As many Canadian musicians have been throwing their hats into the conversation about "post-COVID" touring, Tess Roby has shared a lengthy statement to her social platforms detailing why she won't be touring any time soon.
The musician and SSUROUNDSS label frontrunner says the money she could spend touring would be better put to use by recording more albums, as the industry favours artists who "generate income," "have label support" and have "substantial marketing budgets."
"I really think the mental health of artists is suffering. After making my post, I received countless messages from artists who have been thinking the same thing, wondering how we are going to continue. We are struggling," Roby tells Exclaim!
When asked what can be done now to make touring more feasible, she says venues should stop taking merch cuts from artists, and that visas to tour the US would need to become cheaper.
"It's ridiculous that US artists can come to Canada with a letter and gain entry to play," she says. "Maybe if pressure was put on the government to help change this we would get somewhere. For now, that's why I'm not touring the US. The cost of a visa on top of everything else is too much."
The state of the Canadian music industry has garnered some heat recently, with many artists making their stances known. Recently, Cadence Weapon said he thinks mid-sized tours will become "a thing of the past." These concerns have been echoed by Canadian musicians and industry folk alike, many of whom are calling touring unsustainable for the time being.
This year, Roby has released her solo album Ideas of Space, as well as Postcards from the Sun to the Moon with her band Dawn to Dawn.
Read Roby's full statement on Twitter below.
The musician and SSUROUNDSS label frontrunner says the money she could spend touring would be better put to use by recording more albums, as the industry favours artists who "generate income," "have label support" and have "substantial marketing budgets."
"I really think the mental health of artists is suffering. After making my post, I received countless messages from artists who have been thinking the same thing, wondering how we are going to continue. We are struggling," Roby tells Exclaim!
When asked what can be done now to make touring more feasible, she says venues should stop taking merch cuts from artists, and that visas to tour the US would need to become cheaper.
"It's ridiculous that US artists can come to Canada with a letter and gain entry to play," she says. "Maybe if pressure was put on the government to help change this we would get somewhere. For now, that's why I'm not touring the US. The cost of a visa on top of everything else is too much."
The state of the Canadian music industry has garnered some heat recently, with many artists making their stances known. Recently, Cadence Weapon said he thinks mid-sized tours will become "a thing of the past." These concerns have been echoed by Canadian musicians and industry folk alike, many of whom are calling touring unsustainable for the time being.
This year, Roby has released her solo album Ideas of Space, as well as Postcards from the Sun to the Moon with her band Dawn to Dawn.
Read Roby's full statement on Twitter below.
The more info that's shared, and the more people understand how precarious the industry is for artists at this time, the more we can begin to change it together. Thanks for reading.
— Tess Roby (@tessroby) November 2, 2022
