Wendy Fonarow: “Ask The Indie Professor”

Mid-July, the Guardian debuted a column by Cultural Anthropologist and author Wendy Fonarow titled "Ask The Indie Professor." Some may recall Fonarow's book Empire of Dirt: The Aesthetics and Rituals of British Indie Music, one which I haven't gotten a chance to go through yet. Thus far, her column has been well worth the read and I've been thinking about approaching Fonarow for an interview. In the meantime, here's a glance at one of her most recent question exchanges:

What kind of living can non-chart-topping indie bands make?

"Currently, this is the issue in the music industry, at least for the professionals who like music. It's the question of economic remuneration for artists and, at present, there is no model. Because of this, I can only answer historically when fans actually paid for music. The answer to what kind of living a non-chart-topping band makes is, they don't make a living. The "big" advance a record company gives an artist is shared between the manager and lawyers, and covers the recording costs of an album. Now, divide what's left between the four or five band members…" Read on.