4 lessons artists must learn from the pandemic

With concerts and festivals poised to return, it’s important that bands and artists not forget the tough lessons taught to them by a year spent in isolation.

Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix

With the return of live music on the horizon, artists need to remember what a year of isolation taught them about art and professionalism.

Life is returning to normal. At least, life is beginning to look a lot like it did before the COVID-19 pandemic brought global economies to their knees and forced everyone to stay away from everyone else. As vaccination rates rise and more data becomes available about the spread of the novel coronavirus, artists and fans alike are looking forward to long-awaited reunions. There are, however, several lessons from the last year that artists should carry with them.

There is no point in working yourself to death. Take breaks.

Whether we’re talking about touring or creative exercises, artists itching to get “back into the swing of things” would be wise to remember the devotion fans showed over the last year. Even without touring, many artists saw their audiences grow through basic marketing techniques. Artists and industry professionals alike learned that it is possible to develop a career without spending 200+ days a year touring or incurring the mental/physical hardships that accompany life on the go.

As you look to book future tours, remember the many ways you kept fans engaged with your music over the last fourteen months. Think about the conversations you had and the memories you made while the so-called “traditional industry” was on a break. You don’t have to fall back into old industry habits to be successful. The last year provided you with the opportunity to find new ways to sustain your career. Stick with them.

Just because you’re ready to tour doesn’t mean your audience will be at the show.

The majority of music fans are excited for live music to return. That said, a good portion of listeners are hesitant about entering venues and being shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of strangers. There is a phenomenon of people suffering a PTSD-like response to the pandemic. They are not ready for crowds, and it may take some time before that changes.

Additionally, many people who enjoy your music do not live where you can tour. These individuals have spent the last year having the same amount of access to you as everyone else, strengthening their connection to your music.

As we head back out into the world, please make it a point to continue engaging with fans who can only connect with you through the internet. You may need to brainstorm ways to maintain that connection, but those efforts will be worthwhile. Your digital audience can be the best ambassadors for your music, or at least the most outspoken. Nurture that relationship without demanding they risk their lives, and they will thank you for it.

Nobody wants to hear your song about COVID.

Many artists spent the last year writing and recording new material. Nobody can blame a musician for being influenced by the surreal state of existence over the last year, but that does not mean that the masses are prepared for COVID-related songs or albums. Much like how many years need to pass before Hollywood produces a movie about a significant historical event, listeners need time to process and recovery from COVID because they’ll have an interest in seeing it dissected through art. We all spent the last year thinking about the pandemic, and many people would like a break. Don’t be the artist that tries to unite us through reflections on something we’re all still experiencing. Instead, find a personal angle to detail your experiences and build your material from there. What happened to YOU in the last year? How did YOUR relationships change? What made the previous year unique for YOU, and what did YOU learn from it?

Livestream concerts are here to stay.

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James Shotwell is the Director of Customer Engagement at Haulix and host of the company’s podcast, Inside Music. He is also a public speaker known for promoting careers in the entertainment industry, as well as an entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. His bylines include Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, Nu Sound, and Under The Gun Review, among other popular outlets.