CRITICAL MASS HYSTERIA! (1978-)

(PRE-BLOG DISCLAIMER: Although I’ve been in a rock band for ten years, I think that there are truisms in life that exist whether you’re playing guitar for a living, building houses, day trading on Wall Street, or shuckin’ corn. You people are pragmatists, you’re bright and insightful. On this blog, words like “artist” and “stage” have greater meaning than they might seem. Your life, indeed, is your stage. I trust you to find the over-arching analogous themes. High-five.)

If you haven’t been able to tell, the business of music fascinates me. Or, maybe it’s not quite the business, but the psychology of it all, the science of people’s valuing of art in the modern age. It’s my continued, interesting fortune to observe (with intrigue) the schematics of it all from the inside out. 

In my trade, a prevalent and longstanding misnomer has floated around for quite some time. It’s this silly idea that the world needs more “professional” musical artists, with their rough, untrained edges smoothed away to create potential for mass palatability. And by saying “professional”, I don’t mean those who make a living doing music. After all, that’s what I do. I’m talking about talented kids who are rapidly groomed for broad commercial appeal, and not nurtured creatively… think American Idol. They’re told what to sing, wear, do and say by these people who are 20 years older than they are, who are weird and who wear tee-shirts that are too damn tight.

So you’ve got these variety show judges, as well as managers, producers, agents, labels, lawyers, coaches — basically every Tom, Dick, and Harry — weighing in on burgeoning and willing artists’ direction in all areas, creative or otherwise. And for the exciting, rare opportunity to be seen and heard on a global level, many acts will forfeit significant control of some of their most basic creative convictions. Life could get very interesting very quickly for a young, willing, and certainly starving singer (or band) with support from powerful people who could ramrod the said singer into the general public’s consciousness via radio, TV, touring, web, and media. So, artists relinquish control, and brokers spend the dollars.

Can you think of a more sterile breeding ground for true artistry? 

Ultimately, many of these heavily-molded acts have a renaissance of identity after beginning to feel like their life and work just isn’t of their own design. They’ll eventually want to be taken seriously after years of being told what to do by people behind the scenes. They’ll want to write their own songs, carve their own sound, forge their own style, attitude, and purpose. But by the time they grow a conscience, they’re damaged goods. If they fight too much, they’re expendable (to the business and to the public). Discarded. There will always be some other eager 16-year-old kid willing to jump into those shoes and take the fated ride. 

Fortunately, all this is changing. It’s a wildly liberated time for genuine artists to be making music, and the playing field is being leveled for anyone who is as industrious as they are talented. Contrary to the beliefs of some, I don’t think that simply having a quiver full of cool songs, being sexy, or having a great voice is enough. If you wanna live on your own terms artistically, you’ve got to tastefully and aggressively hustle. Spread the word, be available to your supporters, create the best work that you’re humanly capable of, and dictate your own parameters for success (which might not include arena tours, mountains of blow, multi-platinum records, and private 747’s). Let your ambition lie in reaching into people’s hearts. Be grateful for every triumph. Don’t be lazy or phone anything in. Ever.              

Past the obvious need for raw talent and ambition, I believe that the only thing worth caring about are an artists’ distinctives; that is to say that the “rough edges” should be regarded as primary virtues, then embraced and honored. You don’t try to be unique… you just are by way of being sincere. And don’t over-simplify this assessment; I mean, if a singer needs a decent pair of jeans to wear, he should get some. But imagine Jimi without feedback, Kurt with a filter, Dylan as a diplomat, or Morrison being PC. It would all really just suck. And you can bet your Yankee dollar that somewhere down the line, all those artists were told to “tone it down a little” by a music business svengali who had hopes of selling records to both misguided teenagers and middle-aged housewives, by making the act try to be all things to all people. 

What you create is destined for relationship with a finite number of people. People have tastes. They have perspectives. And in the subjective medium of artistic expression, they have final say as to what becomes a part of their daily lives. But if people find you, what is likely to keep them coming back is your honesty and your commitment to offering them something real and excellent. People respond to authenticity. And if you find artists (of any kind) that inspire you, support them. Being an indifferent observer of art is tantamount to saying that it just isn’t important enough to you to participate in its perpetual creation. That doesn’t mean you should quit trading files. It just means that if you love an artist, help them do what they do. Get to the show, buy the shirt, be an interactive part of the creative process by way of under-girding it. It’s a reciprocal transaction, and the prime currency is mutual respect and appreciation. I am fortunate to have felt that reciprocation from many of you, and I am eternally grateful to you wonderful souls for such steadfast support and camaraderie. 

HOME STRETCH: It’s getting harder to believe in music. Talking heads are going on about branding and cross-pollination, tanking business trends, multi-platform content integration and blabbity-bleebity-blah. But normal people like you and I actually do have functioning, innate bullsh*t detectors. And after we’ve seen Jessica Simpson try to sell us music, movies, perfume, shoes, gum, lickable body foam, and pizza, we start to say, “Uh, yeah. We’re done with you.” Why? Because it so obviously reeks of Jessica’s relentless pursuit of money and branding that it just can’t be pure anymore. It feels gross. So is it any wonder that people abandon their loyalties to pop stars so quickly? So, as Jay-Z says, “On to the next one.” But there are good guys out there, great bands and fantastic acts (including some hugely successful ones) that kick ass and are saying timely and necessary things, being governed by their artistic convictions all the while. 

I rarely give advice. But if asked (or if I’ve got jurisdiction, like on this blog, for example), I’ll most certainly tell someone how I feel. And I very much feel that instinct and conscience are inside us for undeniable reasons. They’re our compass, meant to guide us. I mean, a talkin’ cricket knows that much. And philosophically, I’m a capitalist by nature. I don’t begrudge people riches or notoriety. But money and fame should always be a byproduct. If they’re your priority, your foundations will be corrupt, and then it’s a one-way train to… well, somewhere not so good.

I’m proud that The Elms’ steps were ordered by its convictions. And FYI, in ten years of making music, I’ve never felt entitled to success. All I’ve ever hoped for is the opportunity to communicate, connect, and prove myself. Every night that our band walked out on stage, nearly 1000 times, we played as if we were fighting for our lives. Our philosophy was to try and win everyone over, every time, even if they were already in the camp.

What are your distinctives? Know them. Defend them. Don’t be charmed by the allures of immediate gratification, they’re shifting sands. Do things right, and do them humbly and righteously. Listen to your heart. Don’t quit, don’t sell out. Nothing worth doing is easy.

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