Companions in Crisis

The two biggest issues that crop up time and time again in this magazine are the climate crisis and the state of the music industry. They are two issues with one main factor in common, that those at the bottom of the chain – independent artists, locals – are consistently losing out to those at the top. So, even when headlines at the start of this year say “‘Music is back’ as sales hit a 20-year high” (BBC News), with the success of streaming being put forward as the main reason, this doesn’t begin to tell you how little some artists are getting from albums that are being streamed tens of thousands of times. The major record labels generally account for 70–75% of the market share for streaming and sales, with independent artists battling it out for what’s left. One silver lining is a proposed ticket levy which will see 1% of profits from stadium and arena shows in the UK directed to the grassroots music industry, a proposal that increasingly looks like it will pass through government and would hopefully stem a tide that is seeing independent music venues closing at a remarkable rate – 125 such venues closed in 2023.

Yet, despite independent music facing such obstacles, it is also this side of the industry that is so often involved in raising funds for disasters – some of which have been exacerbated by the climate crisis – and leading the way in the awareness of climate crisis. The number of projects which we’ve featured that have endangered wildlife or habitat protection on their agenda is proof of that. This issue is very much about this confluence of interests, and especially how anyone interested in music can be active in finding solutions. Sam Lee has some sound advice in our conversation (p24), stemming from years of climate activism, with other artists and organisations sharing practical wisdom and anecdotes (p28) as we look at climate activism in the music industry.

This issue you will also notice a few changes in the magazine, with the Essential 10 now given an extra page so that we can go into more depth with our regular themed lists and new pieces, including Folk Archives (archival images of folkloric culture) and Label of Love (showing appreciation for some of our favourite record labels), as well as the Live Guide, our belated replacement for the Gig Guide, which will feature the latest events and tours by some of our favourite artists, as well as focusing on one town or city each issue, Margate taking the spotlight this time around. After receiving feedback from our readers, we hope this new guide will provide plenty of inspiration for finding live music and, through that, show our support for grassroots music during a testing time.