We all know it’s hard to make a buck in today’s music industry and we all know it’s even harder to make big bucks. We also know that Northlane are one of Australia’s most popular and hard-working young bands.
Last year saw the Sydney metalcore outfit knocking the mighty Tame Impala off the top of the ARIA Albums Chart with their acclaimed release Node, which they followed up with a long string of tour dates.
The news that Northlane had the number one album in the country cemented their position as one of Australia’s best loved bands and proved that even the loss of a frontman couldn’t halt their incredible momentum.
But popularity and hard work doesn’t equal champagne and caviar. Why? Because it’s that hard to make money in today’s music industry. Even if you have an eagerly anticipated co-headline tour on the horizon.
The band recently took to Facebook to inform fans of an eBay auction they’re currently running, which will give fans the chance to get their hands on “test presses, rare and out of print merch, and signature gear”.
However, the band felt the need to clarify to fans that the proceeds from the auction will be going to the band and not to charity, shedding light on the financial reality of being a band, even a popular one, in 2016.
“While we’ve donated a lot to charity over time, the proceeds of this auction are going to go to the people in this band. We’ll be taking some time off touring this year to write the best new record we can,” they wrote.
We’ve just listed some more items in the eBay auction we’re currently running, including test presses, rare and out of…
Posted by Northlane onMonday, March 28, 2016
“As touring is our only substantial source of income, this money will go towards ensuring we can cover our bills and make ends meet while we’re not on the road,” they continued, before revealing they make less than minimum wage.
“We know you’ve heard it all before but understand that we really don’t make much money doing this as it is (well below minimum wage), we still need to put food on the table like anybody else,” they wrote.
In September last year, guitarist Josh Smith addressed just how wealth distribution works in the Northlane camp during a Reddit AMA after a fan quizzed him on just how the money the band generates is distributed.
“I guess all of our income streams end up in our bank account,” Smith explained, “and we are paid a weekly wage. Occasionally when there’s extra cash we will get a bonus, but we really don’t make heaps at all.”
Indeed, it seems just earning the national standard minimum wage is considered a feat of success for bands these days. Fellow Aussie heavy outfit Ne Obliviscaris recently launched a Patreon account in the hope of doing just that.
