Over the last decade, myriad factors have (for better and worse) upended the culture surrounding "indie" music. Its dissemination and overall makeup have been altered, especially as "indie" as a term has come less to represent a previously established ethos and more a programming-friendly marketing term. But few elements of modern life have so thoroughly changed indie -- specifically, the ways in which musicians attract a larger audience beyond merely releasing music -- the way that the prevalence of social media has.
The near-instantaneous level of access that listeners of all stripes have acquired when it comes to their favorite artists' digital attention has drastically changed the culture surrounding indie rock and other indie-adjacent variants, effectively flattening the playing field between some of corporate pop's up-and-comers and indie's biggest stars. "If you are worried about social media and spending too much time on it and you don't quit because you think you need it to have a career...it's NOT necessarily true!" So said Bon Iver's Justin Vernon on Twitter last month, but -- especially when taking into consideration recent events -- if anything, social media is increasingly essential to indie musicians' entire existence.
https://twitter.com/ryleywalker/status/1023576422517039104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
A couple weeks ago, Duterte was one of many artists who had to cancel tour dates due to thecoronavirus pandemic -- a list that grew exponentially until most American cities reached the point of total shutdown that they currently stand at. There's no touring revenue to be had, at all, and it's unclear whether the act of touring itself will be able to resume any time soon. Six months ago, maintaining a regular social media presence was, although increasingly essential, still an opt-out when it came to avenues for musicians to grow a career. If the future continues on the path it's currently at, it'll no longer be an option.
