As the world “gets back to normal” I’ve been getting more and more questions from bands—both friends and those who only know me through my writing—and they all ask the same thing, who they should be pitching their albums to these days? And the answer is … I haven’t a clue?
Most reach out to me because I have a history of writing about new bands across a wide range of genres in a manner that can be intelligent, friendly, sometimes funny, and always unafraid of emotion—but at the core, I write in a way that many non-music fans find accessible, while dedicated fans or industry types pick up the inside baseball bits and easter eggs. And that method of music criticism has grown relatively scarce. I think I remain a trusted voice because I long ago decided I would only write for outlets that let me approach music coverage the way I saw fit, and not in a manner we now commonly call “clickbait.” But I also had good timing on my side, and outlets that allowed me that freedom, and that allowed me to make this decision, a luxury newer music critics decidedly do not have.
But we all know what happened to the media ecosystem, and the vast majority of outlets these days can’t risk losing eyes to coverage of unfamiliar bands when most readers who will click are really only interested in the latest rehash of a press release or news about a group they already follow, which means those groups are already famous, and largely don’t even need the pen of a music critic to introduce their music to a wider audience.
These are all just facts, and I share them since I want to be clear that while there is a dearth of quality music writing that might turn the general public onto lesser known or brand new acts, much of it is driven by the realitiy of needing to make money if you even want to keep a publication afloat. And making money off music coverage that is anything less than blockbuster acts or what I think we can all refer to as “mainstream indie” is incredibly difficult.
So when a band asks me who they should pitch these days, I honestly don’t have a good answer. I mention a few local podcasts to local acts if I think they align with their coverage. And of course there is Third Coast Review. And if they are in Chicago I’ll suggest Leor at The Reader since he still has a large platform and has sway in what he chooses to cover, AND uses that sway to highlight acts most would have never heard of ... but there are vanishingly few people who write about music that way these days.
So help me out. Heck, help out all these bands coming to me for advice! I can tell you what a music critic is looking for in a pitch, and the best way to package it. But I would REALLY love to know WHO is still not only open to, but actively writing about, the bands that aren’t super famous already.
We need more of those voices today, so help me hook up bands with those writers!
