Badflower’s Josh Katz: ‘I Don’t Mind if People Don’t Buy Records Anymore’ – Interview
Badflower have really picked up momentum over the last year, especially with the release of their debut album OK, I'm Sick at the top of 2019. After spending the summer on the road with Shinedown, the band is preparing to embark on their first headlining tour at the end of the month. Frontman Josh Katz recently spoke with Loudwire Nights about his lack of concerns for the music industry, thoughts on social media and more.
In an era dominated by streaming, many artists, especially up-and-coming ones, have concerns about how to make ends meet. Streaming hardly pays as opposed to actual album sales, so touring and merchandise are many bands' main sources of income. Katz is one of few musicians who doesn't seem to feel threatened by this modern music industry model.
"I like streaming, I don't mind if people don't buy records anymore," the frontman explains. "I also feel like the way everything is set up now with the Internet, anybody who has any bit of talent has a shot to make it. I think that's really cool. Before you had to know somebody, you had to have some money behind you, you had to have all these things...[Now] you can put your stuff on the internet and that's that. If it's great, people are gonna find it."
On the notion of greatness, the vocalist attributes confidence as the most important trait to have as a musician when playing live.
Badflower have a pretty transparent presence on social media, and Katz admittedly has mixed feelings about the platforms. "I really enjoy it for all the worst reasons, and I'm like the first to admit that," he laughs. "It's like a fun, serotonin-booster that probably isn't healthy, but it's still fun and I love using it. It obviously can be used for good, and it is often used for good, but it can also be used for evil. I think I do both."
"I think the scariest part is people living so closely in that world and not existing outside of it, or not feeling like their existence outside of it is as important. I think that's dangerous, I can't tell you exactly why," he continues, making eventual jokes about Elon Musk programming us into "cyborgs."
To hear more stories behind some of Katz's tweeting and societal opinions, listen to the full interview above.
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