COVID-19 ravaged the music industry. Venues shut down, tours stopped, vinyl plants went on hiatus. It was mass-confusion, mass-worry and potentially the end of many a livelihood. Thankfully, in the several years since, things have come back to life. Some order has been restored amidst the concern over disease, loss of life and the pandemic shutdown.
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But how did artists come back after some two or even three years away from their fans and even each other? To find out, we asked six artists one question: “How did COVID-19 affect your music and how have you since recovered?” Here below are their answers.
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Ayron Jones
“My [big] break actually happened during the [COVID-19] lockdown. I didn’t really have a good frame of reference for what was happening in my life when things were locked down. I kept seeing the success from afar, but I didn’t really experience it until lockdown ended and we hit the road.
“Then it was like being shot out of a cannon. I started touring as the No. 1 artist in rock radio and felt like I was starting all over again in a brand new world.”
Jamie Hall, Tigercub
“COVID hugely affected my band Tigercub. The first day of album sessions for our second record As Blue As Indigo happened to be the day the prime minister announce a national lock down. We ended up having to stay at the studio in our own bubble, it felt like we were in a nuclear bunker or something. It really added intensity to everything we did.
“When it was time to play the album live, the U.K. was in the process of opening back up but only with a negative PCR test. We managed to time a headline tour in between things reopening and shutting down again.
“I think the live sector has recovered really well, it seems people are very willing to buy gig tickets and spend money outdoors as a direct consequence of being trapped in doors during lockdown!“
Eva Walker, The Black Tones
“My band The Black Tones released our debut album Cobain & Cornbread in April of 2019, and we were looking forward to doing several tours for the record in 2020. Of course, the pandemic put a halt to everything, including making our first appearance at SXSW in Austin. In March of 2020, we released a single called, ‘The Devil and His Grandmother,’ via HockeyTalkter Records, a boutique label run by Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, and we had planned to do more promo and live performances for promoting that release, as well.
“But while we did have the release show for that single, the next day in our hometown of Seattle, the ‘stay at home order’ was implemented. Plans we had were just completely obliterated. Of course, like lots of bands, we did several live stream performances, but it definitely wasn’t the same and it took quite a bit of adjusting and learning to pull off each time. Luckily, none of us were laid-off from our other work, so we had our regular income, which kept rent paid and food on the table.
“The BIGGEST bummer was not being able to play to a live crowd, my favorite thing to do. Since the pandemic, and as restrictions were lifted, we have been on a five-week national tour, a two-week west coast tour and have continued right where we left off with a second album that’s just about complete. The future looks bright, and not that we did before, but the pandemic was a good reminder not to take this stuff for granted and to cherish each moment we have in music and how lucky we are that we get to continue to do this.”
Malina Moye
“Covid-19 affected my band in a way that emotionally and mentally devastated me. The whole world shut down and I had to rethink everything I knew. Lots of people lost loved ones and it was dark, but there was also light. I learned a lot about myself and I met some of the most incredible people during that time because we all connected online. I think it forced people to be real and authentic, which is why those relationships are so special. We were all in the same boat. I had incredible conversations and insights that allowed me to pivot to other things that are now a part of my brand.
“Once I stopped thinking about thriving and moving into surviving, everything changed. Survival, in the sense of ‘I made it home safe today and I am not sick.’ I had a chance to put together a few podcasts that pushed certain conversations into the spotlight. It definitely allowed me to share my personality more and open the door to more possibilities outside of music in regards to playing. I still performed, but it was virtual. I will say being on stage is so much better than playing to a camera. I really love people and the energy of life and an audience.”
Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra
“Amid the pandemic, the group considered hanging it all up. I thought, We’ve had a run that would make my teenage heart tremble. We’ve played music in crazy places, built an audience that got what we were doing, blurred the lines between theater and music in a way I’m really proud of. I’ve loved playing with these guys, and what we’ve had has been special. But maybe, I thought, it was time. Maybe we should call it a day? Play a final show for the hometown crowd and go out while the getting is good?
“Or, I thought, We could make another fucking album. Play the shit out of some of these songs we’ve been playing, write some new ones, and maybe try to find that feeling again?
“And that’s what we did. We set up in a big room, and our man Eben engineered the entire thing. We recorded in whole takes, with no overdubs or extra tracking, just the four of us playing together in a shared space. It was hard work, especially given how annoying we all are, but it did the trick. The feel came back.
“The songs on this album are about some of that rocky terrain we’ve all been walking. They were songs I needed to write, and songs we needed to play. I hope they make you feel something too.”
Bonnie Bloomgarden, Death Valley Girls
“This is such a gigantic question! And I think looking at it in terms of recovering is mind blowing! As a band, we are trying through music to help people heal, grow, and feel seen, heard, and like the important unique human they are. COVID completely changed everything, our entire perception of safety, and personal responsibility. But for us it was also the first time we had down time, and the space to evaluate our lives, and what we were doing, to see if it even mattered. And in that time I think our conviction to our mission only got stronger, and in that way, I do feel like we are recovering.
“Also One of my most favorite people in the world just got out of the hospital due to complications from COVID. I think it’s important to note perspective when speaking about COVID, cause it’s real.”
Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images
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