In this chat we speak with Jamie from indie pop-rockers Et Tu Brucé about their new project, influences and surviving as indie musos in this digitized age.
Check out the band’s single “Laska” below.
Introduce yourself to our readers and describe the style of music you create.
My name is Jamie White, and I am ¼ of the band Et Tu Brucé. We play a mix of pop, rock, folk, country, which generally gets described as ‘West London meets West Coast’.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing styles? Also, what motivates you to keep creating?
There are so many people, so many acts, I wouldn’t know where to start. I suppose more than one particular musician or writer, it would be songs themselves. I remember being in love with songs before I could grasp the concept of the people behind them. I knew then what was fundamental, namely how the music made me feel.
What was the last song you listened to?
Does it count if it’s on the radio in the background? OK, it was Footloose by Kenny Loggins.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
The digital era gives us all the same opportunity to make music, but that hasn’t led to a leveling of the land. Each challenge depends entirely on your ambition, and your objectives. I’d like as many people as possible to hear the music we make, but that isn’t reliant on will power alone. You still need help, and I don’t think that will ever change.
Publicists, managers, pluggers, promoters, aggregators, editors, and many more. You may not need them all at once, but at some point there is a fair chance you’ll need to learn about what they do and how you can do it yourself. Even though you could probably fill most of the roles, you can’t realistically expect to be able to whilst still looking after the only part that truly matters. Making music.
Do you gig, tour or perform through any live streaming services? Where can music lovers see you perform?
We used to, and reasonable regularly as it is a wonderful tool to possess, but I’m still dubious over the quality level. It’s hard to feel confident unless everyone tuning in can use the same equipment, and receive a matching signal, and it can be disheartening to continually interrupt a performance because 30% of the audience can only hear screeching sounds akin to dial-up internet or a rogue fax machine. We are going to do some this year though, to help reach the places we can’t. All details will be on the website www.ettubruce.com
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
We can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram where you can ask us anything at all, and call us whatever you like. The music can be found on our Reverbnation page, or on Soundcloud. There are two albums, and a few singles to discover. The website (ettubruce.com) also has a well stocked shop.
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Music is art. It’s all too easy to forget it when you drag yourself towards commerce, but it is crucially important to remember.
