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The Music Industry: Artists’ Outlook

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YoubloomDublin2017

At around noon on Thursday, June 1st, Dublin’s atmosphere became a bit more community-minded. More specifically, it became a bit more nurturing towards those who possess a love of music.

 

Sixty independent musicians based in multiple countries—from Portugal to Sweden—would play a unique gig during that weekend at the youbloomDublin Music Summit & Festival, an independent music conference and festival. Its uniqueness stems from the fact that youbloom caters specifically to unsigned artists with the intention of altering the current unsustainability of said artists.

 

How do they accomplish this? Well, just ask the artists themselves who performed at youbloomDublin three weeks ago.

 

Oski Bravo at youbloomDublin

 

But first, let’s take a step back.

 

The Music Industry Exposed

The music industry is extremely skewed: a few hundred artists make 75% of the revenue. Smaller artists usually remain unseen because they simply don’t have the support they need to grow their business. These music industry statistics and the monopoly effect lead artists like Oski Bravo, who performed at youbloom Dublin for the first time, to insist that the music industry is a “pigsty”.

 

Back to the Ocean, an alternative band who played twice at youbloomDublin, also attests to the demanding aspects of the music industry in that independent musicians basically must figure out how to get fans on their own. They’re “expected to have world class recordings, [a] big fanbase, professional videos and social media profiles, and [a] business orientation”.

 

Back to the Ocean rocking out at youbloomDublin for their first performance at the festival

 

A Love of Music

But for many, even though the odds seem insurmountable, the love for the craft is greater.

 

“It felt like a natural progression for both of us”, CARRON stated. For the two sisters who played at youbloomDublin in Phoenix Park on Saturday and The Globe on Sunday, it began with “leading roles in shows like ‘Annie’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, and ‘The Sound of Music’” along with violin and vocal lessons.

 

They believe the music industry standard is quite high, particularly in Ireland with artists such as Hozier attaining success. However, they are hopeful for what it means for them in that “[they] must always be progressing too, writing new music and taking part in as many live events as [they] can”.

 

CARRON striking a pose at youbloomDublin

 

For others, such as Dandelion Tea, who performed at 4 Dame Lane on Saturday, “Music is just something that always made sense. [It’s] an intangible form of art that can impact so many people in a big way. We felt we had something unique to say and music was the language we could best express it in.”

 

The music industry may receive complaints, but as Dandelion Tea said, pictured here feeling the music at youbloomDublin, “that’s the nature of monetizing art.”

 

The overwhelming nature of the music business may discourage artists to pursue music, but many still do simply because they couldn’t imagine themselves doing anything different. It’s this overwhelming love for music that fuels artists and youbloom members alike.

 

 

Interview with Sean Rooney: Featured Artist at youbloomDublin 2017

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Featured artist at youbloomDublin 2017, Sean Rooney, is the type of soulful singer/songwriter that you can take home to mother. Having performed at a myriad of festivals and venues around the world, youbloom gets to know Sean a little better before his performance at at youbloomDublin 2017 in this exclusive interview.

 

 How long have you been playing music? What inspired you to pick up an instrument?
Sean Rooney: I’ve been playing music about 12 years .. I started playing just from a love of pop punk music in my early teens .. thankfully my tastes have broadened a lot since then..
What instrument did you first lean to play?
Sean Rooney: I first learned to play the guitar .. well.. I’m still learning ! I’m self taught so I’m always learning.
What is your favorite part of your writing process when making new music?
Sean Rooney: My favourite part of the writing process is whenever I manage to capture exactly what I want to say lyrically and melodically.. I do enjoy the challenge of writing lyrics .. it might be trite but I write about my own life and that makes lyric writing a cathartic process for me.
In your song “Everest High” you say that its about dealing with depression from a first person point of view. How have you been able to cope with that and what role has music played to help battle with this?
Sean Rooney:  coping with depression isn’t easy. Not only because there is a lot of stigma attached to the subject and It’s different for everyone but I’ve found talking to a psychologist and taking medication very helpful. In terms of music, the cathartic element is very important. There is a release that comes with expressing your emotions through song.
“Everest High” sounds like a very up beat song. Was that intentional when writing this song due to the meaning?
Sean Rooney:  Yes .. the upbeat and borderline aggressive sound of the song is basically my way of conveying that I will not let depression beat me. I’m fighting against it with everything I have; also there’s nothing more melancholy than a ballad about depression .. it would just be too much if it sounded sad too.
 
