Transcription
Most music artists are stuck. They're either begging to get in the door or trapped playing the 5K show, dreaming of the 100K stages. And it's not because they're not talented. It's because their storytelling isn't good. And in the modern world, that's what builds audiences.
Today, I'm going to show you a new mindset. Why the one-man band or the onewoman band is dead. And why your future might depend on building a different kind of band. Not a band of guitarists and drummers, but a band built for the modern music industry.
In this video, I'm going to give my perspective on exactly what your modern band could look like and how to think about the different roles. This is coming from my own perspective from 20 years in the music industry and 10 years of running a multi-million dollar creative agency, the Cult Creatives, that has worked directly with many household names in the music world as well as Fortune 500 companies. So, let's get into it.
But before we do, let's rewind a little just for a moment. So, why did bands form in the first place? The reason bands, the four-piece guitar, drums, bass, singer thing even existed was because you literally needed four people to make music. Back in the day, there were no laptops, no plugins, no Spotify. If you wanted bass, you needed a bass player. If you wanted harmonies, you needed singers.
But today, as you know, you can literally make a full album in your bedroom by yourself. We can make any sound under the sun. And with AI, you can even make your voice sound like the dream vocalist you have in your head. You don't need four to five people to cover instruments anymore. But in today's world, to have a successful music project, you need different kinds of skills.
Part one, the five people you actually need for your band. Okay? So, if you were putting together a modern band, you wouldn't start with a drummer or guitarist. You'd start with these five roles: the music producer, the creative director, the marketing lead, the executive manager, and the performer. So, let's break these down.
Member number one, the producer. So, the first potential member is the producer, the sound architect. This could be you. If you're watching this, it likely is. You build the beats, sculpt the energy, and decide the sonic direction of the project. You get lost in the creative process, and making music is your happy place. This member of the band is essential and the backbone. It's the soundtrack to the whole thing. But what's an incredible soundtrack without a great movie?
Member number two, the creative director. So for the creative director, they're not just making your single artwork or your tour flyer look cool. They're building the universe. They write the story, they develop the characters, and they build the visual identity for the brand as a whole. They do the photo shoots, the music videos, the merch design, and they give the social presence, the overall vibe. They make sure everything feels like one cohesive story and they craft the movie that the audience is watching. In many of the bands that I'm in with Cult, this is the role that I play because I've seen firsthand the power of universe building. And if you're an artist in 2025, you're not just making music, you're creating an entire world.
So, you've got the killer movie director and the incredible soundtrack, but as the saying goes, if a tree falls in the woods and no one's around to hear it, does it make a sound? Number three, the marketeer. This person is crucial in the modern age because the sentiment, "if you build it, they will come," is a lie. And here's the thing that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, having worked with thousands of music artists over the last 20 years. None of them like to do marketing. Honestly, I have yet to meet one. But you know who doesn't only like marketing but loves marketing? Marketeers. People who see marketing as a strategic game of chess meets deep social experimentation. They love the data and they love crafting the concepts. It's best to find people that love marketing the way that you love making art. And this person is vital. They handle how to launch your music, social media, content calendars, collaborations, email list, PR. They make sure people find you and those people care.
And side note here, it's often easier for music producers to find their creative directors. These types usually run in similar circles and have similar interests and think the same way. The marketeers are different. These types often don't get lumped into the artist bucket. They're more data or science-minded type people, but they're just as creative as the others. And there are just as many of these type of people out there as the previous two members. You just might need to dig a little bit deeper to find them. And if you're struggling to find this role, if it comes down to it, you could always put a post on something like Indeed. You could write something like, "Music group seeks marketing director," and see what kind of bites that gets you.
So, now you've got three members of the band, but who will organize and represent the group in more business settings? Who's negotiating? Who's closing the deals? Member number four, the executive manager. And here's the role that most artists forget about or they wait around thinking that once their music starts to pop off, this person will reveal themselves. That could totally be the case, and you do find your manager once things start to pop off. But it doesn't always happen that way. When things started to happen for me music-wise, I just asked a close friend if he wanted to manage me. He had never done it before, but I saw in his personality that he'd be great at it. We worked side by side for many years and had a lot of success together. And he ended up picking up other successful artists once he learned that side of the business. We attacked different sides of our singular business and we were very much in sync.
And this is also a role that artists can often have little or no respect for because the job of a manager doesn't seem as creative, and that's where many artists hold merit. But in my mind, that's a huge miss because this role is absolutely crucial and deserves a high level of respect. These are the relationship builders. These are the people who open doors, create opportunities, and actually get things across the line. So instead of waiting for the big manager to sign the group, maybe finding somebody who's hungry and just as passionate as the other members could be a great fit for this role because this member runs the business behind the art, the budgets, the contracts, the scheduling, making sure you get paid on time, making sure your merch orders don't fall apart. A good manager is often the difference between a mid-level artist and a top tier.
