By March 13, the indie band Heart Bones found themselves avoiding taking pictures with fans. It was getting harder to ask people not to shake their hands. Conversations among band members centered on whether their shows contributed to the spread of COVID-19. Sean Tillmann had been banking on proceeds from the tour to recover the remaining $10,000 left in album production costs but, as the group stood outside their venue in Birmingham, Alabama, they couldn’t help but feel skeeved out. Heart Bones decided to pull the plug.
“Obviously the tour’s going to get rescheduled, but we don’t know when. I’m kind of doubtful that shows will be happening again in the fall,” said Tillmann who, in addition to singing in Heart Bones, also performs as popular singer-songwriter Har Mar Superstar.
“It’s hard to be so excited about a new album and then just have to go home in the middle of it. We’re not crying about it, but in about a month there’s going to be a lot of questions about how to pay for our lives.”
In about a month there’s going to be a lot of questions about how to pay for our lives.”
About two weeks ago, Tillmann looked to MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund for support, filling out a grant application from the nonprofit arm of the Recording Academy. On Wednesday, Tillmann found out he received a $1,000 grant from the nonprofit, which he plans to use to cover his mortgage and food costs.
MusiCares has been able to support musicians impacted by the coronavirus with funds through a partnership with Spotify. On March 25, Spotify launched its “COVID-19 Music Relief project,” which recommends nonprofits that people can donate to that support the global music community. Spotify pledged to donate to these groups and match up to $10 million worth of donations made through its COVID-19 Music Relief page. It is also developing a tool that will enable artists to fundraise directly from fans through their Spotify pages.
Spotify did not respond to requests for more information on how much has been raised through its COVID-19 initiative so far, or about the new feature. A spokesperson for the Recording Academy said that MusiCares has raised several million dollars so far, and more than 4,000 artists, tour managers, backline musicians and more have applied for help. Anyone who has been in the music industry for at least three years, or helped create six commercially released recordings or videos, is eligible for a $1,000 MusiCares grant.
“Many people in the industry are now in crisis, not knowing what the future holds or having to deal with dire commercial realities,” Harvey Mason Jr., interim CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We are asking the entire industry to stand with us to support the musicians, artists and professionals who are the bedrock and the future of our music community.”
We are asking the entire industry to stand with us to support the musicians, artists and professionals who are the bedrock and the future of our music community.”
In addition to partnering with the Santa Monica-based MusiCares, Spotify is recommending people donate to the London-based PRS Foundation and Help Musicians groups, Canadian Unison Benevolent Fund and French Centre National de la Musique organization.
Sorenza Nuryanti, an Indonesian singer, said Spotify has helped her career, particularly after she was forced to cancel a series of radio interviews and a TV appearance over coronavirus concerns. She said the platform has allowed fans to connect with her during this time and that she feels thankful for its support.
As a substitute for the in-person promos she had planned for her recently released song “Pink Jeans,” Nuryanti said she has held a few live streams on Instagram, but the overwhelming number of artists doing live streams right now make it hard for her to stand out among the crowd.
“We are indeed living in difficult times for artists,” she wrote in an email to Built In. “Emotional interactions are difficult to have when everything becomes digital.... Being supported through Spotify editorials and playlists would be a big support.”
Tillmann agreed that the event cancellations have made it a difficult time for artists. He said it’s impossible to quantify the financial cost of cutting Heart Bones’ tour short — who knows what would have happened when the group performed in Tillmann’s hometown of Minneapolis, in Europe or at South by Southwest?
Touring and playing in-person gigs comprises 75 percent of his salary, Tillmann said. The rest is made up of merchandise sales. Right now, he’s focusing on promoting his music online and connecting with fans.
He’s also started a side project to help those in the industry, called Coloring Books for a Cause, which is a book of illustrations of artists who have performed at First Avenue, a Minneapolis venue that celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Prince, Atmosphere and other musical greats have played at the nightclub. Tillmann said so far he’s sold about 3,000 copies of the book and raised about $20,000 to benefit First Avenue’s staff.
“I’ll adapt with the times like everybody else will. But in the meantime, I’ll do whatever I can to help,” Tillmann said.
“Musicians are your entertainment. We are your barometer for what’s cool, we’re the people that make that content that you use to sell your company. Without us, there’d be a whole lot of grey looking, un-fun imagery and sounds.”
