We've written a few times about the band Pomplamoose, who has become something of an internet sensation, but the bigger part to us (not surprisingly) was the fact that they had turned their success (mainly on YouTube) into a sustainable business model as well. Hypebot points us to a fun video interview with Jack Conte and Natalie Dawn, who make up the band, going into a bit more detail and noting that their goal is to have a sustainable business for as long as possible while making music they love without others telling them what they "have" to do:
It's difficult to think of a better, more succinct summary of what's so great about what technology allows in the music industry today. The old gatekeepers are no longer gatekeepers, and the real opportunity is in the platforms that enable others to avoid the gatekeepers, who would have kept them out in the past. Pomplamoose is a perfect example of this... even if they admit in the video that they have no hardline internet connection where they live and do all of their internet work with a 3G wireless setup (though, I do wonder how they get around the typical 5gig/month limits on most 3G connections).
A few months ago, we wrote about the band Pomplamoose for its unique way of making a living by selling its music digitally. The musical duo playfully connected with fans, sold homemade soap, and even encouraged listeners to give goats to charity. More recently, the band has gained more attention and was accepted into YouTube's Musicians Wanted program where YouTube offers a 50/50 ad revenue split with independent artists who use Google's video platform. Pomplamoose fan Joseph Johnson also points us to an interview with the band in which they describe their creative process and talk a bit about how they manage without the backing of a major label:
Ms. DAWN: I mean, if you can't just do it all yourself, then you do need help. If, for example, you're somebody who writes songs, like Lady Gaga, and you need everything, you know, that's going to make you Lady Gaga, then you need a big, fat label. But if you're just a band, I don't think we're in an era anymore where you need that sort of major backing.
Pomplamoose admits that the band doesn't cash $10 million royalty checks for its music, but that its two singers make a modest living doing what they enjoy doing. They don't play in clubs too much and haven't gone on tour because it's a lot of work for them to set up live shows. Actually, given the way they record their music videos, they don't really know how to play their own songs in a "normal" linear way without editing and remixing. And interestingly, they seem to be making enough to pay for the mechanical rights for the songs they cover.
Mr. CONTE: ... we make sure that we have all our ducks in a row. We bought mechanical licenses to all of our covers before we put them on iTunes. So it's all legit and legal.
So despite criticism that says bands like OK Go have failed and can't make it without a label, the reality is that more bands are able to create more music -- and are getting paid in a variety of different ways. Selling plastic disks isn't the only way to make a living. Touring isn't the only way to make a living. Selling T-shirts isn't the only way to make a living. And Google ads certainly aren't going to save every struggling indie band, either. In fact, there is no silver bullet for how a band can support itself. Simply put, the barrier to become a famous band has dropped considerably, but that doesn't guarantee success -- however, it makes it a lot easier for a much broader array of musicians to try to become professionals doing what they enjoy.
A month or so ago, a friend started sending me the Pomplamoose videos on YouTube, and now I keep seeing them. It's basically two people -- Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte -- covering famous songs by playing and singing all the parts themselves, and them cutting them together into very well done videos that, in some cases, have millions of views. Quentin Hartman writes in to let us know of a WSJ blog post about the band, noting that despite having been contacted by a bunch of major labels, they're leaning towards staying independent, noting that "We're making a living off our album sales and we don't even have a physical CD." And, yes, this is even though you can watch all the band's music for free, such as their covers of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" or Michael Jackson's "Beat It:
Now, of course, there will be some who will insist that there is nothing creative in covering someone else's songs, and those folks will never be convinced that this is incredibly creative, but for the rest of us, why not enjoy some incredibly creative song making -- and the artists who are making a living even without going down the path of having to deal with fictional royalty statements from a major label.
