It’s no secret that the music industry has changed over the course of the past decade. Social media holds a power for artists that insiders could have never predicted during its rise, and with the force of all this technology at the palm of our hands we can access all the music we can possibly desire in the matter of seconds. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Well, for emerging, mid-tier artists, that notion has its good and bad aspects. New documentary, InstaBAND dives into all of that. A film about today’s music artist and their hustle to achieve any form of success while armed with a smartphone and social media, InstaBAND delves deep into our new industry in a time where streams are currency and a small percentage actually buy music.
You’ve probably heard us preach about the importance of supporting your favorite artists, especially if they’re emerging from their “dungeons of obscurity,” but we really can’t stress enough how vital it is to be able to hold a tangible, finished product in your hands and understand how much blood, sweat, and tears went into making it. While streaming is an accessible, and rather easy, way to get all that new music goodness instantly, we think it goes without saying how much more satisfying it is to be able to say that you own an artist’s piece of work, even if you may have to wait a little bit longer to hold it in your hands.
While touring and merchandise sales are now where the money is for most artists, music is still undervalued. With the prevalence of streaming so vital these days, how are emerging artists really faring in such an over-saturated industry? Can they give in to the new norms and post their way to the top? Will they cut through the noise or does the power of their music still hold the key to the path of success? What really is success these days, anyway?
InstaBAND started filming in 2018 across the US in cities such as New York, Nashville, San Diego, Tampa, New Orleans, and Atlanta. The documentary – directed by Emmy-award-winning filmmaker Bob Rose and his wife Margie Rose – follows numerous up-and-coming artists from varying genres such as Phangs, Stealing Oceans, Sam Tinnesz, American Idol-alum Paul McDonald, Ray Wimley, and more as they navigate their careers toward a changing, thriving industry while sharing their fears, hustles, mental health struggles, setbacks, and hopes for the future.
An eye-opening inside look into an ever-changing industry, InstaBAND proves that in the midst of transformation and challenges, if there is a will, there will be a way for artists.
You can dive into this extraordinary documentary on July 28 on digital and Blu-ray. For now, we just had to get the scoop on the film from Bob Rose himself along with featured artist, Sam Tinnesz, who we have been following since 2015. Enjoy our conversations with both below and don’t forget to follow InstaBAND on social media @InstaBANDMovie to get all the inside scoop and reminders on the film’s release!
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With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Bob Rose has produced projects for HBO, MTV, Showtime, ESPN and won an Emmy for his work on MTV’s True Life. Rose made his directorial debut in 2016 with the documentary, Functional Fitness, distributed by Gravitas Ventures, and received a two year exclusive deal with Netflix.
I am so excited something like InstaBAND has finally been made as this is a topic near and dear to my heart. What inspired you to delve deeper into an artist’s hustle, let alone make an entire documentary about it?
As a content creator and filmmaker my path is very similar to the music artists. As a matter of fact, I learned quite a bit on my last film, Functional Fitness, on how much the film game has changed in regards to streaming platforms and this new system that puts the fate of your film into the filmmakers hands. I read a lot of books and listened to a lot of podcasts on the subject. Therefore, I had this extensive knowledge on creating content, building an audience, and developing alternate sources of income based around your content. When it came time to make my second film, I leaned into this knowledge and decided I wanted that hustle to be the topic for my film. Originally, I planned to cover this “new hustle” in filming comedians as well as the music artists as the process is very similar. After our first day of shooting we realized that this movie should be just about the music artists and their struggle and hustle as they have been impacted more than anyone. Also, I saw that this was a perfect opportunity to make a music documentary that showcases different genres of music and music artists from all around the country.
The doc exposes what it’s really like for artists out there in the wild, so to speak, especially for those who were previously signed to a label. While a lot of those horror stories aren’t really a secret, what would you say was the biggest thing you have learned while talking to these artists from all walks of life?
I’d say the biggest thing I learned during this process, which actually mimics what I’ve learned about the film industry, is that it’s not an all or nothing thing anymore. It is no longer a time where you are a mega rock star selling out stadiums or you are a starving artist. It is completely doable to make a sustainable living doing music where you aren’t getting rich, but you are paying your bills. To me, that is a success story all in its own right. Wouldn’t anyone trade a desk job to be able to make the same amount of money creating music or doing your life’s passion?
As a music fan, the decline of CD sales has been such a disheartening thing to watch. When you grow up with something and it’s no longer there to comfort you, it can be rather infuriating. Though vinyl sales have sort of been able to make up for that loss, where do you stand on the whole physical vs. streaming debacle?
I stand somewhere in the middle. As a content creator and as a filmmaker I’ve made quite a bit of money over the years through tape duplication and DVD sales. I also loved my music and movie collection. However, I no longer buy any physical media for movies, music, and video games and love the convenience of that. I think there will always be collectors of physical media and because of that you will always have your local music store. However, as time moves on, I see these becoming more and more underground. I’m happy that artists continue to press their music on vinyl and also these new groups of kids coming up enjoy collecting vinyl just because they want to own something from their favorite artists. You can’t get your Spotify autographed but you can get your album autographed.
Social media has been the driving force of the movie, and I love how you managed to fit in a part about mental health as it affects most, if not all, artists at some point. I feel like the stigma surrounding mental health prevents artists in the public eye from speaking out when it could really benefit them and their fans. How have your own struggles inspired parts of the film and was there ever a time in your career where you felt like you were burning out? How did you cope?
