Taking Your Music on the Road

We understood we needed to go out on the road; we had to get our tribe together. So how do we do that?

Hit the Road Like the Bands You Admire

The bands that we like just hit the road, and that's what you have to do. If you've just written your first songs and are looking for experience playing live, the best place to start is open mic nights.

Utilize the Internet

When I started out, I moved country, so I really didn't have any context. The Internet was a helpful tool:

• Look up local open mics
• Check them out
• Play as much as you can

At first, I would say yes to every gig opportunity you can get. Don't expect to be paid straight away; just go out there and play. Make sure you reach a stage where you feel confident that what you're offering meets a certain standard.

The Reality of Performing

Understandably, there's been a significant social media backlash against artists in general, musicians and other artists alike, being taken advantage of because they are offered "experience" and "great exposure."

I think it's correct that artists should be compensated for their work, but only if the money is available in the first place.

An Honest Take on Gigs

If you're playing on a wet Thursday night in Hull, not many people are going to come through the door. You might get £20 for petrol, but you can't really expect more than that at the outset. If you do, you've got to be more patient than that.

Even when we first started doing support tours with bigger headline acts who would have been turning a reasonable profit, we were only getting £50 a night. That just goes straight into petrol, and we were sleeping on friends' floors and everything else.

Embrace the Experience

I think, in a way, that sort of tough love is part of the experience, and it means you earn what comes later. It's not terrible to play those gigs. From an experience point of view:

• If you've been a band for two months
• If you just want to play a show
• If you can afford the petrol

Then just do it. It doesn't matter.