Hi Richard. I hope you're doing well and we run into each other at a show soon. After reading your list of band names from the two upcoming Toronto music festivals that I have very little interest in, I thought I'd let you know that, as I type this, I'm listening to a band called Neverland Ranch Davidians. The music hasn't lived up to my expectations but I thought it was a clever name. Cheers. Steve McLean
Dear Richard - Your latest Substack is a very, very important look behind the scenes. You’ve shed light on an almost never-talked-about aspect of the music business: the facts that it’s not monetarily sustainable and that it takes a toll on people’s mental health. Unless one is backed by a partner who is paying the bills, nowadays it just doesn’t make financial sense to do it as a full-time job. It is also hard to promote/sell yourself as an entertainer, as there is no distinction between the self and the product. I believe there should be no shame in leaving it all behind when the time comes. Most people just do a quiet exit. These three artists have achieved more than 99.9% of other musicians, most of whom barely make it out of the garage, and I applaud them for sharing the cold, harsh reality behind being a singer-songwriter and for prioritizing themselves as human beings.
excellent read : 3 people who decided to move on from music. I feel for them.
having said that.. same as it ever was, so many in the industry are/were/are musicians who transformed into some other version of themself in order to have music in their professional life, just not from the stage. super common. you know that. most know that. but just like in poker... there's no shame in folding. the hard part is often playing a hand that can't win. and ya, when you're 22 its all fun and games, but couches and driving and the rest of it is awful as the years pile up. if it were easy, everyone would do it.
Hi Richard. I hope you're doing well and we run into each other at a show soon. After reading your list of band names from the two upcoming Toronto music festivals that I have very little interest in, I thought I'd let you know that, as I type this, I'm listening to a band called Neverland Ranch Davidians. The music hasn't lived up to my expectations but I thought it was a clever name. Cheers. Steve McLean
Dear Richard - Your latest Substack is a very, very important look behind the scenes. You’ve shed light on an almost never-talked-about aspect of the music business: the facts that it’s not monetarily sustainable and that it takes a toll on people’s mental health. Unless one is backed by a partner who is paying the bills, nowadays it just doesn’t make financial sense to do it as a full-time job. It is also hard to promote/sell yourself as an entertainer, as there is no distinction between the self and the product. I believe there should be no shame in leaving it all behind when the time comes. Most people just do a quiet exit. These three artists have achieved more than 99.9% of other musicians, most of whom barely make it out of the garage, and I applaud them for sharing the cold, harsh reality behind being a singer-songwriter and for prioritizing themselves as human beings.
excellent read : 3 people who decided to move on from music. I feel for them.
having said that.. same as it ever was, so many in the industry are/were/are musicians who transformed into some other version of themself in order to have music in their professional life, just not from the stage. super common. you know that. most know that. but just like in poker... there's no shame in folding. the hard part is often playing a hand that can't win. and ya, when you're 22 its all fun and games, but couches and driving and the rest of it is awful as the years pile up. if it were easy, everyone would do it.