Determination, Space, Promotion: Starter Pack for Aspiring Bands

Demonstration

Actions speak louder than words. When a band comes to me enquiring whether or not to record an EP, I always tell them that if they do, especially if it's their first release, they will be ahead of the vast majority of other bands who never commit to it, let alone taking action.

Back in the 19th century, the philosopher Kierkegaard wrote that any immediacy in the form of action is better than an endless reflection. And he had no idea what our world was about to become. So, the first piece of advice: You want to start a band? Then don't read any discussions – or this article. Do it first, read it later.

Besides, no one ever knew how to do it right. It's not cooking spaghetti. Some bands played covers for years (Beatles), others never did on principle. In some bands untrained musicians mixed with educated ones, in other bands no one had any formal training, and in some only musicians from at least Berklee played.

It just doesn't really matter what a bunch of wise guys on the internet think about the step of starting a band. So let's make a deal. Start a band and then read this article sometime. If you have time...

Time, time, time

This isn't for a week, this is for a lifetime. There's probably no point in even asking musicians – better to ask those closest to them. At almost any level, music is primarily a time-consuming hobby. Because without time it can't be done. There's no point being in a band and not having time for it (though it may rarely work for advanced players, but still...).

Now, I'll be honest and speak for myself: For thirty years I've been trying to put together family (in the past friends), work (in the past school) and music. The first thing that I stopped doing was other hobbies, in my case scouting. A summer vacation with the family? With two bands it isn't a piece of cake, and even while writing this on my family vacation I can tell you that the result is a compromise where everyone is cross (but maybe just a little...). Summed up in one sentence: the band is a jealous mistress. Or lover.

Starter pack

But I know, you didn't come here for generalities. So, setting aside commitment and time (as much as I think that's the most valuable), I'll list five things you'll need to address. That is, besides playing.

1. The rehearsal room

It's not always easy. If you don't have some space of your own (yes, I've experienced my grandmother's laundry room), then you'll be looking at setting the whole place up and paying some monthly rent. Again, I'll be honest: shared rehearsal rooms are evil. Evil!

2. Photos

We live in the visual era – you may disagree, but that's about the only thing you can do about it. So get ready to pay for a one-day photoshoot  (unless you have friends photographers). You may not like it, but in today's world, the first association with your music will be your picture – only then people maybe listen to your music. When I say people, I mean bookers too.

3. Booking

If anything breaks bands down, it's booking. We're not talking about money at all right now (for the record, for a new band starting, we're not talking about being in the black for the first few years). The most common situation is that one band member is looking for gigs and then the others text them saying they don't have time. This happens a couple of times and there would be hell to pay (and rightfully).

In the early years, it's especially a bummer because there are no contacts, no money, just piles of sent emails with a response rate of one per cent. All I can say at this stage is: to keep on and not take it personally.

4. Social networks

If there's someone in the band who likes to be on the networks, that's a plus. If not, it's better to delegate networking management (again, through a friend). But someone has to do it. They don't have to make all the mistakes, though. You can study a lot of things, some of which I have described here.

On the other hand, you should not swim in self-promotion yourself. At least one person from the band should be able and willing to make videos, take photos and ideally make posts on social networks. And an important thing: it's better to manage one social media well than multiple ones badly.

5. Recording

Two things no longer exist in 2024. There is no excuse for not having a recording. And there are no demos. You need to have the best possible recording of at least one song, and some YouTube footage (even if it's just a minute on a mobile phone) of you playing live. The good news is that while a demo needs to be paid for, a minute on mobile costs nothing.

Now, that's a lot of stuff to start with. So maybe start with the rule from the intro: demonstration. Nothing stops you from embarking on the journey of a lifetime with a band. Will you stick with it? There's only one way to find out.