“In Australia, AIR was one of the first independent trade associations to be formed, well before the UK and the US,” he says. “Back then, and still today, independent music hasn’t quite been given the love and attention by commercial radio, by the retail industry, as much as the majors have. Because the industry has changed so much, nowadays we do less service-oriented stuff and we’re more along the lines of advocacy, lobbying with government, with industry, with corporate. Really driving the importance of independent music to those sectors, as well as the general public. That’s why we have things like the awards and the charts – we want to spread our message as far as we can.”
The greatest catalyst for change in the music industry in this period has been the development of digital technology, with streaming services changing the very patterns by which we are exposed to and experience music. While the major labels’ struggles with this shift have been well documented, the challenges facing young, independent artists remain exhaustive.
“I think it’s harder for those emerging, grass-roots artists to sell their product now, to get their records into retail environments – whether that is bricks-and-mortar stores or online. They can certainly get their new releases up on streaming services and online retailers a lot easier than they can in physical stores, but there’s also the flipside, and that is their profile. That’s why we meet with places like Spotify, Google, Apple. All artists are seeing less sales and need to focus on other forms of revenue. So we’re there talking on behalf of the sector as a whole.”
In addition to AIR’s backstage commitments, there are, of course, the AIR Awards, which are an ever-growing celebration and testament to the endurance and talent of Australian independent artists and labels.
“It’s a testament to the strength of the independent music scene in Australia. To be able to not just hold awards for ten years running, but to have built them to such a degree. When you look back to 2006, it was just a small gathering at a hotel in Sydney with four awards, maybe one or two performances, that was it. Over the years we’ve hit this point now where the production quality is amazing. Five or six performances from key independent artists, it’s something we’re really proud of.”
With the awards covering twelve separate categories, it’s certainly a comprehensive portrait of the breadth and successes of contemporary Australian music – successes that owe a large debt to outfits like AIR, APRA/AMCOS, ARIA and the like. Having previously honoured musicians such as Courtney Barnett, Remi, Paul Grabowsky, Hermitude and many others, this year’s award night promises to be just as memorable.
“There’s nothing else out there that celebrates the hard work, the effort that goes in, the commitment from our independent artists. These people aren’t making millions of dollars, but they’re sticking at it. And these awards, they’re not like the Grammys. It’s not just handing out awards. It’s really paying homage to the award winners, to all of the nominees, to the genres that make up the sector, to the presenters, to all of those people involved. It’s really a once in a year opportunity for everybody in the independent music sector to get together and celebrate how we’ve grown and where we’re going.”
BY ADAM NORRIS
