Openback: Recent Episodes
Openback
So, you’re a Musician?
You’ve got no idea what to do next?
Welcome to the club!
OpenBack is the weekly podcast where Will and Tristan discuss surviving the music industry. Covering the perils, the joys, networking and how to ration a packet of pasta for a month when the wedding show you played never pays up.
No one really knows the answers so let’s break down this abstract world together, and hopefully, next time you're asked at a family party, “so what job are you aiming to get from all this,” you can politely tell them to get lost.
We first met Sam Coveney at the Pioneer Club in St Albans when we interviewed some fantastic bands as part of our 'Soundchecks' mini Series. One such band was InTechnicolour, a band in which Sam plays drums. Within that conversation it became very apparent that Sam had managed to achieve something so many young producers and musicians dream of; building and running his own studio business. Along with a small collection of talented musicians, Sam founded Small Pond Studios in Brighton, which is the setting for this episode. Small Pond is an awesome set-up in the centre of Brighton, one of the UK's more vibrant and creative cities. Home to a beautiful studio alongside 6 gorgeous recently revamped rehearsal spaces with, honestly, some of the best equipment we have ever seen in a rehearsal space for hire. Better still it's a super vibey and friendly environment which wears its DIY beginnings on its sleeve with pride. As incredible as this is, we are more interested in how Sam got to where he is now and what else he wants to create going forward. Sam has truly carved out a career in the music industry, not only as a wicked producer but also writing, performing and touring as a musician and live sound engineer. It's abundantly clear that his success stems from hard work and an ethic to continue pursuing his passion with a desire to learn as much as possible along the way. Learn more:- Sams Website- Sams Instagram- Small Pond Instagram- About Small Pond Studios- Small Pond Home- InTechnicolour - Sams Band
So I (Will) have released my debut single - Duplicity - under the artist/project name STALVIA!In this episode, we go through the release process and how it got to this point. Tristan came equipped with a load of questions to help break down the journey and explore the highs and lows of the process. We also talk through the potential value of doing something like this as an instrumentalist and why it's been a worthwhile learning experience. Furthermore, Tristan gives us a peek into his own ambitious musical project, with a heavy emphasis on collaboration. It's a very different venture but definitely one to be excited about. Maybe more music coming soon!
This episode is really heavy...
Kaspar 'Berry' Rapkin, Blues artist from the UK joins us once more, this time to talk through his most recent visit to New Orleans, the hub and home of Blues music. We discuss his amazing experience and the profound lessons and teachings he has brought back.
Blues music comes from hardship and the most awful circumstances, but it is a part of history we must not forget.
To find out more about Kaspar and KBR Blues you can check out our 2022 episode all about him and his music here - EP11. Kaspar Berry Rapkin: Blues Music is Folk Music
KBR Instagram<
Do you ever sit down to practice or write a song and feel so unconfident in your ability that you give up? Or maybe the relentless writer's block beats you down to the point of calling it a day. Yeah, us too!!
If studying music taught us anything, it was that everyone struggles with the motivation to keep practising sometimes. It's hard, as you get better, so does everyone else around you, it can feel like a constant game of catch-up.
In this episode, we chat through some of the many experiences and approaches we've had to tackle this horrible feeling. So if this is something you suffer from, as we do, maybe we can give you some tips and tricks to work through this process.
Having spoken to many people about finishing university, one thing is clear; Most people aren't where they expected to be. Be this financial, employment-wise, or where they are living, everyone has things going on they didn't expect.
In this episode we take a look at the top things in our lives we didn't expect and are maybe struggling with or at least trying to work out. Simply deciding what kind of job to get is a real dilemma. Do you go for something fun, casual, relevant, high paying, good for the CV or just whatever you get first? Then, how long do you stay in that job, and when is the right time to move?
comparison to others also seems to be a theme throughout all graduates, looking at what others have achieved to try and find a path to our own success.
In this episode, I sit down with Zac, the lead singer of the band El Moono, to talk about their experience navigating the music industry as a business and utilizing social media to grow their fanbase. We delve into the challenges they have faced as an independent band, including the struggles of booking gigs, promoting their music, and managing finances. Zac shares his insights on the importance of treating music as a business going forward, and how the band has found success through building genuine and authentic relationships with fans on social media. We also discuss the turning point where the music you are creating becomes the kind of music you yourself would listen to and the pride associated with that change in perspective.