Great question and I’m glad you asked it. I felt like I had to include something in the documentary about mental health and the effect social media has on it. It is something that every artist feels at some point but also, it’s something everyone can relate to as we all struggle with the balance of social media and the effect on your mental health. I’ve had my ups and downs with social media and the unconscious comparing that happens every time you refresh. I’ve even removed Facebook from my phone for long periods of time because of the negativity I would experience whenever I scrolled my feed. It’s a strange time especially in this COVID environment we live in now where we depend on social media to stay in touch and not lose your sanity in isolation. However, we still have to keep that balance and understand there is no substitute for personal interaction.
Overall, what do you hope viewers take away from watching InstaBAND and what changes, if any, do you hope to see within the industry in the coming years?
We are in the middle of the biggest shift that the music industry has ever experienced. This is a major part of music history and is something students will be learning about in classrooms in years to come. I hope viewers will come out of this with a new appreciation for their favorite artists and the work that goes into making the music and especially everything behind it. I also hope it will also nudge them to seek out new artists that are independent and not on the top of the charts and support them anyway they can. I hope they now see the impact it can have for independent artists when they buy that t-shirt or concert ticket.
I do believe independent artists are the future of the music industry. I see more and more artists taking the power into their hands because now they hold the keys to their future. They just have to be willing to work and hustle to get it!
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Sam Tinnesz has shown the most variety among the artists featured in the documentary. Not only does he write and sing but he also owns his own masters. Sam is prominent in Sync Licensing and has had his music in numerous promos and films. He also received the YouTube award for over 100,000 subscribers.
First off, I was so excited to see your name on the list of artists featured in the movie! I remember covering Wave & Rome back in 2015 and I’m in love with the work you’ve done since then, especially with Fleurie. How did your partnership with InstaBAND come about and what initially made you want to be a part of this film?
Thank you so much! It’s been such a wild ride since then. I met Amber and all the other kind folks at this collective called Nashville Unsigned and they asked me if I wanted to be a part of a film about surviving the streaming revolution. I felt like a poster child for this having found my way as an independent artist and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to talk about all I’d been through.
One thing this documentary focuses on is oversaturation. You said it best when you mentioned how, as a listener, figuring out what to listen to can be exhausting. I often feel that way too, and as a blogger having tons of submissions sent your way, it can be a bit overwhelming. How do you find new music, and what would you say has been the best medium that garnered more listeners towards your music?
I think on a personal level I find music through friends posting about it on social media and over text. It’s still that age old “word of mouth” model except now the mouth has been taken out of the equation. The other way though is by Shazam-ing music that I hear on movies, TV shows, and commercials. For me as an artist, that has been a huge way that people have found my music and built a fan base. I partnered with a company here in Nashville called Resin8 that has really helped me in a huge way to get my music in to countless commercials, TV shows, and movie trailers. It’s been invaluable to me to have found such an outlet that builds fans, markets your music and keeps the lights on all at the same time
The movie goes on to talk a bit about comparison – which I think can be so easy to fall into the trap of, especially if you’re an artist in an oversaturated industry. Have you ever felt, in any time in your career, like you were fighting for attention or that you had to be a certain way to be successful?
I think in the very beginning of my artist career, when I was in bands, we were always comparing ourselves to other people’s live shows, merch sales and place on the chart. In the end it was massively poisonous, and I haven’t carried that forward into my solo career. When I feel that tinge of jealously, I try and feel the feeling and then move on from it knowing that anything meant for me has my name on it and won’t go to anyone else. I do however feel the pressure to be on social media and continue to be massively active to fight for my fans attention. It’s a hard road trying to get people to care about your art but ultimately, I will always choose being true to myself over bending into something I’m not to gain fans. Sacrificing my mental health and wellbeing is not worth it and I know that’s what I would be doing chasing the dangling carrot of success like that.
I think a lot of the times, artists often feel like their music is a product that needs to be exploited because that is what they have been shown by labels. You’ve mentioned your previous experience on a label and how the tables have turned in a way that you now have full control over every aspect of your career. Have you ever felt like maybe you were being exploited and that people were more concerned about an image rather than your music?
Yes, in my first label deal I felt like a pawn. Everyone else around me was making money off me but me and I didn’t feel like I recognized myself. None of the pictures felt like my style and I felt like I was always acting to present the best possible me with no flaws or humanity. We were always fighting for artistic choices on things like album cover art but at the end of the day they wanted our faces on the cover because that was ultimately the product they were selling. I don’t believe their decisions had a lot to do with the music often. I think now I have seen that there is a touch of imaging and branding that you need to think about but then there is the whole world of crafting an amazing piece of art that draws people in like a magnet. That’s what it is all about. Classic art will outlive the artist if you do it right.
Overall, what do you hope viewers take away from your story in the film?
That you can still be a thriving artist in this day and age if you adapt and innovate. There is hope and the music industry is not collapsing. The music industry is just changing, and you can either change with it and add these new tools to your tool belt or you can stick to the old model and find yourself struggling. My hope is that the movie inspires a whole generation of younger folks that will see the new path to finding success in a way that not only pays their bills but fulfills their calling.
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