Guitarist John Notto shares his cure for COVID blues, the reality of opening for your heroes, and more on the latest episode of our long-running podcast.
Rock music has a promotion problem, and that’s not news to anyone working in the entertainment business. Rock has long heralded the bands that brought the genre to mainstream success in the 1970s and 1980s, which has made it increasingly hard for newer groups to get radio airplay and media attention. As you read this, somewhere in America, at least six radio stations are playing “Back In Black,” and another four are spinning “Paradise City.” The chance a band from the last five years is getting airplay right now is low, and therein lies the problem that those in rock music are trying hard to correct.
The only way young artists can establish themselves and build lasting careers is with the support of radio and the media. Other areas of music, such as pop and hip-hop, cater to that need far more than rock. A lot of people in positions of power throughout the rock community cannot bring themselves to limit the exposure given to legacy acts to help up and comers succeed because, frankly, most people don’t know about those new musicians. In an age where retaining and building an audience matters more than ever, tastemakers want to work with groups that have followings rather than those needing help creating them.
We do not see ourselves as industry influences, but we have a platform, and we’re choosing to use it for the betterment of the music business as a whole. Inside music exists to explore the business side of entertainment, and we feel the best way to do that is by working with artists currently cutting their teeth in the professional world.
On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell speaks with Dirty Honey guitarist John Notto about his band’s unbelievable ascension through the rock music ranks. John tells James what the group was planning before the spread of coronavirus, as well as their efforts to keep fans engaged during these uncertain times.
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