From day one as a musician, many of us take enjoyment from playing with others. Collaboration in some ways is the heart of our industry, by constantly utilising others' specialisms and skills to bounce ideas around and create unique work. In our recent episodes, Live from the Pioneer Club, Will spoke to a range of musicians and the theme of collaboration seemed to be on everyone's mind.
Openback Soundchecks have been a massive success and we are so glad you've all been enjoying the video format. (Promise we will do more!) but what exactly is Soundchecks, and what's the idea behind it...
Welcome to the second instalment of Openback Soundchecks; the miniseries where we take our own advice by going to gigs and networking with musicians and other industry professionals.In this episode, we chat with Ernie from the band, Bison Face. Bison Face in its current setup, is Ernie's project, he writes, records and organises the whole operation. Often pulling in other musicians to flesh out his live shows Ernie is working hard to grow his music career. Is seeing your musical project as a business a good thing, lets discuss!
Soundchecks is our new mini-series!! Over and over again we have said that networking is the name of the game. So, where better to find a bunch of musicians and industry professionals than at a gig? So after our industry guest episode with Alex Eales, promoter and manager at The Pioneer Club he invited us down to do some interviews with an incredible lineup of bands during their soundcheck. This is episode no.1 with Toby and Sam from the amazing band InTechnicolour. Unfortuatly Tristan couldnt make it to this one so I was left to hold the fort on my own!
After the success of our podcast episode with Matt Kersey of Kersey Guitars, we thought we would take the time to backtrack and discuss what we learnt. Something which stood out to us was how so much of what Matt described could be applied to songwriting and other disciplines within the music industry. The idea of starting the creative process by designing something ugly, fascinated us. Furthermore, as a business owner, Matt has gone through the motions of starting something from scratch and he introduced us to some steps in this process, we haven't considered before. Also, his awareness of 'burnout' and mental health is something we were keen to discuss in more detail.
A couple of weeks ago we chatted with Luke Hinton about the grassroots live music industry. A couple of the topics we discussed got us thinking; Is the live music industry model broken? If so many small venues are shutting down, surely there is something fundamentally wrong.
So this week we go into this, imagining what it would be like if we owned our own small Pub music venue business, and how we might run it to make it successful.
The music industry has many moving parts and building a bussiness in this space is brave and ultimatly incredibly impressive when it is sucseeding. Matt Kersey is a Luthier - building and repairing guitars and other fretted instrements. In this episode we talk through his journey, turning a hobby into a profitable and sustainable bussiness.
One thing which really stuck out to us what Matt's phenominal aweareness of his own limits and setting healthy work habits to ensure a sustainable bussiness. Working through the stress of setting up a brand so recently, Matt has a clear perspective on this journey and shares some invaluble advice on doing this in a forfilling and positive way.
Links.
Kersey Guitars
Matt's Instagram
Matt's Facebook
Kersey Guitars Youtube
Local music venues are shutting down nationwide at a SHOCKING rate. 2 Every week...This week we are joined by award-winning promoter Luke Hinton. Luke has been in the independent promotions business for over 15 years, working tirelessly to support the foundation of our industry. A foundation which has taken the ultimate beating over the last few years, and doesn't seem to be getting back up. Covid, the energy crisis, the rising cost of living; a constant barrage of hurdles for an already financially struggling sector. "Unsigned bands are crap" that's the consensus from Radio X DJ Chris Moyles. So what can YOU do to help rebuild and save the very bedrock of the music industry? Luke has a few ideas you've probably never considered before.
We all have that one friend who's always sending us videos, buying new gear, and chatting away about some new technology. But, does that stuff actually have the potential to make for better musicians?
This week we discuss the concept that all these things either might make people more or less creative.
Click HERE for more
What if, like Will, you have a bunch of music written and ready to release and now have to decide what order to release everything? Something has to go first, what are the most important factors in deciding which track is going to be the first one you show the world? Even if you release an album or EP, one song has to be the grand opener. Now, of course, this is going to be different for each person and each genre of music. But there are a plethora of factors to take into account, from song length to complexity, it's about honing in on what your music needs to say from the word GO! We discuss Will's upcoming release and some of the final, yet impossible decisions which have to be made before anything can actually find its way onto the big stage - streaming platforms!
