Music Therapy with Jessica Risker
Music:Music Interviews
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! In the spirit of holiday traveling, we have an episode all about touring.
In October 2022, Isabel Olive (Half Gringa) posted the following on Instagram:
"Hey folks. A photo of me smiling because this is a tough one - I’ve decided to cancel the last four dates of the HG October tour in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati. This was hard to make because I’m both the artist and the manager, but the manager in me looked at the writing on the wall and knew it was time to call it.
Touring is extra expensive and extra hard right now. Whether you’re a band on a support tour playing to sold out rooms trying to make enough on merch to cover expenses or (in my case) trying to win over a few groups of people at a time in 150 cap rooms while paying a band with your job money and hoping to break even, it is harder than it was before and what has happened in the last few years has caught up to a lot of us.
I’m 31, I work full time in a different industry in addition to being a musician to pay the band and make things work as best I can. But I am so sick of people devaluing art to the point that we’re relying on no income to make it. It’s untenable. And it’s why people are canceling tours and in some cases getting out of the industry all together.
I have so much more anger and feelings about this, but for now I’ll say: thanks to my incredible band, to everyone who came and saw us and bought merch, to the fellow musicians I met who commiserated with me and gave me some much needed words of encouragement. You’re the best part of this. To the folks in Boston, NYC, Philly - you can get refunds at your point of purchase and I promise I’ll see you out there again soon."
Josh first noticed Izzy's post and pointed me to it. We thought this would make a great episode. So many musicians are struggling with feeling valued in our culture.
Izzy and I talk about why she canceled her shows, and how this is impacting her music and career. She also shares how she’s adapting her approach to touring from now on.
For anyone else struggling with making touring work, this is a great episode that acknowledges the challenges facing musicians right now.
We also listen to Half Gringa’s brilliant new single “Miranda” off her upcoming EP, out January 27, 2023.
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Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes, past episodes, and upcoming events!
Music Therapy Podcast Credits:
Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, and engineered by Joshua Wentz in Chicago.
Opening and closing music composed by Joshua Wentz.
Episode 101: Lizzie No, Harps, and Hired Guns
Episode 100: 100 Episodes!!!
Episode 99: Moving to L.A. Pt 2 (maybe) (with Uma Bloo)
Episode 98: Moving to L.A. Pt 1 (with BRIDEY)
Episode 97: Mike Meegan of RXM Reality Waxes on Samples, Sobriety, and Social Media
Episode 96: What Happens When Fame Fades?
Episode 95: Four Comedians Start a Band...or, Group Session with Boo Baby!
Episode 94: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome (with guest therapist Dr. Lincoln Hill)
Episode 93: Dustin Currier (Lightleak) Quits His Job, How to Make a Creative Space, and Binary Thinking
Episode 92: Daniel Wyche on Quarantine Concerts, Getting Older, and the Chicago Music Scene
Episode 91: Group Session featuring FRIKO or How to Live With Your Bandmates
Episode 90: Jason Balla of Dehd on Recording, Lo-fi vs Hi-fi, and Touring Tips
Episode 89: Autism and the Best DIY Spaces Ever with Charles Joseph Smith
Episode 88: Psychedelics, Psychosis, and Death with Angela James
Episode 87 - Joshua Wentz, Musical Man of International Intrigue
Episode 86: Toxic People and How to Deal With Them with Lynn Zakeri, LCSW
Episode 85: Ryan Hall (Whited Sepulchre Records) Transmutes Pain Into Gold
Episode 84: Devin Shaffer’s Screen Is A (Warped) Mirror
Episode 83: Kirk Rawlings (Courtesy) on Drugs, Creativity, and Suicide
Episode 82: Overcoming Performance Anxiety with Dr. Claire Kubiesa
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