Year on year, the tedious ‘rock is dead’ statements are wheeled out. Everything we once loved is now, apparently, ‘dead’ – the album, live music and, of course, rock radio. Music fans might as well give up now, right?
Mainstream radio doesn’t play rock music anymore – certainly not metal music, or any of rock’s more challenging, avant garde cousins – and as we reported last year, there’s little chance your band is going to get radio airplay. There’s nothing on the air for real rock fans, or so it seems.
As we pointed out in our article, commercial radio is at the mercy of market research, heads of ‘content’ and advertising cash. Mainstream radio may no longer be a viable tool to access or promote rock music, but discounting radio’s power altogether is a blinkered view that ignores what radio has become in 2019.
Developments in technology have enabled an explosion of niche radio across all genres, worldwide. There’s everything from a female collective promoting the best of women in alternative music to a station based in a record shop in Zurichand an international station exploring underground sounds from all corners of music.
The same is true for rock radio, where independent and internet stations cover everything, catering for the broadest of tastes to the most mind-warpingly niche. Rock radio is alive and well, it’s just on us to discover it. Technology has taken the power from commercial gatekeepers and advertisers and handed it back to fans and those passionate about rock music. Rock radio is in our control and it’s better than it ever has been.
The ease of setting up your own station – anyone with a basic microphone and a laptop can record a show and bang it up on Mixcloud, a platform that covers all artist royalties and pays successful creators – has seen the breadth of rock shows grow by the day. With titles like ‘Stoner Witch Radio’ and ‘Hour Of The Riff‘ broadcasting regularly, you can rest easy in the knowledge there’s always some serious riffage to delve into on the airwaves.
To get to to the heart of rock radio’s outsider explosion, Louder took a closer look at the current state of radio and found that the reality is actually pretty positive for rock stations. In a world where niches dominate, where commercial radio is dying and streaming has made things cold and impersonal, music curated and presented by a trusted human voice has more value than ever. It’s simple: listeners want to connect with DJs and other like-minded people whose tastes and opinions they trust.
One such station is Gimme Radio. A metal-focused station and subscriber service based in the US (but starting to make serious waves in Europe, too), the station has a freeform, non-playlist approach to music, with shows helmed by passionate, big name hosts including Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, Lamb Of God‘s Randy Blythe and Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth.
“The idea that radio is a dead format, I don’t believe that,” says Albert Mudrian, Decibel magazine editor and another of Gimme’s roster of DJs. “I think that things that are actually curated by humans and no algorithms are still a worthy, interesting piece of culture. I mean, I can listen to Gimme Radio and those dots that are connected within a show, a two hour show of somebody’s playlist, you really feel like somebody is looking out for your best interests, an actual human being trying to put together a mix for you.”
“There is definitely a different feeling from the curation from a human being and a computer,” he adds. “I don’t know if generations younger than me get that, but I do know it speaks to me in that manner.”
With presenters and listeners completely in control of the music, deep-dives into metal’s less accessible corners – including album tracks and an abundance of new music – are not only possible but, actually, expected.
“We’ve got this really great place to stream music, to get royalties to the bands, interview the bands – bands that people would just not hear, even on satellite radio some of these bands wouldn’t get the time of day,” Dave Mustaine tells us. “We really are thinking about the fan. It’s not about seeing how big this can get, about getting sponsors, selling advertising, selling it out. It’s about the music.”
Around 50% of the music played on Gimme Radio is new stuff from established acts, but you’re likely to hear pretty well anything, right down to the first demos from the deepest underground bands.