21st Century Music by the Seat of the Pants

Posted on by

Now that’s how it should work!

A few years ago at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I came across a group of American folk singers who were performing "Woody Sez," a biography of Woody Guthrie. They were back this year again – which I found it as they bounced up to me at the Underbelly Press Launch – but I digress. Last week before I flew to Vegas, I spotted that the troop, performing as The Seat of the Pants Band, had a second live album available, titled "Fly By”.

Perfect, that’s what I need for the flight over. There was no digital version available, and while CD’s are nice, I knew that ordering a CD would be an exercise in shipping a bit of plastic over the Atlantic for me to rip and put on the MP3 player… and then fly back across the Atlantic! So I sent a quick email to Helen, asking if they could sort out an MP3 version. One paypal transaction later and all was well with the world.

Woody Sez / The Seat of the Pants Band

Notice how at no point was a record company involved. Notice how at no point was a bricks and mortar distribution chain needed. The biggest problem of the 21st century is still obscurity (cf Cory). But the band captured me as a fan in 2007, and I talked about them then. They re-engaged me next time they were in town. Which resulted in coverage not just on the Fringe podcast, but also an appearance on TPN Rock… promoting them even more. And now they have another nudge her for great customer service to a passionate fan.

Will I buy another CD? Just as soon as they finish recording one, I’ll be there. I think it’s fair to say that I’d be one of their 1000 True Fans. So your band may not get to play the gigs at Wembley or Madison Square Gardens, but the Internet lets you find fans around the world, and as long as you keep them happy, you have a living.

Of course there are other routes (such as putting on a Woody Guthrie show!) but it’s a path and achievable goal for pretty much any band out there who are online and want to make a living. That’s the power of the internet, customer service, and entertainment all rolled into one.