Manchester Orchestra Band • Page 142

I think the point is if holding off or releasing something doesn’t change the venue size or add to the fan base much then why wait?

For active bands, 1.5-3 years between albums or something significance (EP or Live Record or something) is what Ive come to expect.

You can factor in delays based on if band members have side projects, produces, band situational stuff (like health and kids and such) and if they have other careers.

It has been a long while since new MO, but with Bad Books, Andy releasing demos, sounds like they do lots of Patreon, producing, touring and working with other artists and label management they’ve sounded busy. Plus new music is in the chamber.

Plus when you have family time evaporates.

I do wish bands could maintain that 3 years or less between releases, but this situation going on has messed things up. I still think they could release and short EP (1 new song from the album, bside from the new album and little something extra) like they did months before METN.

 

I think that’s 100% true, if you don’t anticipate possible growth in your fanbase.

The Gold was huge for them this past run. It got actual airplay. I can’t say it was higher than Friends way back when, but it got healthy rotation.

Let’s say that happens again, they get another ‘hit’, if they aren’t prepared to capitalize on that and your kid brother loves that song for a few months, they risk it getting lost in the shuffle of everything else. But maybe if they are able to promote it, play it, tour it in a more ‘normal’ capacity, they can grow and hook more folks.

 

Was the Gold bigger than the Silence? That shit had like 30 million plays on YouTube last I saw.

 

Well depending on how much this new album gets delayed, they could already start word on the skeleton or demos of what would be the next record so instead of a 4-5 year gap they could minimize it to 2 or less if they want and just stay on tour extensively to make up for losses.

 

the gold gets or got radio play so I imagine so

 

I'm thinking, like @ManchesterOrch8 said, that they are hoping that this "Sophomore album" for their "Second phase" will be huge for them. The Gold and The Silence were pretty big. The Maze and The Moth saw plenty of features in media. If they can knock this one out of the park, they move from indie darlings that a lot of people into this genre have heard of, to being a band that everyone who follows this realm of music has heard of and they become a bit more mainstream.

They're probably not going to hit like...Mumford/Coldplay level popularity, but I think they want to aim for Avett Bros, Lumineers, Head and The Heart, old Death Cab, Phoebe level of being in the current conversation. Probably not playing arenas, but maybe upgrading from a House of Blues to a Hard Rock.

There are a LOT of people I know that had never heard of them until A Black Mile To The Surface. I think we will see a big influx of a new post Black Mile fanbase.

Spotify also wasn't huge until the Black Mile era either. When Cope came out in 2014, those music streaming services were just starting to pick up steam and COPE was pretty straightforward hard rock, and HOPE didn't get the same level of rollout. All of that was internal as well.

 

Did anyone here discover this band from a single or featured appearance?

I feel like the were mostly discovered around the release of Like A Virgin Losing A Child or following that with their tour with BN/KD or in the lead up to and release of METN.

I guess maybe I’ve lost perspective on where fans of this band discovered them since I feel like I’ve been listened to them for a long time.

 

I'd say that's your big split. The original big rush of fans in that era, post LAVLAC release and with the BN/KD tour and release of METN.....and then just a slow steady stream of fans discovering them during Simple Math or Cope, probably via word of mouth....and then the second big rush of fans in The Black Mile era, with The Maze, The Gold, The Silence, and I Know How To Speak getting lots of features and streams and appearing on the radio or in Spotify playlists.

I personally was introduced to them by someone post-Simple Math pre- Cope, who got into them in the original era around LAVLAC and METN.


They're obviously going to have a much different explosion in popularity than someone like Phoebe who is incredibly online and the fanbase being those that openly talk and chat and meme about the music they listen to, and her participating in that.

 

It’s just hard to tell the impact singles, videos, soundtracks, radio guest appearances and all that have when you’re already in on a band.

I discovered them around the release of ILAVLAC. Can’t remember if I just looked into them, saw a review or whatever. Just thought it was such a cool record from an unknown band. It felt like all of a sudden buzz surrounding BN to them and other artists like KD that I like.

It’s just hard to tell the current impact of Black Mile, especially since I prefer their previous albums to it in terms of songs. Hoping when the next one comes out it hits on all areas of success and my personal favourite elements of MO.

 

I cannot possibly convey to you how many (mostly) girls had I Can Feel A Hot One on their iPods (back when ‘What’s on your iPod?’ was basically a pick up line lol). Gossip Girl really really helped them get new fans.

Same with Friends on Vampire Diaries.

Well placed features had/have a massive impact.

 

After the Scripture is a cool song too. I just didn’t know how much audiences endeavoured into finding soundtrack songs nowadays, because soundtracks used to feel bigger.

 

When I first heard it, I really felt like after the scripture coulda/shoulda been used in an episode of walking dead. Missed opportunity

 

Well it’s a bad show so I’m glad it wasn’t.

 

That final 90 seconds tho!

 

I was absolutely blown away at how big Phoebe got this year, and it seems like 90% of it was because of ‘Kyoto.’ I can absolutely see if Andy thinks they have a shot at similar success that it’s worth holding those songs back.

 

I don’t think people here probably discovered them on the radio or whatever, but people here arent the ones being talked about. I gotta imagine having The Gold pop up in trailers and stuff had a huge impact on people who don’t frequent music message boards and never heard of MO, and the same could potentially happen in the future with their new music.

 

Seemingly random but relevant because of the thread: the guy Andy put a song out with today? I discovered him on a random Apple Music list. I heard a song, checked out his record, and before my first listen was done I had ordered his vinyl. He’s in my top five most listened to artists over the last year, easily.

There are tons of avenues where one song can get all kinds of new fans. And pairing that with touring can be huge. It’s mainly just a bummer because I happen to think we’re potentially a couple years from returning to touring as it was.

 

To be fair though the entire Punisher release cycle has taken place during a period with no touring haha

 

Please go listen to Matt Maeson.

 

holy shit the ending of that song is powerful. everything Andy touches turns to gold

 

I am ready to call Matt Maeson and Andy Hull the greatest songwriting duo since Lennon and McCartney.

 

Damn, that song is fantastic.

 

Didn't Hot One have a prominent feature on Friday Night Lights back when that was big that helped too or am I just losing it? Really goes to show you that when you make the right, and limited decisions to have your music featured, it can pay off!

 

I wonder if how many people discover and stick with artists they discovered from TV series soundtracks, or if it’s just a one off.

I have seen people post they discovered Noah Gundersen via watching Sons of Anarchy, but I don’t know what that long term audience reach is. Shows like One Tree Hill used to go the extra mile to promote bands (past and present). Some shows says stuff like “tonight episode features music by...”.

Also wonder if anyone new discovered Manchester via Swiss Army Man or any source like that.

Video game soundtracks used to be (and maybe still are) a way to introduce people to music.