create their favorite songs by using items around the house, such as kitchen utensils, toys, books, furniture or other materials.
As part of the effort, Shure will make a total donation of $100,000 to MusiCares Foundation. This donation comes in a time of need as recently MusiCares reported their COVID-19 Relief Fund is depleted and was forced to stop accepting new applications until more money is raised.
Artists Shure has recruited to help with the initial wave of performances include Jacob Collier and Scarypoolparty. Artists will post performances to their Instagram feed and will be shared across Shure social channels including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Jacob Collier kicked things off with his re-creation on Tuesday, May 12.
“Music continues to be a central part of our lives and I think we’re all looking for ways to unlock creativity while we’re spending more time at home,” said Erik Vaveris, Vice President of Global Marketing at Shure. “This is one way we can have fun while supporting a great cause.”
About MusiCares
MusiCares Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1989 and incorporated in 1993 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Meant for musicians to have a place to turn in times of financial, personal, or medical crisis, its primary purpose is to focus the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues which directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. The foundation’s programs include emergency financial assistance, addiction recovery, outreach and leadership activities, and senior housing. MusiCares also offers hearing clinics backstage at several major festivals around the U.S. to help musicians protect their ears. Since 1989, MusiCares has distributed more than $48 million to artists in need.
Summer NAMM 2020 Cancelled
Dear NAMM Family,
After speaking with so many of you and closely following the latest news regarding the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Summer NAMM, scheduled for July 9–11 in Nashville. We sincerely recognize the importance of this annual mid-year gathering for our industry. However, the current circumstances make it impossible to hold the show or to undertake the many months of careful planning and preparation that are required to create a secure and organized event. in Nashville, we will continue to connect our community to help everyone move forward. Our focus remains on guiding our members to the financial relief that so many badly need through the CARES Act. In addition, the NAMM team has been sourcing and sharing the most creative strategies that are working in music retail and online music learning, vital tools to survive these unprecedented economic times. The NAMM website is your trusted and reliable place to get the latest news; please utilize https://www. namm.org as our virtual gathering spot for the time being. and inspiration from the generations of NAMM members who came before us, overcoming every obstacle in their way. And in that spirit, we can just imagine the heartfelt celebrations that will occur when we are all together again in Anaheim next January. In the meantime, please stay safe and connected to each other; with perseverance, vision and passion, we will succeed.
C.F. Martin NAMM Chair
In response to the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating effect on the artistic community, the Los Angeles-based organization Equal Sound launched the Corona Relief Fund (CRF) on March 12, 2020. Through the fund, musicians can apply for an initial grant up to $500 to help cover expenses due to the impact of COVID-19. Guidelines to apply and ways to donate are listed at https://
equalsound.org /project /corona-relieffund
is one of a handful of initiatives that has received national attention from publications such as Billboard, NPR Music, and The New Yorker. The fund has received requests from thousands of artists across the nation in need of assistance. In order to meet this demand, the non-profit has assembled a team of six volunteers working to raise both earmarked funding for CRF and general operating support to administer the fund. payments weeks ahead of the national response from the United States government. Interested partners and sponsors may go to https://equalsound.org/project/ corona-relief-fund for more information.
ABOUT EQUAL SOUND
Founded in 2015 by Artistic Director Nick Norton, Equal Sound curates experiences that illuminate the threads between music genres to attract and engage new audiences from all musical worlds. Equal Sound is dedicated to the idea that all music is created equal.
Music Advocates Denounce Big Radio Bailout in HEROES Act
Following the release of the House of Representatives’ draft HEROES Act, SoundExchange, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), the Future of Music Coalition and the Recording Academy issued the following statement:
“The economic impact of COVID-19 is very real and causing dramatic upheaval in local communities throughout the country. Musicians are proud that during this time of isolation, uncertainty and crisis, communities have turned to music for strength and comfort. That is why earlier efforts by Congress to provide aid to truly local broadcasters who serve their communities with unique and locally-relevant content has merit and received broad support.”
“However, language in the HEROES Act introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives essentially greenlights a warrantless Big Radio Bailout for every massive broadcaster within the multibillion dollar industry who can lay claim to a smaller station within their portfolio. To be clear: there are a small number of broadcasting companies who own hundreds of stations in markets of all sizes across the country, and the language in this bill will provide more help, even if unintentionally, to companies like iHeartMedia, Cumulus and Sinclair than it will to the small independent broadcasters truly hurting in this environment. The stunningly broad language would divert assistance away from true community outlets in favor of the same mega corporations that have been laying off thousands of local employees in a wave of consolidation. Truly small, non-commercial and community radio stations shouldn’t be forced to compete with huge companies for limited payroll assistance.”
“There is a difference between supporting vital local news outlets and billion dollar broadcast conglomerates, especially given that these enormous radio conglomerates refuse to compensate recording artists for using their music, in contrast with satellite radio and streaming services that do pay. With so many people in need at this time, let’s keep the focus where it should be: small businesses and workers, not on big broadcasters.”
