Side Projects as Solutions
Death Cab for Cutie - "The New Year" (Ben Gibbard's main band)
The Postal Service - "Brand New Colony" (Ben Gibbard's side project
A musician’s talent often requires more than one outlet for expression. To feel creatively fulfilled, members of bands often engage in side projects, which can consist of new bands or solo work. These side projects offer the musician more creative license than they may have in their original bands. For this reason, there has been a recent increase in the number of side projects that artists are creating to use their talents in expanded ways, especially in the alternative/indie rock scene. In this genre alone, side projects have been created by some of the most well-known band members, including Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, The Kills’ Alison Mosshart, and The White Stripes’ Jack White. The bands these artists have started offer a glimpse at other talents they possess because they play different instruments, perform in different styles, or make music in an entirely different genre. Side projects are important to pay attention to because of the subtle differences between an artist’s work in his or her original band and their side project. Sometimes, these differences go undetected; however, focusing on them allows the listener to better understand the artist themselves.
In the past, musicians did not engage in as many side projects because simply collaborating with other artists was more common. Musicians would contribute to a song, or even an EP, but not unite to form an entirely new group. Recently, the rise of side projects has proven to be an important facet of the alternative/indie rock scene that more people are paying attention to, given that the artist’s original band averages two or three years to release an album. People grow increasingly impatient for new music because of the way most music is currently distributed and disseminated, via the internet. With this impatience, fans embrace side projects as something to keep them occupied or temporarily entertained until the artist’s original band releases new music. However, the side projects themselves occasionally outshine the work of the musician’s main band.
The understated style and smaller scale of side projects provide the artist with an opportunity to not be as widely criticized as he or she may be with their original band. With this freedom, the artist is able to explore realms of their creative talent in ways that would not necessarily be included in the music produced in their main band. Some of the more famous side projects displaying more artistic freedom include: The Postal Service (Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie), The Dead Weather (Jack White of The White Stripes and Alison Mosshart of The Kills), and S. Carey (Sean Carey of Bon Iver). Although The Postal Service has only released one album, “Give Up” (2003), it was Sub Pop’s best-selling album since Nirvana’s “Bleach”, proving that side projects are just as marketable as the original band itself. Jack White, known for his masterful guitar playing evident in his work with The White Stripes, explores his skills as a drummer in The Dead Weather with Alison Mosshart as lead singer (she is also lead singer of The Kills). Sean Carey is the drummer for the popular indie band Bon Iver, but displays his vocal talent in his side project, S. Carey.
As many musicians are skilled in more ways than one, their side projects allow them to be creatively fulfilled and exhibit more control over work that might not make the cut with their main band. The juxtaposition of audio recordings and live performances from artists’ original bands and their side projects would show that side projects deserve just as much attention as the original band. The array of talent evinced in side projects enhances the authenticity of a musician by providing a scene in which creative risks are celebrated. In essence, side projects themselves have become a subgenre within the alternative/indie rock scene. Side projects have proven to be invaluable to musicians and fans alike.
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (Alison Mosshart's main band) and The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (Jack White's main band)
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