Live show tickets are still available 🕺🏼 - Click here - We will be joined by Luke Hinton, an award-winning promoter, and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts on whatever we end up discussing or you'd like us to discuss.
Releasing music is, in many ways a complicated process, with lots of variables and factors to consider both generally and more specifically for your unique release and expectations. Having both released music with various projects we feel we maybe have an 'essentials checklist' we can share with you all. From artwork to distribution, there are so many things to consider when putting your music out into the world, so hopefully, we can help make this process more efficient and less confusing.
If there's anything you think we've missed! Let us know either via the Spotify comments or on our Instagram!
Live show tickets are still available 🕺🏼 - Click here - We will be joined by Luke Hinton, an award-winning promoter, and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts on whatever we end up discussing or you'd like us to discuss. Last week Tristan made a claim: Bands are either perfect backing track style performances or they're more improvisation-based and impromptu, anything in-between is crap. - Maybe that's a binary summarisation but nonetheless, that's the gist. So this week we explore that idea, playing devil's advocate at every turn. Maybe there's a formula for it, or maybe there's not. It really is impossible to know what the right thing to do is, so join us on our ongoing journey, working out how to Make it in Music. Enjoy the episode, Love Y'all xoxo
A slightly different episode this week! But! before we get into that, if you haven't already, you should totally get tickets to our Live show 'Openback Live' it's going to be brilliant. Plus, we were really nervous about it, so the more of you that are there, the more our egos should kick in and get us through it! Love y'all!
So our top tips for gigging; this was originally supposed to be top 10 but it got confusing and you'll see why so stick with us! Each loaded with 5 of our best tips and tricks for gig day we launch into a discussion around these practices and why they do or don't work for each of us. Don't worry we haven't included cliche crap like going to the toilet, having water, and making sure you've practised, if you're not doing all those things you're a psychopath.
We really enjoyed this format of episode, so if you did as well let us know and maybe we can do more, especially if you have any topic suggestions!
Still tickets available for the live show, Openback Live, on 22nd Feb!
"It's not what you know it's who you know" is something that as creatives we hear all the time. It's the go-to piece of advice, which ironically doesn't really help unless you know some of these miracle people. Advice on HOW to network would be far more useful. This week we delve into this idea and end up arguing over the smallest elements of this process. However, I truly believe that when it comes to networking it's these really small details that can make all the difference.
We sort of touched on this in the last episode and Tristan thought it would be worth going a bit more in-depth. What's the best way to network at a gig?
Tickets to the Live show - Click here!!
We have some exciting news. WE'RE DOING A LIVE SHOW!!
Tickets are available now! Click here!
Our conversations with other people have started to really alter our mindsets and understanding of the industry you and we are working within. I suppose the overarching theme of this episode is whether you should treat your passion, your music, as a business. Does looking at everything you do from the perspective of a businessman/businesswoman increase your chance of success or does it reduce your innovation and creativity?
From our previous chats to a very weird band interview Will had just before Christmas we explore this idea of business or passion in search of the answer! You may be thinking there's a dream combination and collaboration between those two things, but can they really work side by side, and if so what's the balance?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Now this is a fast paced episode! Alot has happened and we had alot to cover but its a good one!
We're diving into the exciting world of artificial intelegence and its potential involvement in music and how it's already changing the way we create, produce, and experience music.
We also look back on our msot recent convosation with Jazz Guitarist Tom Ford and consider some of his aproaches to the industry. Paticualry his inovative apraoch to progression and pushing ones self to do the next thing. "stop saying when im ready" is soemthing we have repeated over and over, but we know its not always that easy. Well, we think Tom gave us the golden soloution so now were going to dig a little deeper between ourselfs.
Have a great year and thank you so much for supporting us! Bring on 2023!
Welcome to our sit down with Tom Ford; Jazz guitarist, songwriter and producer. Amazingly this episode is recorded on a boat! As you can imagine, this was a novelty we were incredibly excited about!