Originally, I planned to be on an April 20th plane to Seattle to start the ‘Duality Tour,’ the biggest tour of my career to date - 21 dates across North America. No easy challenge for an artist with no label support. While planning the tour, I came up with a new hybrid touring format that I knew could benefit artists of every level - especially for those touring for the first time. The idea consists of live in-person shows and simultaneous virtual shows, through which fans can grab a Virtual Tour Pass, even if they’re on the other side of the world. The purpose of this format was to make live shows more accessible and inclusive worldwide, and at the same time, enable artists at any level to tour in a more financially viable way, beyond their normal venue ticket sales. My ‘Duality Tour’ across the US was set to be the first implementation of this. at home here in the UK in my pyjamas, staying inside like much of the world, riding out what is a very surreal and very dark moment in time for us all. Like many hard-working artists out there, I had to postpone my tour ( just two days after the tour announcement). It was a hard but necessary hit to take.
In the wake of the pandemic, I quickly pivoted towards a Plan B, where the virtual element of my ‘Duality Tour’ could remain in place. Although
the physical tour itself has been postponed, weekly virtual shows will proceed via my website with my Virtual Tour Pass (with a slight change of venue - my neon jungle home studio). When SXSW was cancelled, my mind went to all of the artists who would be missing out, and I foresaw in that moment just how much livestreaming was going to come into play and be a saving grace. It’s been interesting to see the world utilize a format I’ve been using for years to continue connecting with their audiences.
Currently, it’s the closest thing we have to a live show.
In an effort to combat helplessness in the weird, emotional realm of lockdown, I rebooted my “10 Songs Challenge,” encouraging my audience to stay creative and write one song every day for 10 consecutive days. I’d push out daily writing prompts to help guide their ideas and I took part in the challenge myself, uploading a full song each day. Then, I uploaded those 10 songs to Bandcamp as Jungle Tapes, an acoustic fundraiser album priced at £8. I am donating 100% of the proceeds to Intensive Care Society here in the UK to directly help our healthcare workers. ICS provides wellbeing resources for nurses and doctors and sends additional care packages to aid those working day-in-day-out, helping to save the lives of those affected. The album will remain on Bandcamp indefinitely, and I’ll continue to donate those proceeds each week to ICS for as long as they come through. Hugely grateful to have raised £345 [in just the first week].
While we prepare for my first run of Virtual Shows, I’ve been reflecting on how much positive action I’ve seen from people worldwide. Whether it be through a fundraiser to help a cause or using a livestream to hang out with fans while they’re stuck at home - we’ve all found a way to continue to be together and support one another. I’m so grateful for those who continue to support me at a time like this. Virtual Tour Pass holders have helped to cover the loss of the tour cancellation itself - which is a huge deal. I’m thankful that we had it in place to begin with, and I look forward to performing both virtually and at my US tour dates when we
Follow on Instagram: @emmamcgann
are able to reschedule them in the future.
EMMA MCGANN JUNGLE TAPES VOL. 1 STANDOUT TRACK: “FADE AWAY”
This year marks the 23rd anniversary of “Brimful of Asha,” one of the quintessential British pop songs of the 1990s (I do hesitate to actually lump it in with “Britpop,” as I feel that’s doing the song a disservice, but you can do what you like, dear reader). It landed on the shores of the States in spectacular fashion, complete with a colorful, retro-vibe video on MTV and a Fatboy Slim remix that remains a classic to this day. But if that’s all you know of Cornershop, the band, you owe it to yourself to seek out more from Tjinder Singh’s group of musical merrymakers. Much more than a mere one-hit-wonder, Cornershop has continued releasing some of the best poprock albums in the UK for the past 20+ years, and their new 2020 release, England is a Garden, might just be in the running for album of the year.
We recently spoke with Singh about the record, the pandemic, his label and what’s been going on with the group since “Brimful.”
There was a five-year gap between the new album, England is a Garden, and the last Cornershop record. Can you tell us what you’ve been up to these past few years?
We have never stopped as a group and have always worked hard over the long years. I went through a stage of not feeling too well - a sort of burnout, which meant I had no option but to slow right down. That was one reason to put out so many other artist’s albums on our own label, Ample Play Records. This meant being creative, and working hard for other groups, but taking the foot off the workload I was not able to attend to with my own music.
When my writing work resumed it was fast, but due to resting I didn’t have all the lyrics I usually have at hand. Thankfully, [musical] ideas still came, so songs got started. Then we wanted
them to be good songs, so I took a lot of time to work on the recording; getting back to lyrics was different to how I had generally worked, so that took a while, too.
Over time, it dawned on me that we were possibly at the end of our career, and therefore it was worthwhile to take whatever time it took to make it exactly as we wanted it. Career or broke - and the reviews have come back to support the approach, with many calling it album of the year already, which is very upful [ed. note – British slang for positive] to us.
The new album contains some of the best songs we’ve ever heard from the band. Do you approach the writing process any differently now, as opposed to when the band was first recording albums in the ’90s?
