Money makes the world go around. The world go around. The world go around. Money makes the world go around. It makes the world go 'round.

 I've modified this post from this Twitter thread.

Happy Bandcamp Friday! It's the one day of the month where artists on Bandcamp make 100% of the money they earn and Bandcamp waives their fees. Here is my link: https://lebasfondmusic.bandcamp.com/

What artists earn today and on other Bandcamp Fridays through Bandcamp with far surpass anything that we make via streaming.

I also wanna use this moment to talk about the music industry as a whole.

I recently broke down and paid to be on a curated Spotify playlist  run through a 3rd party. This it totally legal, and I love that they decided I was good enough to be on these, but part of me is still sad that this not happen organically. Because it's not designed to. 

Many, many other people have talked about the ills of streaming, so I won't tread on that too much, but it hurts to have this huge catalog and to have worked so hard your entire life, PERIOD, and only now, because you paid to get on a playlist, are seeing some degree of "success."

I have been working in the music business, in many, many aspects, for over 10 years now. Financial limitations have always held me back from going farther--not being able to tour, not being able to just do music all day.  It's not that my music isn't good (although, YMMV). And, yes, I confess part of what has held me back is my fear of success, the fear of being "famous," the fear of complete strangers rummaging through my life, picking my life apart--"is she REALLY Native?" "did her father REALLY do that to her?" or  disgusting, disproven lies that were told about me long ago to come back up again because these people are getting enough attention--etc. etc. etc. I would be lying if I didn't say that it was both of these aspects, but the self-sabotage aside, the financial aspects have held me back more than anything. 

I know when I first started in 2011, I think my friends were excited because they thought I was going to become "famous" right away, and now, because I am "not," they treat my music as a joke, or ask me things like "what would have happened if you became a recording artist?" ---like my whole online catalog doesn't exist?! Fuck you, too, I GUESS!

This is not to say that your faves are not talented (though mileage may vary, of course), but they are where they are because they paid to be there. No one wants to have this conversation, but this 1000% true. They (or their people) pay to be there. You have to pay to get on playlists. You pay for the marketing. You actually knock smaller artists out of the algorithms, literally pay to suppress other artists.

This myth that they "work harder than everyone else," have "such a good worth ethnic" is just patently false.  I am sure on some level (or even in their minds alone) they "work hard." It doesn't hurt, of course, that they came from wealth or that their parents bought their shares early on. Nor does it help that they pay people to do it for them. They have the output that they do, because they can just throw money at people and albums magically appear. In fact, most people don't do their own work. But you look at the liner notes and see who does most of the work. 

Side Bar: I notice that artists who do the least amount of their own work also act like they are the ARTISTES of the generation and impervious mavericks, but I digress.   

lAnd, I get it, I do almost everything myself, and it's not for everyone. I am imperfect at what I do, and it's hard work.

And, I get it, I am sure stans of these people will just read this and see me as some jealous and Bitter Betty, and that's fine. I mean, you want to rabidly defend someone to the death who doesn't give a fucking shit that you exist, shine the fuck on, crazy diamond, I guess! But I am not "bitter" or "jealous," that's not what this is rooted in. I earned everything I have, no one bought it for me, to start with. I don't have anything against mainstream pop music, either. I am not one of those artists who thinks that my lyrics are better than mainstream pop music (whatever the fuck that even means, anyway). (Side Bar: I notice that a lot of people who bemoan the status of mainstream pop lyrics, implying that they are some brilliant poet Laurette or some shit, are always literally the most banal, reductive, and cliché lyricists on the planet? Anyone else notice this? Is it just me?)

I hate that poverty has robbed us of so much good art. I hate that the ones who get heard, and get rich, were the people who were rich to begin with. I hate that once a month I have to beg people to buy my music. I hate that I have to constantly put out music for either Bandcamp Fridays or to fight the algorithms. It is so hard to work so very hard and to get so very little out of it, especially when you do it all yourself.

I have been recently trying to make some career and paradigm shifts, and feeling anxious about them, because, as we all know, women have expiration dates, and this idea that if you don't "make it" because your parents didn't pay for a placement in something when you were 16 that you "never will."

Like I know in opera you're still considered a baby until you're like 45 / I still look 12, but one grey hair and turning 35 this year really put things in perspective--I've spent my entire life waiting to live my life, and now it's "over." Because, let's face it, no one wants an "old" pop star, ---even if there are other singers who are my age, and have been making music around the same amount of time as me, they just had the major label money. 

Anyway, Happy Bandcamp Friday!