lazywebs

[alexseanchai]

So where in the US would an Afro-Celtic-folk song-and-violin duo want to move to (or at least talk about someday moving to) in order to up their chances of discovery and hitting the big time? New York City is what first springs to mind*, but I'm not sure that's the best answer.

If it is DC, I shall laugh, because in my head they already live in the DC metro area.

* well, no, Nashville is, because I listened to much country in my formative years (I been living on the wrong side of Memphis, etc), but these two aren't country.

Comments

[seekingferret]

I think it depends on what 'discovery and hitting the big time' means to them. If it's about becoming big time media stars, LA is better than NY. If it's about getting signed by a powerhouse indie label, NYC or Austin or San Francisco or maaaaybe Seattle. If it's about finding a community of likeminded musicians, a lot of other places become possible destinations-Minneapolis, Boston, Providence, DC, Atlanta, New Orleans, etc... And even weirder places become possible. A lot of musicians that I've met don't aspire to move to the biggest city, they aspire to move to the city where the band they idolize is based.

[alexseanchai]

Hm. Okay. Ponder ponder. Thank you!

[seekingferret]

Heh, yep. If you want another possible answer, people always gravitate toward the largest nearby source of musical culture, so someone growing up in rural Kansas might think of Wichita as the big cultural center where they have a chance to make it big.

[alexseanchai]

Nod. Thanks!

[madgastronomer]

NOT Seattle. Really not. Folk especially.

[alexseanchai]

Nod.

[princessofgeeks]

I think in these days of viral videos and internet music, it's not as important where you live but that you understand self-publishing and how to get your music out on the net and into people's ears.

[alexseanchai]

This is true. Thanks!

[havocthecat]

The one that I actually saw busking was in Victoria in Canada. Hrm. But I don't know where the big Afro-Celtic music scene is.

[alexseanchai]

Not sure there is a big Afro-Celtic music scene really, as it's kind of niche. I'm thinking big music scene generally.

[madgastronomer]

Believe it or not, Asheville, NC has an excellent folk and indie scene, and I've known a couple of musicians who moved there for it.

[alexseanchai]

Thanks!

[madgastronomer]

Actually, come to think of it, my cousin (who is one of those musicians) moved from Seattle to Asheville. (He was staying with me in Seattle, really just to get away from the east coast for a while.) And now he lives in NYC and tours in Europe. So.

Not that he is either Afro or Celtic, but I would say he's folk, in that acoustic-guitar-and-rough-voice story-telling-songs kind of way. This is him, if you'd like to give him a listen. He's good. Also he's my favorite cousin. Bit of a hipster, but a good guy overall.

[longmagpieroads]

Nashville has a huge and growing faster indie and folk and folk rock scene - so I wouldn't discount them completely.

The country stuff is what we're known for, but there's so much going on with the music scene here that genres are real flexible and there's a lot of opportunity for getting seen and heard and then Noticed.

[alexseanchai]

Hm. Okay. Thanks!

[longmagpieroads]

If you want any good tidbets for local color and venues and the like, just let me know and I can rustle up stuff for you.

[alexseanchai]

Appreciated.

[longmagpieroads]

No problem! :)