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Don’t let Toronto’s buzz bands become bubble bands

WAVELENGTH MUSIC FESTIVAL with TOPS, DIANA, VALLENS, CHANDRA and DJ JD at the Garrison (1197 Dundas West), Friday (February 17). 7:30 pm. $10, $3 w/ RSVP. redbullsoundselect.com.


I saw a band the other day and it wasn’t great. On a bill of five acts, they played the weakest set to the smallest crowd of the night. Forgettable songs, negligible stage presence. The visiting team was outclassed in terms of talent and originality by the hometown Toronto bands on the bill. But somehow, according to my insider intel, they got paid more than the other four combined.

This is how a buzz band becomes a bubble band.

The buzz band is the great hope in an industry plagued by falling record sales. Buzz bands are young, hungry and up for anything. The music biz is eager to sign them and send them on the road, and promoters love them because they sell tickets.

Like the overblown real estate market, buzz bands are out of hand. These acts often come with agents and managers that make dollar demands that are out of whack with reality. Do-it-yourself schlepping is out, and the pop factory is back in. But how much longer can the buzz band factory keep churning them out?

As long as streaming pays out fractions of pennies in royalties, artists will rely on performing live for the bulk of their income. This situation puts major economic pressure on promoters to pay big fees to bands in an increasingly competitive marketplace. And if the artist fails to attract audiences, they flame out and the bubble bursts. Pop!

Having booked close to 2,000 emerging bands for local music series Wavelength over 17 years, I have watched many buzz bubbles burst. We were lucky to see some alumni go on to international fame. We were in the right place at the right time to host early gigs by Broken Social Scene, Constantines, Owen Pallett and Grimes. Many others crashed and burned, but I’m too nice to name-check those acts.

In that time, I’ve also learned a few things from booking, observing and – oh, yeah – playing in underground indie bands. Allow me to suggest a few sustainable strategies to that will benefit the whole music community – the bands, the industry and the fans – beyond the initial buzz.

It’s never too late for artist development

At any stage in a career, there is room to strengthen songwriting, musicianship and performance chops. I’m idealistic enough to believe no amount of marketing will compensate for dull music. Take Toronto’s DIANA, a group that survived “life after being a buzz band” (as told to NOW) by strengthening their sound and arrangements, both live and in the studio. They didn’t rush their second album, taking more than three years to follow up their debut. Some artists can access development platforms such as Red Bull Sound Select or Wavelength’s Artist Incubator, which we started in 2013 to provide bands with support, mentorship and feedback for as long as they need.

DIY isn’t dead (yet)

The DIY indie-music movement has put power and agency in the hands of artists, which is amazing. At the same time, the rise of digital platforms has increased pressure on bands to market and manage themselves. Increasingly, this means bands must grow and constantly engage a robust fan base on social media before a label buys in. But not all artists are confident managing business affairs, so a new class of indie label/management has emerged over the past 10 years to represent artists at much earlier stages of their careers. This may explain some of the buzz-band bubble, as savvy managers can build hype with only one or two songs.

For artists good at engaging their audience online and offline via touring, keep doing it yourself. It can be a surefire way to build a fan base in the long-term.

Reinvent yourself

In 1980, 12-year-old Chandra Oppenheim was the daughter of two New York City art scenesters. She recorded a post-punk album, Transportation, that became a cult classic, but it was lost. Hers was a classic case of overnight success. Nearly 30 years later, Canadian indie label Cantor Records re-released the album and now Oppenheim, who is in her late 40s, performs with a band of younger Toronto musicians. Her material sounds as fresh as ever. Though it’s unlikely Chandra will be venturing anywhere near the pop charts, she is reaching new audiences thanks to streaming platforms such as Soundcloud. “Emerging” doesn’t always mean “under 30.”

Look beyond sales and touring

Placing music in film and TV shows has become a huge market for musicians over the last decade. Companies such as Toronto’s Instinct Entertainment license music by indie artists for shows such as Degrassi. The payout may not be huge, so make sure you’re signed up for digital distribution to bring in whatever you can make off of the streaming services. Keep your SOCAN profile updated – those quarterly royalty cheques are always nice and a reminder that if you wrote a song once, you can do it again!

music@nowtoronto.com | @JDovercourt

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