Tom has built himself a fascinating portfolio career in music. His vast expanse of musical experience is suspended above his love of jazz and all things theory. With a career consisting of everything from playing in a line-dancing band to writing, recording and releasing his own experimental Jazz music, Tom has a lot of knowledge and wisdom to offer us all.
We learnt so much in this conversation and were defiantly introduced to some new ideas and perspectives. Something that really stood out to us was the importance of building strong "Creative relationships". In many ways this harks back to our conversation with Promoter Alex Eales regarding building a sense of community, but this time on a much more one-to-one basis. We discuss how the relationships away from music can inform how we function in a collaborative musical environment.
On top of all this Tom’s unique approach and attitude to social media is one which serves the importance of authenticity. This is something which has become increasingly prominent in many of our conversations so far.
We hope you enjoy the episode
We just had to record more episodes reviewing some of the amazing content from our recent industry guests. In this episode, we take a more in-depth look at the role of a promoter and how many moving parts there are to putting on a gig. Partly sparked by a terrible live sound experience for Tristan this conversation looks into respect within the music industry and the treatment of others even when there's a persona at play. The arrogant persona is one the music industry is well accustomed to. However, it has its place and shouldn't be used as an excuse for treating those around you poorly...or should it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
3 Industry guests in a row! So is it any surprise we need to sit down and discuss everything we've learnt? The Interviews have been amazing but now it's time to play devil's advocate. This week we take a deep dive into some of the themes and concepts brought to us by Kaspar 'Berry' Rapkin, Russell Lissack and Alex Eales, and God there is a lot to get through. Spoiler, We're going to need to do another one (or more) of these episodes because there's just so much. This however is where we desperately want to open the convocation up to you! Our listeners, so if you have any thoughts or think we've missed anything, speak up in the comments bellow.
The Pioneer Club is a venue with a rollercoaster history hosting bands including Motor Head, BMTH, Trash Boat and Enter Shikari. However, Alex Eales, alongside the amazing team at the Pioneer Club, is now responsible for the post-pandemic rebirth of this iconic music venue, and boy is he making moves!
The energy and passion that Alex puts into his work as a promoter and events manager is genuinely inspiring. Alex's endless effort and commitment allows them to book incredible bands and organise amazing nights as well as enable them to see the industry at its best; when people are working together for a common cause. This episode is truly a goldmine of knowledge and experience as well as documenting some incredible stories and behind-the-scenes trivia.
If anything is clear to us after speaking to Alex, it is that being a kind and honest person is a key factor in perpetuating one's self in this industry.
Links
The Pioneer Club
Alex Eales Instagram
Alex Eales Spotify
We are beyond excited to bring you this extraordinary episode of Openback featuring guitarist and songwriter Russell Lissack. Best known for his band Bloc Party, Russell has been through it all, building it up bloc by bloc, from empty pub gigs to multiple world stadium tours and Glastonbury!
Join us as we talk to Russell about his amazing career in the music industry. His unique perspective on the way the industry has changed and adapted over the last two decades is eye-opening and quite frankly, it’s the knowledge we all need to hear. To recognise that the methods and approaches of 20 years ago simply don't work in the same way anymore, allows us to explore potential new approaches to growing a band and one's footprint in the music industry.
Russell's focus on collaboration within music and the creative process is truly inspiring. I speak from experience when I say that too many of us young musicians are happy to lock ourselves in a room and practice, compose and perform alone. This emphasis on collaboration is something he is not only able to see but he is able to explain in such an articulate way. For people like us, at the very start of our industry journeys, this talk has the potential to change our trajectory for the better.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/openback/support
So, I suppose this is kind of a mini bonus episode, but we have some serious tips and tricks in this one! After we recorded Ep11 with Kaspar Berry Rapkin, we started chatting about his recent tour, so we had to turn the mics back on and capture this for y'all. In august 2022 Kaspar & The Swamp Dogs (Kaspar's 3peice traditional blues band) went on their first tour and achieved the unthinkable. They made money... something that we have boldly said is impossible on a first tour. So in this episode, Kaspar tells us how wrong we were and presents his step-by-step guide to making money on your first tour! We've had our whole perception of small-scale touring blown and we're certain you will too after listening to this episode. So please join us in this ridiculous 14 minutes of discovery and turn your next tour into a profitable one.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/openback/support
This week we are joined by blues guitarist, songwriter and promoter Kaspar Berry Rapkin. From recording in New Orleans to events manager at the oldest pub in the UK, Kaspar has some of the broadest experiences of anyone our age. His genuine love and care for one of the most niche genres going - Delta Blues, is truly inspiring.
