Mining a Niche and Sticking Together - What We Can All Learn from Post Rock

Given how difficult it is to ‘make it’ in music, it’s easy to see every other musician in your area or genre as a competitor. However, as has been pointed out by some commentators already (notably ?uestlove) it’s actually a much better idea to unite with like minded musicians rather than ignore them at best, or sabotage them at worst.

Simply put, some of the greatest acts ever to emerge came from a ‘scene’, whether accidentally or deliberately created.

There are many benefits to consolidating local and like minded musicians into a seeming whole, benefits that post rock bands in the UK are mining with enthusiasm at present. Recognising that they are operating in a niche genre they are making use of the long tail effect and creating a cohesive scene that benefits everyone involved.

Exposure to other audiences

By creating a co-operative scene around a few bands, you are opening yourself up to repeated exposure to other acts’ fan bases, and in particular, other acts who play similar music. This is marketing gold. If I play in a post rock band and play shows with other post rock bands around the country, the fans of those bands will likely be into my band. If I keep doing it, fans of the other band will relate my band to theirs.

This works particularly well with the introduction of social media where the link can be made more tangible by posting on each other’s walls, mentioning each other on Twitter etc.

Buzz

Conscious promotion of a scene rather than a single band also makes it a lot easier to generate ‘buzz’. Lots of similar bands consistently playing with each other and communicating on social media makes it feel to the fans like they’re part of something bigger, and that something’s going on. While it’s still underground, that will ramp up fan loyalty and enthusiasm making them more likely to talk about it to other people not part of the scene.

And if one of you does ‘make it’ the others are sure to follow as record labels go on the inevitable signing spree, or curious fans check out all the other bands from the scene.

Contacts

You know that old saying ‘it’s not what you know it’s who you know’? It’s just as true in music. If you’re strongly associated with a number of similar acts, you will find it easier to get radio player, reviews, shows and the like by namedropping other bands on the scene.

Transcending the local

Finally, for smaller, underground scenes like the UK post rock scene, it helps you to transcend your local scene. If you can organise a national tour with like minded bands, you’ll make sure you’re playing to sympathetic audiences rather than the random bills that often happen when organising gigs from afar. By exploiting each other’s local fanbase you consolidate a national fanbase for everyone involved.

It’s time to stop thinking of everyone else as a competitor and think of them instead as potential collaborators and gig buddies. Why do you think hip-hop artists guest on each other’s records so much?

Find out more about post rock label and promoters Nice Weather for Airstrikes, promoting new and innovative post rock bands across the south.