It doesn't need to be an argument. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about other people choices. If your main goal is paying gigs and you want to be successful at that you need to cater to the market to a large degree. Here in Sarasota there only a couple of venues that book original music. You can get booked playing beach/vacation style covers 365 days a year if you want to though. This has less to do with paying royalties than it does with the fact that you are playing to an older crowd, most of whom are on vacation and people generally want to party to the music that was popular when they were roughly 16-30. That is the reality of the market. You can slip in some originals but I don't consider that being an original act. I don't consider an act that does mainly originals but slip in a few covers to be a cover band either. I also know many, many musicians who prefer to play covers that were popular when they were 16-30. They don't write and aren't particularly creative and tend to do a particular version of a song and play it the same way every time. Not my cup of tea but if it makes them happy who am I to say they are wrong in doing what they prefer.
When I lived in Asheville, NC you couldn't get a gig playing covers unless you went out of town. You could play completely crappy original music and get gigs right and left.
I have a good friend who is one of the most prolific songwriters I have met. He has had a gathering at his home every Sunday for the last 25 years and rarely gigs, has no internet and measure success his own way. He's recorded numerous albums but doesn't really try to sell them, loves his day job, is well respected in his home town and plays music almost every night. You'll probably never find one of his tunes online. One of the happiest guys I know. If i could write like that I'd be shouting it from the rooftops.
I know another songwriter that is banging his head against walls trying to get his music out there with little success. He is completely frustrated and complains constantly that he has to play so many covers to keep gigging.
Another songwriter I know and used to tour with has supported herself for over 30 years playing her own music and has multiple albums on Rounder Records and still tours nationally.
In the end you have make decisions based on what is important to you and what the market will bear and trying to tell someone else what they should be doing is wasted energy.
When I lived in Asheville, NC you couldn't get a gig playing covers unless you went out of town. You could play completely crappy original music and get gigs right and left.
I have a good friend who is one of the most prolific songwriters I have met. He has had a gathering at his home every Sunday for the last 25 years and rarely gigs, has no internet and measure success his own way. He's recorded numerous albums but doesn't really try to sell them, loves his day job, is well respected in his home town and plays music almost every night. You'll probably never find one of his tunes online. One of the happiest guys I know. If i could write like that I'd be shouting it from the rooftops.
I know another songwriter that is banging his head against walls trying to get his music out there with little success. He is completely frustrated and complains constantly that he has to play so many covers to keep gigging.
Another songwriter I know and used to tour with has supported herself for over 30 years playing her own music and has multiple albums on Rounder Records and still tours nationally.
In the end you have make decisions based on what is important to you and what the market will bear and trying to tell someone else what they should be doing is wasted energy.
