The usefulness of music conferences really can’t be overstated.
You hear the word ‘conference’, and sure, it doesn’t exactly sound glamorous – truth be told, it kind of sounds like a chore. But music conferences are a different kettle of fish, as the folks at Australian Music Week are keenly aware.
Not only are the interviews and panels themselves littered with some of the most interesting and influential names out there, but you get to hear a feast of established and emerging bands at the same time. As conference organiser Jon Howell explains, it’s win-win.
“Our idea behind the conference was to start off very small, and try and keep it extremely friendly,” Howell says. “As conferences get bigger, it gets harder for everyone to connect at them. By the time you get to something like South By Southwest, it’s so massive that it’s very unlikely you’ll wander in there knowing anyone. It’s harder and harder to make real connections. There are some Australian conferences that are reaching that point, while there are a few smaller concerts around that we’ve tried to model ourselves on.
“There’s one in Canada called the ECMA, which is East Coast Music Association, and it’s very friendly. All the delegates, all the people who get invited are encouraged to meet and hang out, talk to each other. It’s quite well programmed so you all end up spending a lot of time together. The amount of business that comes out of that is enormous. From someone who is just beginning to emerge as an artist, all the way through to festivals and talent buyers and labels, everyone gets a hell of a lot out of it. Sit every delegate down with each other, and make them talk! The result they get from a small number of delegates to business created, even just at a dollar value, is amazing.”
Networking opportunities notwithstanding (though seriously, if you’re looking to make some friends in the industry, grab a ticket now), the panels themselves cover almost every facet of developing and exporting your musical career. There are insights on how to get your song on radio, the tricks to touring internationally, how to actually encourage audiences to come to your gig in the first place; it’s like a toolbox of career skills, with the added benefit of live music (more than 65 acts) and a conveniently placed bar.
“I’ve found in going to a lot of conferences, panels need to be really informative for emerging artists and their managers,” says Howell. “That’s something we’ve really tried to target. I find personally at some bigger conferences, most of the people there purely to do business don’t tend to attend many of the panels anyway. A lot of it is stuff they might know. So for AMW we’ve really tried to focus the panels on what’s going to be useful for emerging artists. We have a couple of panels about touring overseas, how to get yourself to showcasing opportunities over there, and some of the logistical issues you need to [overcome]. Visas, work permits, how to get paid, international tax, all that kind of stuff.
“We’ve also got a lot of focus on regional touring. Maybe you’ve reached that point where you’re doing really well locally, and you’re trying to work out what comes next. So we have some expert booking agents to talk about that kind of touring. Regional areas could be quite an untapped market, so we’ll talk about that. One thing that is important to focus on is copyright and the implications of that. It’s something that [many] artists and young managers in general are still quite in the dark about. It’s quite a complicated topic, so we try to explain that all.”
If you are keen to meet some of the industry movers and shakers after panels, though, the opportunity is certainly there. Yet actually summoning the courage to cold-call an industry rep is sometimes easier said than done.
“If you’re in Sydney and you have any interest in getting involved in the music industry, a conference like this probably is a little daunting to start with, but because it’s small and quite contained, you’re going to find that [what works] really is just going up and saying hello to people. We’re really hopefully trying to create an environment where people can feel comfortable to do that – running into someone at the bar and introducing yourself and what you do. But when you’re starting out, it can be a big hurdle.
“[We also have some] amazing overseas speakers: Aengus Finnan, head of Folk Alliance International – FIA have been running a long time, and as folk music around the world has become a thing, it’s become a real force, so to have Angus speaking is pretty amazing. Jed Hilly, the head of Nashville Americana Association – Jed is a really, really influential figure for Americana worldwide, so seeing those two speak about what they do and [buying] them a drink in the bar afterwards to chat is a real opportunity. Peter Noble from Bluesfest, Keith Welsh, Rhoda Roberts from the Opera House and others. Really successful people talking about the principles they live by that have seen them through to the positions they’re in.
“We just want there to be a lot of practical information. ‘My band is here, I want it to be there. Alright. I’ll find out what I can do about it.’”
More than 65 emerging artists are set to showcase at Australian Music Week 2016, and there’s no doubt some of our country’s next big things are among them. We profile three acts from the Cronulla Shire and the surrounding area to find out what they’re planning for their local conference extravaganza.
Australian Music Week: Artists In Profile
BRIELLE DAVIS
What does your music sound like?
Take a little old-time country, give it an alt-country slant, add a whole lot of soul and a passion for the craft of songwriting – then you have the music of Brielle Davis. Someone once described me as the love child of Norah Jones and Stevie Nicks, which I think is pretty cool!
You’ll be playing to new audiences at Australian Music Week. What should they expect from your live show?
Smouldering torch songs and ballads that are perfectly accompanied by a glass of whisky or wine. I will be playing some of my solo material, but also some of the songs from the upcoming debut album from Not Good With Horses, which has been described as “atmospheric country soul”.
What’s the best thing about being an up-and-coming musician in southern Sydney?
Sydney is currently going through an evolution in music, and live music is spreading its wings south at the moment, which is phenomenal. Venues are starting to support artists more than ever, which in turn is seeing audiences grow and grow. With so many challenges to the entertainment scene at the moment, live music needs all the help it can get, and that support is definitely strong in southern Sydney… and it’s close to home!
LETTERS TO LIONS
What does your band sound like?
We are an indie rock’n’roll band. We make sparkly music that’ll make you shake your hips.
You’ll be playing to new audiences at Australian
Music Week. What should they expect from your live show?
Firstly, they can expect to have a rad time. You will also be seeing four sweaty young men pouring their hearts out for half an hour. It’s going to be good.
What’s the best thing about being an up-and-coming musician in southern Sydney?
The best thing is the challenge, thanks to Casino Mike
and his lockout laws and how particular the scene has become. With great challenge comes even greater reward, and we are so happy to be in love with what we are doing.
TALL HEARTS
What does your band sound like?
Everyone in Tall Hearts has come from a different musical background, so that keeps it really fresh in terms of creation and writing. As a result of that, we’ve become like a blues/surf rock/reggae/funk and brass-inspired hybrid.
You’ll be playing to new audiences at Australian Music Week. What should they expect from your live show?
We pride ourselves on the live show, so they can expect big energy and passion, lots of dynamics, and should probably be aware that they’ll end up on the dancefloor at some point!
What’s the best thing about being an up-and-coming musician in southern Sydney?
The best thing is just being surrounded by such promising talent. Southern Sydney has become a real hub for all different styles of creativity, so it’s really special to be seeing that growing. Everybody is trying something different, so there’s something for everyone.
Australian Music Week 2016 takes place Wednesday November 2 – Friday November 4 at various venues around Cronulla. For more details head to their website.