You have a great cover of Bruce Springsteen. What are some other artists that inspired you to make music? And what would be another cover you would enjoy to make?
Sean Rooney:  Thank you! My main inspiration comes from the genres of soul, indie-rock/rock and R&B.. In terms of idols I’d have to say Paul Weller is my favourite artist. The body of incredible work he had created and continues to create is a never ending reservoir of inspiration to me. There aren’t that many covers that I feel I could really add much to or change without ruining! But a couple of songs I would love to play live with a band are “Soul Man” by Sam&Dave and “The Changingman” by Paul Weller
For someone who has never heard your music before, how would you describe your sound?
Sean Rooney: I would describe my music as sort of.. Blue-eyed soul rock .. although not all of my songs would fit neatly into that genre!
What advice would you give new musicians trying to get their music out there?
Sean Rooney: The only advice I feel qualified to give is to not criticise yourself too much.. some self criticism is healthy but there comes a point when it can ruin things and I know that from experience. In terms of physically getting music out there, Facebook videos are a great way to go.
What are you anticipating the most at the YouBloom festival?
Sean Rooney: What I’m anticipating most at Youbloom is just the opportunity to play for a new audience and to meet lots of new punters and musicians alike. I’m always super grateful to get to play live. It is what I love most in the world, so to that end I’d like to say thank you to Youbloom for giving me the opportunity.
Do you have any new material coming out in the near future?
Sean Rooney: Yes! I’ve been writing and recording recently. my first official single will be released soon and then the plan is to release my first EP in around May!
Learn more about Sean Rooney on his Facebook page here. You can catch Sean Rooney performing live at youblomDublin 2017.

Interview with Emma Lou & The Agenda: Featured Artist from youbloomDublin 2017

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Like many girls born in the 90s, Emma Lou grew up aspiring to become one of the Spice Girls. With one recently released EP and another on the way, Emma Lou & The Agenda prepare to perform at youbloomDublin 2017.
In this interview, Emma Lou talks about how Britney Spears indirectly helped her start her music career, her Disney addiction, and how she met The Agenda.
How long have you been playing music as a band? 

Emma Lou: I started putting ads out for the band around mid 2015 and it all came together pretty quickly. So I guess we were all together and settled by around this time last year so it’s been just about a year playing together as a band.

How long have you each been playing your instruments for?

Emma Lou: Well I’m gonna give the quintessential answer to this question and say that I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember..it’s true, I swear!

What does your writing process look like when making new music?

Emma Lou: Usually it starts with me getting some idea. I’ll be singing away when something comes into my head that I like so I work on a melody and lyrics with my incredibly limited amount of musical knowledge, then whatever I have I bring to guys so we can make something of it and we take it from there.

For someone who has never heard you before how would you describe your sound?

Emma Lou: Amazing…duh

Can you describe what your song “One Good Reason” is about? What does the music video mean?

Emma Lou: One Good Reason is about being treated like crap by somebody in a relationship, c’mon we’ve all been there, and then some time after it all thankfully falls apart, the person who walked all over you comes crawling back looking for a second chance and you’re like ‘hell no…time for a taste of your own medicine pal’. Yeah that’s what it’s about…

What type of musical background do you and your band come from?

Emma Lou: Well the extent of musical background is pretty much singing Britney Spears songs into a karaoke machine in my bedroom all throughout my childhood, then I decided I’d like to give songwriting a go and here we are. Oh, I did write this one song when I was around 8..so I guess it all started from there.

How has social media helped you reach out to more fans?

Emma Lou: Social media is thee best thing for reaching a new audience. I mean the live performances are obviously important but social media is amazing because people can hear your music anywhere at any time online from anybody who feels that they wanna share it. Honestly, if it was the 90’s the only person who would have heard our music by now would be my mam and my nana.

What is the last song you listened to before this interview?

Emma Lou: Emmm…I’m a Disney freak and I always need the Princess soundtrack to start my day so I just listened to ‘A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes’ from Cinderella..and I’m not even sorry.

Do you have any new material you plan on releasing in the near future?

Emma Lou: Oh yes we sure do. We have a new EP on the way due for release March/April ish so keep your eyes peeled!

 

Watch Emma Lou & The Agenda’s music video for “One Good Reason” and don’t forget to see them perform live at youbloomDublin 2017.

The Ultimate Independent Musician Guide to Distributing Music

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A lot of the independent artists who perform at youbloomLA and youbloomDublin ask us what the best way to distribute their music is. Some don’t have the luxury of massive record labels like Sony and Universal to distribute their music for them. For other independent artists, signing to a record label is a possibility, however, they choose to take control of every aspect of their music career instead. This includes choosing how they distribute their own music.  Let’s take a look at all of the distribution channels available to independent artists in youbloom’s Ultimate Independent Musician Guide to Distributing Music.

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youbloom Grad Luke Clerkin: Live at the Apollo Explained

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This post was written by Luke Clerkin, a singer and songwriter from Dublin. He’s a youbloom grad, having played at youbloom Dublin and LA in 2016. He is an accomplished musician who recently released his first EP “Ink Written Messages”. He has supported another rising youbloom star Aine Cahill and will host his own gig in Whelans in Dublin on Feb 22nd. He is heavily involved in the Home Sweet Home campaign to end homelessness in Ireland. Here he tells the story of his experience and the role music played in bringing thousands of people together.

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