Starting a band in 2022

Words: Lorraine Helene

Forming a band can be exciting, but here’s the thing: it’s not as easy as it looks, especially in 2022.
Jamie Oborne, whose label Dirty Hit signed The 1975 and Wolf Alice, told The Guardian that there aren’t many bands
around because more musicians want to produce music by themselves. Wolf Alice guitarist Joff Oddie said that it would be a disaster if music production were only possible for middle-class kids— which is why the tradition of forming rock bands is so important for music today.

You’ve got to be a bit of a rebel to thrive in the genre. So if you want to form a new rock band in 2022, here are some the challenges that you need to face head-on:

Searching for the right members

Finding the right mix of personalities can be difficult, which is why it’s no surprise that more artists are going solo. Band members can have scheduling conflicts, or even differing opinions on the music you should play. Artist resource Spinditty.com points out that you can avoid these issues by being more careful with your selection process. Before signing anyone in, ask them about the music they want to play, their goals for their music career, and even their daily schedule. Leave no stone unturned in the getting-to-know-you stage, so that you can build a band with the same vision.

Finding the right  equipment that fits your budget

In an ideal world, you’d find band members with high-quality equipment. But if you’re just starting out, you’ll find that the equipment you use during jam sessions may not hold up to multiple performances and recordings. So, you need to invest in good gear. Reverb.com and Sweetwater.com are great options for purchasing new or used instruments, if you haven’t already. Meanwhile, a good resource for the best microphones for your music style and budget is Shout4Music.com. You can go through their microphone reviews to find mic options that are worth the buy Once you’re armed with the right gear, your band will sound much more polished and performance-ready.

Learning how to market yourselves

Marketing may not sound as fun, but new bands need to learn to market themselves to reach potential listeners. And since it’s 2022 now, you’ll also have to navigate through the challenge of promoting on social media.Kristen Bender of the Universal Music Group told Business Insider that TikTok is becoming an important part of artiststorytelling, especially as songs that trend on TikTok often chart on Billboard and Spotify. To trend on this platform, Insider recommends adding tracks to playlists in the Sounds section of the app. You can also apply keywords to boost your song’s discoverability on TikTok. And of course, you’ll also need to post promotional videos to hype your work!

Booking more gigs

Gigs provide the biggest revenue streams for most artists. But booking these live performances can be very difficult for new bands. As if it wasn’t already challenging, the pandemic has further limited gig options. You may not get to book many gigs during your first few months (or years), but you can increase your chances by making memorable performances. Our previous article highlighted how, during their Christmas Miracle show, seasoned artists Spike of The Quireboys and Chris Heilmann kept the show interesting by engaging with the crowd. Maximizing gigs by creating rapport with the audience is one way you can turn new listeners into instant fans. It’s not easy to build a rock band in 2022. However, with hard work, creativity, and a genuine love for music, you’ll find that your success will be much all the sweeter if and when it happens.