KNOW WHEN TO FOLD 'EM
Aug 1, 2005 12:00 PM, The Remix Editors, Robert Hanson Erin Hutton Kylee Swenson
Anyone who has ever been in a band or any long-running music project can tell you that the experience is very much akin to a marriage. The similarities between the two institutions are amazing: It seems to be just as easy for any two drunken lovebirds to get hitched in Las Vegas as is it to rent a rehearsal space and press a few thousand CDs. And just like married couples might stick it out for the good of the kids, countless projects drag on in the hope that the next performance, the next record or that next batch of demos is either going to get the ball rolling or reignite the success of the past. Although the national divorce rate may by hovering at about 50 percent, the implosion rate for bands is almost a perfect score.
Think about it: It's easier than ever to get a music project going these days. Everybody pretty much has the ability to record, press and distribute a record of some sort. You can pretty much throw a rock anywhere and hit someone with a digital camera, passable HTML skills and some free time to build a Website. Then, you have online outlets such as Friendster, Myspace, Tribe.net and Craigslist as well as countless other ways to get your music out to the world. And if you're relentless, even the most abrasive, unlistenable band on the planet can score some gigs. It's become extremely easy to put all of the machinery into place, but none of it guarantees that people are going to take notice. In fact, with so may tools available to anyone with a computer and a song and in his or her head, getting noticed is becoming increasingly more difficult — and, no, the counter on your Myspace page does not count.
If your ambitions are satisfied with the simple act of doing what you love, then you have nothing to worry about. But if you're serious about pursuing music as any kind of career, you will invariably hit a crossroads at which you will have to decide to either soldier on or cash in your chips and look for something else. And there are stories of successful artists that play to both of these extremes, whether your act is just starting out or still working it after many years together. Take, for instance, one of the acts we interview this month, Bloc Party: The band has only been together for a scant two years, and it already has a number of releases and international tours under its belt. On the flip side, cover artist Public Enemy is officially pushing things past the 20-year mark with the release of three separate albums.
It's anyone's guess how well any musical endeavor will fare in the long run. And, unfortunately, there are no perfect formulas for getting a project off the ground or keeping it going once you have. But if you have absolutely hit the wall, hitting the reset button and starting again is sometimes not the worst idea. Good luck.
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