Forming your first band is a momentous occasion, but settling on a name, getting a few songs written and finalizing the line-up is just the first step on a long and difficult road to finding your audience. Believe it or not, you’ve done the easy part. Now, there are going to be a host of practical considerations, things you need to set aside time and headspace for, and you need to know that, if you’re serious about doing this, that this is a profession as well as an artistic expression.
On the plus side, it’s never been easier for a band to get their music out there into the world. On the other hand, you are entering an incredibly competitive landscape where there are thousands of artists battling for listeners, for air-time, for performance space. Indie bands are releasing music faster than ever before, so organization and planning could be the key to getting you ahead of the competition. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind as you set out on your journey.
Get Organized With Money
No one has “make a budget spreadsheet” at the top of the list of things that they’re excited about doing when they form a band, but the fact of the matter is that, unless you have some extremely generous and wealthy parents who are subsidizing your entire life, no one is going to pay for you to get started. Any musician will tell you that paying gigs are few and far between when you’re first starting out, and at the moment there’s nobody going to live venues anyway. So, remember that everything costs money, from equipment and recording studios to food and electricity, think carefully about how much you can afford to be spending and plan accordingly.
Get Organized With Time
Everyone is having a hard time juggling their commitments right now and while there’s nothing better than escaping into music for a few hours, you need to be realistic about how likely it is that everyone you need is going to be able to hop onto a video call for practice whenever you feel like playing.
With that being said, everyone knows that rehearsal is never something that you can skimp on. You only get one chance to play for somebody for the first time, and if your band is sloppy, if it’s clear that you are not all on the same wavelength, or if someone has clearly not put the time and effort in, then you are going to see a lot of opportunities pass you by. So, once again, this may not be the most thrilling thing you ever do together as a group, but make a schedule for rehearsal and group discussion and make sure that you stick to it.
Make Sure Your First Recording Sounds Professional
As we mentioned, when you start sending your music to the people you want to listen to it, you are entering an incredibly competitive landscape. Everyone is hustling to be heard and while they may not have your talent, you need to be prepared for the fact that some people may have more resources. So, when it comes time to record what you’ve been working on, you have to go all in.
Look for a professional recording space where you will have the freedom to make sure that you are getting what you want to get done in the way that you want to do it, but which has enough top- of- the- line equipment and experienced personnel to back you up. Browsing the choice of recording studios in Los Angeles can be a little daunting, but Pirate offers self-service access 24-7 and affordable rates to make sure you can capture the moment of inspiration without sweating the little things.
You’re Going To Need A Great Online Presence
Some artists find that crafting their online presence is easy, another avenue to express themselves creatively. Some have a gift for attracting followers and listeners with apparent ease. Some find it to be a total drag and will do everything in their power to avoid setting it up. To be brutally honest, an online presence and personality is not something that you can afford to skip. With so many artists and bands launching every single day, and so many of the more traditional methods of finding an audience currently on hold or closing down thanks to the pandemic, you need to figure out how you can make your social media channels work for you. If this isn’t something that comes naturally to you, then there are a few key things to remember. You need to make sure that you’re putting your best work out there for people to listen to. You need to be genuine and reachable. Most importantly, you need to have somewhere where people can find more of your work so that they will stick around.
