Bands on the run – solo artists are making waves in digital music age
Streaming boosts local talent and makes money for firms, but as live venues close and tour costs rise, is it all over for rock groups?
The UK has been half of an Anglo-american axis that has dominated pop since the Sixties, but I worry sometimes that it is over. Streaming does seem to be giving power in different markets to local talent and then boosting that talent on a global stage. With the rise in Latin, African and Korean performers, and the continued dominance of US artists, the UK music industry has to really be on its game to keep up. A big concern is whether we are nurturing the kind of talent that can conquer the world rather than just delivering local hits.
Despite the emergence of boisterous rock bands such as Idles, Shame and Fontaines DC, the local network live music scene that has produced so many stars is withering. The closure of small venues has been a big problem this decade, along with the absence of small, geographically based local music scenes.
The whole band structure is an inherently old-fashioned way of making music and is expensive to keep on the road. So without the support of record companies looking at investing in long-term careers it is extremely difficult for groups to survive long enough to develop artistically while building a big enough fan base to flourish commercially. They cannot compete with one kid and his laptop, so bands are squeezed out by solo artists and rappers better suited to digital recording and distribution technology.
Streaming is providing instant revenue for record companies but there are questions about whether it is producing long-term artists. The UK grime scene, for example, is absolutely fantastic and has produced major stars such as Stormzy and Dave, but it is quite localised. I don’t see many of our rappers really taking on Americans at their own game. However, singersongwriters such as Adele, Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi have flourished globally by making essentially old-fashioned and unglamorous music really well. Perhaps the open mic scene where singer-songwriters get their early breaks is more significant now than the old network of live music clubs.
Of the ten most profitable tours of the past decade, only Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran could be said to be artists who emerged in this time.
When we look at festival line-ups, there are questions about who among the next generation has the kind of universal impact and appeal to replace yesterday’s headliners. Pop has effectively replaced rock as the musical lingua franca, but can pop artists establish and maintain the kind of deep loyalty in live settings that rock stars have enjoyed thus far?
I am guessing they will, because the shared experience of music has become too important for us to let it fade. There is plenty of music being absorbed via streaming platforms by new generations, and as long as the industry markets them effectively, the cream of the talent should be able to establish long-term careers.
The likes of Charli XCX or Post Malone play live without a single musician on stage, performing solo to pre-recorded backing tracks and flashy live productions. It is a far cheaper and more profitable way for artists to tour, and young audiences seem to treat it with the same kind of reverence once reserved for musicianship. Charisma and catchy songs may turn out to be all that really matters – and I honestly don’t think we will ever run out of those.