Great points. I agree with almost everything you say - but this is like my dad lecturing me about the value of RRSPs when I was 18. Sure, if I had invested for a few years back then I could retire a millionaire later, but $1000 is a beater car or a leather jacket or something much more valuable than the future when you are young and stupid.

In the many decades of the major label dominance over popular music, they have done a great job of creating mystique around the idea of “getting signed”. Indie labels even let you think you did it without selling out. A label deal is the Holy Grail for every band - even though it means almost nothing (except maybe “bend over”). The allure of the mega star is the recording industries equivilant to the lottery ticket - and it keeps a steady source of willing talent right at their doorstep.

Bands can earn a decent living doing what they love (writing, playing and recording music) if they could just stop chasing the elusive dream. The past had it’s limits, but today there are plenty of good alternatives to getting signed. We need to shatter the dream, and replace it with one that is just as compelling. In the mean time, how do we make this advice not sound like it’s coming from my dad?

I am on your mission - but it’s feeling kind of lonely right now.