The Respect and understanding surrounding the history of Blues is at the heart of what Kaspar does and in this conversation he shares this with us.
As well as regularly gigging his own solo set, he can also be found in a band setting with Kaspar and the Swamp Dogs as well as Vipera two bands with very different approaches to Blues.
Kaspar is working tirelessly to try and get his YouTube to 1000 subscribers so please, if you listening, go and subscribe to his channel and let's all do our bit to bring Delta Blues into the spotlight:
Useful Links
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KBRBLUES.com
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Youtube
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Instagram @kbrblues
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Kaspar and the Swamp Dogs
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Vipera
Episode 10!! Crazy to think that you're still here listening to us talk about ourselves and music, Thank you!!
In this episode, we backtrack slightly and discuss something Grace George said in Ep4. This convocation ultimately leads us to the idea of theory as the killer of creativity. Yes, its an age old convosation, but one that is relevant as ever!
Our first episode from our new home studio! "Studio" is a strong word, it's a room with a desk and a couple of mics in it, but it's ours! We explore one of the biggest mysteries in music...Copyright. This perplexing world has us questioning our own songwriting methods and discussing how far is too far when it comes to taking inspiration from other musicians. As the discussion turns to how we use others' music to influence our own, we chat through our personal methods of adaptation within the creative process: what changes can you make to stop your song from sounding like another?
In this episode we go back to the beginning; the how and why we ended up in this crazy industry. We delve deeper into whether we made the right choices for us and what other options were out there along the way.
I suppose we will never know what could have happened had we taken other paths, but we definitely wouldn't be doing this podcast so no complaints there!
Hey, can we ask a quick favour?! It would be fantastic if you could drop us a 5-star rating to help others find our little podcast. Thanks, everyone, Luv ya!
The seasons are changing and so is the musical landscape in which we are trying to thrive. Moving away from the summer festivals we discuss pre-Christmas plans, release schedules and why now is the best time to start a band. Also, a guilty admission leads to a deep dive into comparison, resentment of other musicians and competitiveness as a tool or a curse.
Hey, can we ask a quick favour?! It would be amazing if you could drop us a 5-star rating to help others find our little podcast. Thanks, everyone, Luv ya!
We are not psychologists, but we are musicians and we are people.
Article - Musicians and Mental Health: What is Being Done to Help
Where to get help: Music Mind Matter Music Support
Anything and everything said in this episode is only our observations within our industry experience so far. We strongly believe that having these conversations in an honest and open way is yet another step towards helping those struggling with mental health.
Our first Industry Guest!
Grace George is not only a phenomenal singer and songwriter but is also a longtime friend. Known for her incredible intimate acoustic covers, Grace has found huge success in streaming- recently achieving over 10 million streams on Spotify alone.
Despite this unbelievable statistic, what struck us both was Grace's deep love for playing small venues, pubs and weddings. Travelling around the world to make one couple's wedding day in a truly unforgettable experience.
In this episode, we discuss Grace's career so far, and what's next and she shares her incredible songwriting tips and tricks.
We dive deep into branding and merchandising, exploring the good the bad and the ugly to try and come to a conclusion about how to make your merch stand out. Whether you're a solo artist or 10-piece ska band, merch is one of the primary income streams for the modern-day musician. Not only as a commodity but as a dynamic form of marketing and expression. What could be better than a t-shirt...
Never having a day off is something many musicians relate with. In this episode we explore work-life balance and how creativity is affected by this relentless lifestyle. Despite this we seem to create more work for our selfs with a business concept sure to make us millions...I hope...
In this episode, we discuss performance anxiety and the reality of making money through playing weddings; exploring the pros and cons of having a part in these special days.
Our first podcast episode! We introduce ourselves, and our progress so far in the music industry. We delve into the world of festivals and the networking doors closed or opened by recreational drug consumption.