No, exactly the same. There was always the use of more instruments or technology, but the basic approach is the same. Production for me is about knowing different areas of as much music [that] is out there. If you think something is bad, it’s not enough to just dismiss but to have the reasons why. This is as important as why you like music. We generally concentrate on albums, so then there is the need to make songs sit next to
each other for a full listening experience. Variety is usually good for that and makes for a more interesting back catalogue.
There’s an almost-instantly recognizable strum pattern to the guitar parts on Cornershop records - is the guitar your primary writing instrument?
That is very generous of you.
Guitar is not exactly my primary, vocals probably are, but it is used a lot for initial ideas. Me and Benedict [Ayres] have always reneged on learning guitar any more than basic, for that may pigeonhole ideas. There are too many guitar gymnasts out there, who could not put one of their own songs together. Luckily, we all play guitar, so a variety of sound can build and come from that.
When it comes to the studio, you’ve been around long enough to see the industry’s shift from tape to digital. Do you approach the recording process any differently now in the 2020s? Do you have a home studio set up where you can demo tracks before you do the studio versions?
When we first started it was home cassette. Then 4-track cassette recorders. Then a small studio setup, whilst working in studios with very good setups. There was a general paranoia about going for an analogue sound when we first started, and digital sounds clipped harshly with shrieks. Then digital got a whole lot more like analogue with the benefits of recall, less space/ ease of portability, and lower overhead costs. My turning point was listening to a French mp3 designer/scientist do a talk in a small Britany village about the difference between mp3 and vinyl and I agreed with him, and did walk with my burdens lifted in total praise of both digital and vinyl, and my paranoia never reared its face again.
Right now, live performances and touring are pretty much shut down worldwide. Did you guys have plans to tour behind the record before the pandemic broke, and if so, are you making alternate plans now to do any live-streaming or reschedule shows for later in the year?
We actually stopped touring in 2013, so no need to live stream or rescheduling.
Have you found any creative inspiration or motivation during these times? We’ve been speaking to a lot of artists, and people are all over the place. Some are finding the downtime to be a catalyst for creativity, while others are feeling uninspired to do anything right now. I’d be curious to hear how you’re handling everything.
Just before COVID-19 we released our album and went into admin mode. As we own our own label, we have to work a few different turbans at any time. I don’t think lockdown is too creative for me. If you think about it, it gets too much, if you don’t and are able to, you are a sucker. So, we stay middle ground and let the admin [work] help us through.
I think one of the incredible things about the new record is how modern it sounds, while still retaining a
vibe of the Britpop era - which raises two questions. One, do you look back on the ’90s as a particularly special time in British pop music, or is that just a nostalgic view that music fans have put on it in the subsequent years?
Thanks for that modern and old, the French scientist would be happy. I do look back at the ’90s as a special time for music. There were so many different musical sounds going on, visuals were making for a greater listening experience, then all of a sudden in the year 2000 we set the clock back to just white indie boy groups and bad chart music - all the acceptance for other sounds went as if they had never lived side by side.
How do you maintain good relationships with bandmates over this many years and keep the music from sounding stale? Personally speaking, I know it’s hard to keep a lineup intact for one record, let alone keeping members for 5, 10 or 20+ years. Is there a way that you approach interpersonal relationship that others might learn from?
Well, we have had changes of band members. My brother Avtar and David used to be with us when we were first born. But me and Ben studied together and have always been there except for about 6 months. Things change, people have moved on at times, but ultimately, I have always tried to treat others as you want to be treated, and that means we have forsaken some opportunities because some non-band people, in fact most people, are full of shit. To get on you really have to see the shit in people.
You’ve infused a lot of Indian elements into your band’s sound, not just on this record but of course on tracks like “Brimful of Asha” and others. As an American, I’d be interested to hear if you ever received any pushback in the UK either from labels or listeners about that. We’ve heard some horror stories from artists of color in the States about their experiences with prejudices, so I’d be interested to hear your experiences. And if anything has changed since you first entered the business (either for the better, or worse).
No, I’m glad to report this side of the pond nothing has changed. We have always had to accept that we always start from square one. No matter if you have released an album like When I Was Born For The 7th Time or Handcream For A Generation or Disco & The Halfway To Discontent or The Double O Groove Of or Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast, or England Is A Garden.
However, due to this last album we have given life to all our releases before it, which is a very welcome and positive turn of events – this book has opened all chapters in the series before
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it. Sometimes I pity for those white people in the band, they would have done far better without me. As for my part, I would have given up if it wasn’t for the continued need to prove some slackers that they are all-day slackers.
Finally, where do you see the band’s direction headed in the future? After 25 years, I can’t imagine you’ve got anything left to prove. But is there anything else, musically or otherwise, that perhaps you haven’t done yet that you can see Cornershop doing in the years ahead?
Personally, I achieved everything I wanted in life at the age of eight. The rest has been a bonus. We never have had any musical goals, that’s for white indie rock groups.
CORNERSHOP ENGLAND IS A GARDEN STANDOUT TRACK: “ST MARIE UNDER CANON”
