This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Sarah McTaggart from the hit alt-pop band Transviolet. Transviolet exploded onto the scene in 2015 with their breakout single “Girls Your Age” with Epic Records. The band moved between a couple labels throughout their career, but they’re now independent. Transviolet has played Late Shows with Colbert and James Corden; they’ve had notable syncs including the Pretty Little Liars theme song; they’ve played huge festivals like SXSW, Governor’s Ball and Firefly; and they recently released their fourth studio album, Softcore.
Sarah tells Ari about Transviolet’s experiences working with a major label and how things have changed since going independent. They talk about the ins-and-outs of touring (including Transviolet’s upcoming US tour), how the band got started, and a brilliant guerrilla marketing technique they used to promote one of their early releases. Transviolet also had the surprising experience of finding out they were big in China (hot tip: you might be too). Tune in to find out how they discovered they were big over there and how you can check for yourself, too.
https://transviolet.com/
Chapters
00:00 The Evolution of the Music Business
02:53 Transviolet’s Journey to Independence
06:02 The Creative Process Behind ‘Softcore’
08:54 Exploring Vulnerability in Music
12:12 The Duality of Persona
15:09 Navigating Relationships and Personal Growth
17:50 Marketing Innovations in the Music Industry
21:11 The Impact of Major Labels vs. Independence
36:13 Redefining the Artist’s Team
39:34 The Evolution of Digital Marketing in Music
44:14 Navigating Social Media’s Impact on Music
51:07 Exploring International Touring Experiences
57:21 The Dynamics of Touring and Band Changes
01:08:28 Creating Art: The Journey of Songwriting and Production
Edited and mixed by Ari Davids
Music by Brassroots District
Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com
