Independent musicians turn to social media

For Doug and Telisha Williams, becoming homeowners was a special challenge.

The couple, married musicians who perform together as the Wild Ponies, had difficulty securing a loan because their income is based off their ability to tour, and can fluctuate. Still, in March, they were able to get a co-signer and became proud homeowners of a fixer upper in Nashville, Tenn.

But in a matter of days, up to

85% of their income was wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We immediately had to cancel

38 U.S. dates. … And we’ve lost an entire U.K. and European tour. For us, that’s pretty much all of our income,” Doug Williams said.

So now, like many other independent musicians, they’ve turned to social media and the Internet to make up their lost wages. A Facebook live concert from the Williams’ new home drew about

300 people and $800 in donations, or about what they’d take in on a night on tour. Since then, it’s received another 4,000 views.

While plenty of A-list musicians have responded to the pandemic with virtual performances to entertain their fans, for entertainers with less name recognition, reaching out via social media or the web is a matter of survival. And it’s not just the concerts. They sell merchandise, music and anything else to pay the bills.

Changes in the music industry have made it harder for artists to survive, said Rob Miller, owner of Chicago-based independent label Bloodshot Records.

“Sales do not drive a career the way they used to, so it’s more imperative than ever for artists to stay out on the road. And right now we’re not talking about a diminishment of income, we’re talking about a cessation of it. It’s done. And no one can tell us for how long,” Miller said.

Every Saturday, Canadian singer Dan Mangan is performing a ticketed online show. It costs $6 and he’s donating all proceeds to charity, including a food bank and a domestic abuse shelter.