The Music Industry - Post Covid-19 and a Music Degree

Music university was one of the best and worst decisions of my life. Going through this degree amid a global pandemic which stopped you doing the exact thing you needed to do to pass your exams was…challenging. I don’t recommend it. The landscape of the industry is completely different now to 2018 when I first enrolled. I had these images in my head that we would all graduate, throw our hats in the air and walk off into festivals, video shoots and thousands of streams on Spotify. But instead, we were left with cancelled gigs, an empty band fund and filming music videos out of our bedrooms.

For so many people this meant collaborations fell through and bands drifted apart, but for me it became the time we wrote some of the best songs we have to date and recorded with top producers in our city. Online collaboration meant pre-production zoom calls and long-distance video collabs and when it was eventually safe, we made it into Brighton Electric to record our second single.

Fast forward to July when restrictions lifted, exams had been submitted and we were all waiting on those dreaded final results emails. This was the time we gigged, and boy did we gig. We went from nothing for months to 5 shows a week in some cases. From sold out shows at The Green Door Store, to single release gigs at The Hope and Ruin, and even our first ever all female gig at The Pipeline to promote diversity and equality in the music industry, and we were proud to have organised this ourselves. I have never been hated by so many taxi drivers than trying to get a whole backline into a small city car at 5pm on a Thursday.

This was the summer we all needed after the year we all had. But back to my original point of music university, before I started my course, I didn’t know who or what I wanted to be in the industry, and I didn’t really figure that out until we were all stuck in our houses days on end. Despite being in two very different bands, one being experimental progressive indie rock and the other a feminist riot grrrl band, I knew that I wanted to empower others with my performances. Our live shows were powerful and gave us a real buzz in the local scene, but in order to grow fully we knew we needed social media on our side.

Unfortunately, social media is becoming more saturated as the entertainment industry relies on its online consistency. This makes it harder for any artist to stand out among its competitors. Finding your niche is increasingly important and it's essential to have unique and strong branding. At this point it’s ‘anything to please the Instagram algorithm’ goes. It’s been said that the best thing any artist can do lately is just be real with their audience, and I think I agree. Sure there’s the mysterious bands that keep their fans close by keeping them in the dark, you just have to take Sleep Token as an example. No-body knows their identity and they are seemingly part of a cult, however the demand for their music and a sold out UK headline tour speaks for itself.

However, there is a big shift currently happening with the personable, DIY, grassroots scene that is breaking down the wall between artist and fan. Synth-pop band Deco rose to fame from their lockdown mashup of the Oasis classic, Wonderwall, and 80’s pop favourite, Smalltown Boy. This got them huge amounts of attention from the industry, including: BBC Radio 1, Liam Gallagher and even Good Morning Britain. By showing behind the scenes snaps and getting fans opinions via Instagram polls, the artist-fan connection that this band has proves valuable to their growth, making 2021 their year for tours, releases and festival slots.

So, life after music university is difficult and this is where the real work starts. There is no direct job path or agency where you can go to get put onto a bestselling album and just because you have a certificate from one of these institutes doesn’t mean you’ll get handed amazing opportunities. 4 years ago I met my best friend and band mate on day one when we moved across the UK to live in a student house with strangers for our first year. Since then we have grown together to make the music we have today and my career wouldn’t be what it is now without her by my side. This is my best thing to come out of my music degree, and honestly the people you meet along the way in this industry will be your most important asset. Collaborate with everyone and say yes to everything you can.

So my advice would be to put yourself out there, try taking some inspiration from some of your favourite artists and become active in your local scene. Create a little roster of musicians that you would love to play with, and hey maybe even check out the discover page on Aux to see who you can connect with to grow your career.

I’ve listed below some music videos from my favourite bands I’ve played with over the last 7 months post Covid who I would highly recommend checking out and who have inspired me musically.

Snake Eyes - Scuttlebug

Snayx - False Friends

Nature Trip - Away

Ahsoka - Creature of The Deep

Cloud - Live With Pool Valley