While there’s plenty of talented Australian artists who are making a pretty comfortable living after hitting it big in their sunburnt homeland, sustained by the unending passion for live music and fidelity to their favourite artists that us Aussies are known for, for many, you haven’t made it till you’ve made it Stateside.

But while the much-coveted US market remains the dream for many hard-working Aussie bands, the unfortunate story of Sydney metalcore outfit Capture the Crown might make you think twice about putting your things in storage, hugging your loved ones good-bye, and making a break for America with a headful of stars, because what’s waiting for you across the pond could just be crippling debt.

Originally signed to Sumerian Records before betting the house on a move to America, the band was eventually dropped by the label and picked up by Artery, where their finical strife continued. Now, the vocalist has taken to Facebook to announce that all of his bandmates have quit the group.

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“Word is starting to get around that there have been changes made to Capture the Crown’s lineup,” opens frontman Jeffrey Wellfare. “This is true, but what is also true is that we are looking forward and moving ahead full force onto the next, bigger & better chapter of Capture The Crown.”

“This band started touring in late 2012,” he recounts. “Since the beginning, not a single member has made a single cent. From day one, the band has been in copious amounts of debt. Factors contributing to the debt: the big one is relocating from Australia to the United States. Moving a touring band across the world is a very serious undertaking and a lot of money is used in the process, think of it as a start up investment.”

“Along with relocating, unfortunate luck with reoccurring vehicle issues on top of numerous other factors have not put us into a great place financially,” Wellfare adds. “With that said, not being paid or seeing any financial gains for almost three years is extremely rough! I would like to think that this is a HUGE contributor to the departure of these members.”

Despite the uphill climb ahead of him, Wellfare is optimistic, having already drafted in new band members. The band is set to embark on a national US tour soon and the frontman promises, “We have some big announcements and a whole lot on the horizon. Capture the Crown are here to stay, it’s time to finally kick some ass!”

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However, despite Wellfare’s assurances, the reality of Capture The Crown’s situation is grim. Despite the extensive string of tour dates the band have lined up, a recent Billboard report revealed that income from live performance varies wildly depending on the size of the act.

While arena headliners are able to take in “$300,000 to $400,000 on a $700,000 to $800,000 gross”, smaller “opening bands” and even mid-size acts can often lose money as a result of production costs and prohibitive label deals.

The only other option is to sell millions of records, but as Tone Deaf recently reported, no Australian artist has managed to do that this year, and the situation isn’t looking much better Stateside.

Perhaps Capture The Crown can take a tip from fellow expatriate rockers The Griswolds, who told Music Feeds, “Best thing you can do is make sure your parents have a spare room or a garage you can move into after you’re done overseas.”

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