Indie Tour Basics
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ian Blackwood and Dean Richards of The Artist Life, a punk rock band from Toronto as they head way to the east coast for their first tour accompanied by The Swellers, another punk rock band from south of the border. They booked the tour themselves with Dean taking most of the credit and were kind enough to share tips on what to do to make things run smoothly.
While touring and perhaps even for a one off show, the contract used to outline a performance agreement is referred to as a “rider”. Dean lists some of the things an indie band should list on their rider for survival and other items that should be listed for an easier settle up at the end of the night.
Surprisingly they are still unsigned, but nonetheless getting radio airplay as well as rotation with Canada’s biggest music video channel, Much Music, for their single “Waiting Room”. They even landed themselves media support with 2 of the most respected punk rock media outlets, i.e. PunkRadioCast and Truth Explosion. According to Ian, the backing that these outlets is giving them has made tremendous contributions to the buzz they are currently getting now.
The Artist Life EP has been available for download at no charge off their official website and has just recently been pressed with 2 new songs for resell on their tour. This is just one of the ways the band has used to support themselves financially with such high gas prices and small venues.
What impressed me most is the foundation of online interaction they’ve created for themselves. Each member plays an integral role, their bassist does most of the graphic work, their drummer promotes their web presence, leaving their guitarist dean to book their shows and Ian their lead singer managing the band members on an individual basis as well as a group. One of the toughest jobs is keeping everyone happy!
I’d like to highlight their myspace… they’ve got a full list of all the radio stations and such where you can request their song and help them climb the charts. In my mind, that is probably the most crucial component of online marketing… empowering your fans to contribute to your success without having to spend money. The two banners below were taken from their myspace.
I highly recommend checking their official site, you’ll be able to get a copy of their EP for free and download their music video for your iPod. Nowadays, it’s all about viral marketing (giving people something to share). I give this band 2 thumbs up… way up and I’m proud to say I once taught their drummer Jake a thing or two about banging drums 
Watch this clip which includes an interview in their mini van… the van with a trailer touring across the country with 4 die hard rockers pursuing their dream. I have the utmost faith they will reach their goal.
For more about The Artist Life or to find out where they’ll be next, visit http://www.theartistlife.com
