Michael Kiwanuka fears touring costs could put off musicians: “I worry the quality of artists may diminish”

nme.com:

Michael Kiwanuka has reflected on the financial struggles that come with touring, and expressed his “worry” that rising costs could deter new musicians from playing live.The singer-songwriter opened up about the issue during a new interview with Music Week, and explained that he has already felt the strain from playing outdoor gigs throughout the summer.“I just finished festival season and I could feel the hole it made in my pocket,” he began. “For artists that make music that has a human touch to it, you need to tour to connect with people.

That’s something you can’t replicate, something where you can create a synergy and a fan for life, and on top of that, you can pay back the fans that are streaming, listening and spreading your music to people.”He continued, recalling how the monetary issues can feel like a deterrent for new artists hitting the road, and at times prevent them from allowing them to reach potential new fans.“If it gets too pricey, you can’t do that.

I worry that the quality of artists we produce may diminish because they don’t learn the grassroots, what it is to play and connect with your audience.”The comments come amid a recent report by rehearsal and recording studio network PIRATE, which revealed that 88 per cent of artists have noticed an increase in touring and gigging costs in recent years.In the survey, it was also shared that 72 per cent do not make any profit from touring and 24 per cent make a loss.Similarly, at the start of the year, members of Blur, the band formerly known as Easy Life, Get Cape.

Wear Cape. Fly and more told NME about the huge battles artists face when playing live, as well as how they hope the industry will improve going forward.Speaking at the Featured Artists Coalition,.