Success is not a straight line. It is forward and backward and up and down and side to side....and when you're a creative person, the line blurs as to what success means. It's not solely monetary gain...for many artists I would say that is not number one on their list. But we live in a world that pushes us toward this capitalist/consumerist way of thinking/behaving.
Success in art for me, means being as true to yourself and your vision as possible. If you're going to be a full-time musician, most will need to take jobs that don't speak to them artistically...for those on the lower income end of things, there are the monetary considerations of buying groceries and paying rent. For those on the higher end of the income(and fame)scale, there are teams of people pushing and pulling you in different directions, and fans expecting you to perform certain songs in a certain way.
There's a sweet spot in there somewhere. I haven't completely found it myself, but I feel a bit closer to it with every passing year.
My greatest strength as an artist has been my ability to persevere. It's an important attribute to have in the music business. Rejection after rejection after rejection after rejection....there was a time when these rejections would really bother me...
But here I stand! A full-time working musician, performing material that I have written myself (for the most part), halfway through my 33rd year in the "business". I put "business" in quotes because, outside of the odd festival booking or opening slot with a name act, I've largely been shut out of THAT world.
I'll tell you what though, it makes what I've accomplished all the sweeter:
The longevity of my career. The fact that I have built a loyal fan base who attend my solo shows and Dead Root Revival concerts.
The respect that I've garnered from my peers. The friendships I've made with some truly wonderful people.
A body of creative works I can look back on and feel proud of (meaning, most of the time when I listen to old records I don't cringe and shout, "What was i thinking?!"...MOST of the time.😅)
And for all of this, I just had to work my ass off! And continue to do so…
BTW I'm writing this for those young musicians starting out, or musicians who have been at it for awhile and are feeling disillusioned....
Sometimes the powers that be in the music industry will shut you out and try to shut you down. But these rejections are only worth the weight you give them.
This year, for example, Dead Root Revival applied to pretty much every festival in Ontario, and we didn't get accepted to any. We may have gotten five "sorry not this year" replies.
One of the most common questions I get at our shows: "Are you playing any festivals?". My reply: "We're trying!! Tell your festival AD about us."
I know our band is good. The best I have ever had the pleasure of performing with in my 30+ years as a professional musician. Oftentimes that doesn't matter. Festivals have their agendas, booking agents have their agendas... block-booking of acts at multiple fests for logistical reasons, or a who-you-know clique mentality. Not to mention the hundreds and hundreds of submissions that programmers can't realistically go through in a way that gives everyone a fair hearing.
My point: Yes, apply for everything, but if nothing turns out, don't let it get you down. Keep going!
*same goes for clubs btw*
Don't Be Afraid To Take A New Approach
If the gatekeepers of the music industry aren't picking up what you're putting down, you can do one of two things:
1) Get yourself a decent stockpile of drugs and booze and quietly crawl into your pit of despair and self pity
or...
2) You can keep going! Keep trying new things. Keep failing!! Because if you keep trying, failing, learning, and growing, then that in itself is a success.
With DRR, we have taken the approach of promoting our own shows: renting the hall, providing the sound, printing the posters and tickets, taking care of the social media marketing, and more often than not working the door and merch table at the show. This has proven to be extremely effective, not just because we have a killer show that people want to experience, but because of (I believe of equal importance is) our connection to our fans. Ours is a grassroots approach that focuses on building community through music, and I have come to realize that this is my comfort zone for everything I do in regards to my music career. I would rather be working the door or chatting with fans at the merch table, instead of sitting twiddling my thumbs in the green room, or schmoozing with music industry types.
A New Festival Is Born
The logical next step for us was to create our own music festival. Dead Root Revival's Summertime Shindig had its first run at Two Blokes Cider in Seagrave, Ontario in 2024 with a very stripped down lineup of 3 acts. In 2025 we are kicking it up a notch, doubling our number acts, and featuring The Weber Brothers, Brock Zeman, Emily Burgess, Brodie Bell, Georgia Rose, and of course a closing set from DRR.
Will it succeed?
Hopefully.
Will it fail?
Possibly
Will we learn?
Undoubtedly
Will we keep going?
Definitely!!
