Music
An Indie Band’s Guide to Musical Survival
An Indie Band’s Guide to Musical Survival
Jadal
© Samer Dahabreh
Formed back in 2003 by Mahmoud Radaideh, Jadal is one of the first Arabic Rock bands in the Middle East. Jadal stood tall in the face of the ups and downs of the Arabic music industry, somehow managing to survive while sustaining a huge fan base in the region.
How did they make it so far up what can only be described as a bumpy road?
Founder, composer, guitarist, vocalist and music producer Mahmoud Radaideh shared with us some of his tips below:
1.Sing your own language
Making it as a band in your own country means speaking the language of that country, it’s your identity, your culture. How many Arabic bands do you know that have actually made it big by singing in English?
2.Seek negative feedback
The worst feedback can end up being the best praise you’re ever received, especially at the beginning of your music career. Negative feedback can shed light on missing parts that you’ve never paid attention to.
3.Build a circle of trust
Who should you include in this circle? People whose opinion you trust and who in turn trust your vision. Those people will be your support from here till the end. Those are the ones you show your unfinished work to and share future plans with, seeking a second opinion.
4.Plan for worst-case scenario
Always plan for the worst that can happen, if plan A is in motion, prepare yourself for plan B and C and most probably D. Be prepared to change, change and re-change your plan. You must be flexible and ready to adapt.
5.Dedicate your time and soul
This is your dream, it’s what you’ve been fighting for since the beginning. And in order to achieve this dream you need to cut back on time-wasting activities. It’s quite normal to stay in your room for one week just working and jamming along to tunes in your head.
6.Know your strengths and weaknesses
Building a successful band means knowing where the strength comes from and realizing that there are weaknesses that need improving. Learn and grow from other bands mistakes. Before starting your next project, do your research! Find out how others have done it and make your choices based on that.
7.Collaborate
Once you start partnering with other artists, you start expanding your fan base and the opportunities to go beyond local. But you shouldn’t just partner with anyone who offers. Pick people you love and respect and who share your musical vision.
8.Timeless songs
It’s the songs that can make or break you, the more you relate your lyrics to human experiences, the more they live on. Timeless songs are not related to a place or a situation that could fade out in a while. Names, buildings, locations and events rarely survive, but human emotions and feelings do.
9.A dynamic formation
Having one or two key members may help your band survive longer, in the unfortunate case of someone leaving or being let go, the band can still go on, especially if you live in a place where the luxury of having many dedicated good musicians is non-existent.
10.Learn everything
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words Indie artist is lack of resources. This is why you need to know pretty much how to do everything, from playing different instruments to sound engineering, video editing and recording. Be ready to do some heavy lifitng! Which takes us to the last tip.
11.Have A day job
Those songs are not going to get produced on their own, so expect to spend some money from your own pocket until things pick up. Then you can hand over your resignation!