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Musical artists change tune to cope with canceled shows, limited production

Concert venues are closed and Los Angeles-based musicians have few things left to do but livestream performances for their own fans. To combat the circumstances, many artists are finding new ways to collaborate remotely and produce music themselves. (Jintak Han/Daily Bruin senior staff)

By Alyson Kong

April 20, 2020 3:34 p.m.

Empty concert halls serve as haunting reminders of COVID-19’s wide-reaching effects as recording artists face an uncertain future.

Experts predict that venues may not open again until fall 2021. The canceled shows and stay-at-home orders have not only cost Los Angeles-based artists meaningful connections with fans during live performances but also cost them their financial stability. Lexi Aviles, known professionally as Love You Later, said the solitary nature of quarantine has made it difficult for her to find the creative energy to make music.

“It’s easy, as an artist, to feel like you’re kind of just wasting your days away and not really doing what we’re meant to do, which is obviously to write music and play music,” she said.

The routine Aviles has built over her music career is based heavily around collaborative efforts, she said, and online songwriting sessions cannot encapsulate the physical connection she needs for inspiration. Nowadays, she tries to find bursts of motivation through taking walks, doing yoga and checking in with friends online, but it is difficult to replace the tangible interactions and support in the artist community, she said.

But quarantine has also increased her involvement with all aspects of her artistic process. Aviles said she took the opportunity to learn Adobe video editing software to create her own promotion video for her newest EP, “Heaven is Without You,” and also taught herself more about the technical aspects of production.

Aviles said being an indie artist makes the quarantine experience tougher, since without a deal or record label she can only rely on herself to stay afloat financially. To mitigate the financial difficulties, she said she is taking up various remote songwriting opportunities and TV and film writing with the hopes of garnering future payoffs.

[Related: UCLA musicians maximize newfound time by pursuing new projects, art forms]

Quarantine has similarly impacted the band Stereo Jane, whose members said the situation has completely shifted their schedules and group dynamic. Vocalist Sydney Schmier said some of their upcoming tracks are left unfinished because of a lack of proper recording equipment at home, and rehearsals with other members are being temporarily put on hold.

Her sister and drummer Mia Schmier also said the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 has caused a lot of psychological stress, as she is constantly worrying about sanitation even in familiar environments.

“I would go in and sanitize the whole studio even though I know I’m the only one who’s been in it, just in case,” she said. “That’s a precaution I never really thought I’d have to use when practicing my own drum.”

But the nerve-wracking reality has also made her cherish her health, family and producers even more than she did before, Mia Schmier said. Regardless, there is still a looming uncertainty with regard to their future, Sydney Schmier said, since there is no telling of how venues will operate even when the stay-at-home orders are lifted.

To note, a recent study done by Performance Research and Full Circle Research Co. predicts a possible attendance drop for concerts and other entertainment venues. Of the respondents, 44% said they would go to fewer major events and 63% would have increased concerns over health safety. But there is also some hope, with 53% respondents having a “pent-up desire” to go to events that they have missed.

In the meantime, artists like Love You Later and Stereo Jane are trying to reconnect with their audiences through livestream performances and social media. Aviles said overusing these platforms can promote negative and self-destructive thoughts, but technology is the only way for many to communicate with others in the current conditions.

But some artists are finding other outlets for creative expression and human interaction. Bonnie Bloomgarden, the vocalist for the rock band Death Valley Girls, said her group has been unable to get together because of safety concerns, so their collaborative process has been replaced with more contained and personal recording sessions. She said the group has avoided playing a stripped down set online because its artistic identity is based on playing live on stage.

“It’s not like being an actor where you have something coming out a year later,” she said. “It is instantaneous and you feed off of everyone’s palpable energy. It’s like a religious experience.”

[Related: Second Take: Cancellations of concerts are upsetting enough, Ticketmaster shouldn’t make it worse]

The band had previously been preparing for a break from touring before quarantine took place, so she said its members were already brainstorming workarounds to engage with their audience and sustain themselves. So far, the group has been making visual art pieces and thinking of selling them on Patreon, and Bloomgarden said she has personally ventured into other means of artistic expression such as essay writing to keep her grounded.

Slowing down has forced everyone to reevaluate their feelings and priorities, and there are certain days worse than others in this coping process – much like the stages of grief, she said. And with COVID-19 making plans up in the air, many artists can only await a more promising future when they can connect with people through a shared musical experience once again.

“This situation is like a ball at the end of the cliff,” Bloomgarden said. “It either falls or it stays, but it’s not going to be on the tip forever. Everything will be OK.”

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Alyson Kong | Alumna
Kong served as the Theater | Film | Television editor for the Daily Bruin from 2020-2021. She was previously an A&E reporter from 2019-2020.
Kong served as the Theater | Film | Television editor for the Daily Bruin from 2020-2021. She was previously an A&E reporter from 2019-2020.
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