Introduction
There is a dangerous myth that persists in the underground scene: the idea of the “tortured artist.” We grow up idolizing figures who struggled, subconsciously telling ourselves that to make great art, one must suffer. But if you look around at the people in the local scenes, you won’t see “romantic suffering.” you see exhaustion, anxiety, and a relentless pressure to success that is actively harming the scene.
Main content
The reality of being a small independent artist today is not just about being able to write songs; it is about being a social media manager, a booking agent, and a promoter, often whilst working a minimum wage job. This “hustle culture” is taking a huge toll. Research backs up this feeling of despair. A landmark study titled “Can Music Make You Sick?” found that musicians are three times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than the generic public (Gross & Musgrave, 2016). The study highlights that the nature of the gig economy, not knowing when the next paycheck is coming, is a massive driver of said crisis. What also doesn’t help is the economic climate that is making it way harder to survive. A recent report highlighted by The Guardian reveals that 98% of musicians are concerned about rising costs, with many unable to afford equipment or travel to gigs (Bugel, 2022). It is terrifying to realize that the very thing we love, music, is the very thing making us sick. Even for those who do “make it”, the reality is often grim. Duerden (2022) described the industry as a “brutal business” where artists are often discarded the moment they stop trending, leaving them without a support system. We are told to “grind” and "hustle" until we break, and if we complain, we are then told we just don’t want it bad enough. We need to stop normalizing the idea that you must destroy yourself to create something better. The underground scene prides itself on community and individuals, but we often fail to check in on the well being of each other. Structural change is slow, so we must try to redefine success for ourselves (and especially for artists). If “making it” requires sacrificing your sanity, then the price is simply way too high.
References:
Bugel, S. (2022, November 14) ‘Music could wither’: new report finds 98% of musicians concerned about rising costs in the UK. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/14/report-finds-98-per-cent-music-makers- concerned-costs-help-musicians Duerden, N. (2022, April 16). ‘That’s it? It’s over? I was 30. What a brutal business’: pop stars on life after the spotlight moves on. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/apr/16/pop-stars-spotlight-bob-geldof-robbie-williams- lisa-maffia Gross, S. A., & Musgrave, G. (2016). Can music make you sick? Music and depression: A study into the incidence of musicians’ mental health. University of Westminster / Help Mucisians UK. https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/q33qy/can-music-make-you-sick-part-1-a- study-into-the-incidence-of-musicians-mental-health