And as a side note here, I've had many friends and clients sign to the big managers, and things have worked out just fine. So, what I've suggested above isn't the only way, but making sure to slot somebody into this position is key. So, now the team has a strong foundation and the major pieces are in place, but there's one element left to complete the [Music] team.
Ever wonder how to truly cut through the noise and get your music to a broader audience? The Cult Creatives is a niche agency servicing the communities and brands surrounding the spaces of music and fashion. Our unique backgrounds of being highly involved with some of the largest music and fashion brands in the world gives us a unique perspective on how to connect creatives with their audiences. We offer a variety of services including creative direction, design, photography, videography, and strategy. Head to the cultcreatives.com to learn more. the cult creatives not to be replicated, but if you try, we wouldn't blame [Music] you.
Member number five, the performer. So, last but not least, the performer, the face, the voice, the soul, the one who brings it all to life and connects with the audience. Now, this could absolutely be the producer or the creative director, but regardless, you're going to need that charismatic personality to lead the movie. In the old days, every member of the band was also a performer. But now, one great performer can lead a team of killers behind the scenes.
Why this works better? All right, so why is this model potentially better? Well, one, there's less drama, so fewer egos, clearer roles. Two, more speed. You don't need everybody in the room to move forward. Three, and probably most important, there's a higher level of quality. You have experts doing what they're best at. And then four, the business is built in. You're thinking long-term from day one. So with this setup, you're not just hoping things work out anymore. You're designing careers for the entire group. Very often, it's not about the product, but the mindset of the team. Everyone can improve in their roles. You just need a mission and a collective mindset.
So now, of course, if you want to start a traditional band with your friends, do that. You'll have a blast. But if you're looking to build a music business utilizing creative collaboration with other killers, this lineup I laid out could put you in a great position to do so.
Real world examples. Okay, so you've made it this far and maybe you're buying into this hypothesis, but this isn't just an armchair theory. Here are some actual real-life examples of startup-style groups. Brockhampton. So in Brockhampton, Kevin is the creative director and the face of the group. Ramil is the producer, Bareface is the singer, HK does the art direction and the visuals, and then John is the manager. This group is literally structured like a startup. There's creative, music, visuals, and management.
Or you could take something like Odd Future more in the early days where you had Tyler as the creative director. Frank Ocean was doing a lot of the songwriting. Earl Sweatshirt was focused on the lyrical prowess, and then Taco and Jasper were looking after the social media hype building and then the visual comic relief side. So it's like Wu-Tang, but instead of everybody being a rapper, they're contributing to the project in different ways.
So then here's a couple other examples of artists members who combine their efforts to create something bigger. Billie Eilish and Finneas is the producer and performer duo. The Chainsmokers has the producer and the marketeer. So, Alex was a seasoned producer. And then Andrew had gone to school and intensely studied marketing before joining the group. So, then you have The Gorillaz, which was a combination of a visual artist and creative director, Jamie Hewlett, and then Damon Albarn from Blur was the music side. You have Tame Impala where Kevin was the music producer and the songwriter, and then Jay Watson was the manager strategist who focused on branding, growth, and live expansion.
So that's individual combos. Here's a couple examples of artists who played multiple roles but found other creative collaborators to fill in the gaps. So you look at somebody like Tyler, the Creator, who's the creative director and the performer, or Fred again.., who's the performer, the producer, and the marketing genius behind his project. His management partner is Blood Company, who also manages a bunch of other artists, people like Skrillex, Zedd, and Boys Noize. And then you have Matteo Milleri, better known as Anyma, who's the creative director and the producer for his project, but he does work with a team of visual artists to create the visuals for his live performances and other projects.
So, you get it. Behind every overnight success, there's usually a team that looks a lot like a startup. But now, you may be wondering, "Cool, but how do I build a team like this?" Well, it starts with two things: Find people who love the vision and then play to strengths, not titles. For example, maybe your roommate is insane at social media and loves trying to hack the platforms. Boom, marketing lead. Maybe your cousin grew up playing music and is crazy good with Ableton. There's the producer. Or maybe you have a background in different creative mediums and you could be both the creative director and the producer, but you're still going to need to fill in these other members. You don't need a million-dollar budget. You need people who believe in the mission.
So, I hope all this is clear and it gets your wheels turning around potentially how you might be able to start your band because in the modern era, bands are becoming teams, creative groups, tiny revolutions. And honestly, for me, I think it's great. So many artists think they need to be incredible at all things to make it work. But I've yet to meet an artist that is great in all these roles. And I've gotten to work with some of the best in the world. Because in a world where technology makes it easier than ever to create alone, it's going to be the people who know how to create teams and collaborate that are going to win big.
Now, if you're looking for somebody to collaborate with on the creative director side of things, you know, we are the Cult Creatives, all things the cultcreatives.com. I also have other videos on the Neighborhood Art Supply channel that go more in-depth around how to properly build a music brand and craft a story. So, if you haven't seen those yet, they can be a valuable part in the building process. But, good hanging today. Hope all this makes sense. And until next time, peace.