GRAMMYs

Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent)

Photo: Jay West/WireImage via Getty Images

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Phosphorescent, Built To Spill, Sierra Hull & More On This Week's Pickathon's A Concert A Day Benefiting MusiCares

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Week 6 of the music throwback concert series also features Warpaint, Anna & Elizabeth, Joseph and more
Jennifer Velez
MusiCares
May 11, 2020 - 12:15 pm

This week's Pickathon's #AConcertADay series benefiting MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund lineup is here. Starting Monday, May 11, catch a flashback performance from a variety of artists including Sierra Hull, Shakey Graves, Warpaint, Built To Spill and more. 

Pickathon has been releasing throwback performances since early April and has partnered with the Recording Academy to help musicians affected by the pandemic by benefiting the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund. This week Pickathon also announced that Spotify's COVID-19 Music Relief project will match every dollar raised during the series for MusiCares up to $10 million. 

To watch the flashback show, head over to Facebook Premiere with the Recording Academy, Amazon Music’s Twitch Channel or to YouTube's Stay Home #WithMe initiative. Every concert is streamed at 4 p.m. EST/ 1 p.m. PST. 

Full schedule from Pickathon below:

Monday: Sierra Hull
GRAMMY-nominated Bluegrass phenom Sierra Hull in her 2018 Woods Stage performance.
 
Tuesday: Phosphorescent
Shimmery, haunted country rock from his 2018 Woods Stage performance.
 
Wednesday: Anna & Elizabeth
Folk iconoclasts Anna & Elizabeth in their 2017 Lucky Barn performance.
 
Thursday: Built To Spill
Indie rock godfathers Built To Spill in their 2018 Woods Stage performance .
 
Friday: Shakey Graves
Americana rock ruffian Shakey Graves in his 2014 Workshop Barn performance.
 
Saturday: Warpaint
Art rock tour-de-force Warpaint in their 2014 Woods Stage performance.
 
Sunday: Joseph
Hallelujah harmonies from the sister trio in their 2015 Treeline Stage performance.
Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

WATCH LIST: Online Concerts To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

GRAMMYs

Mac DeMarco

Photo: FilmMagic/FilmMagic via Getty Images 

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Mac DeMarco, Nathaniel Rateliff, Joan Shelley & More On This Week's Pickathon's A Concert A Day Benefiting MusiCares

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The Pickathon #AConcertADay online concert series continues to aid MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund with a range of artists including Zephaniah OHoraTune and Black Milk & Nat Turner
MusiCares
May 4, 2020 - 2:33 pm

Another start to the week means another set of all-star performance schedules from Pickathon's #AConcertADay series benefiting MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund. This week revisit performances from Mac DeMarco, Nathaniel Rateliff, Joan Shelley, Israel Nash, Black Mountain, Zephaniah OHora and Black Milk & Nat Turner. 

Pickathon has been releasing throw-back performances since early April and has partnered with the Recording Academy to help musicians affected by the pandemic by benefiting the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund. To watch the flashback show, head over to Facebook Premiere with the Recording Academy, Amazon Music’s Twitch Channel or to YouTube's Stay Home #WithMe initiative. Every concert is streamed at 4 p.m. EST/ 1 p.m. PST. 

Full schedule from Pickathon below:

Monday: Israel Nash
Texas genre-bending rock and roller from his 2015 Treeline Stage performance.
 
Tuesday: Joan Shelley
Kentucky indie roots balladeer from her 2015 Lucky Barn interview and performance.
 
Wednesday: Black Mountain
Vancouver psychonauts from their 2016 Galaxy Barn performance.
 
Thursday: Mac DeMarco
Indie rock legend from his 2014 Woods Stage performance.
 
Friday: Nathaniel Rateliff
Americana hero goes folkie with a special set from his 2019 Woods Stage performance.
 
Saturday: Zephaniah OHora
Countrypolitan revivalist and breakout discovery from his 2018 Lucky Barn performance/interview.
 
Sunday: Black Milk & Nat Turner
Cutting edge jazz and hip-hop collides in their 2017 Treeline Stage performance.
 

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

WATCH LIST: Online Concerts From J Balvin To Luke Combs To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

Frank Iero

Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance

Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

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MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

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Linda Perry with We Are Hear, Brett Young via Levi Strauss' "5:01 Live" series and CMT, with their upcoming star-studded Kenny Rogers tribute special, have also joined the cause
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Apr 6, 2020 - 12:58 pm

Many more artists and companies have come together during this difficult time to support the many music people out-of-work and in-need due to coronavirus, with more fun fundraisers and generous donations to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Today, actor/singer Rita Wilson teamed up with hip-hop legends Naughty By Nature to release a special remix of their classic track "Hip Hop Hooray," featuring none other than Wilson herself throwing down bars. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Fund. It was released on YouTube today (listen below) and will be available across streaming/digital platforms this Friday. Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, contracted COVID-19 while filming in New Zealand; after posting a video rapping "Hip Hop Hooray" on Instagram, the group reached out to her about collaborating on the new version for a good cause.

For the last two weeks, Nashville powerhouse singer/songwriters and power couple Ellie and Drew Holcomb having been performing fun covers ranging from U2 to Kacey Musgraves to John Mayer on their daily Kitchen Covers series, raising money for MusiCares and their out-of-work touring band and crew.

Linda Perry and Kerry Brown's We Are Hear multifaceted music org have launched the On The Air series, in partnership with Roland, featuring music industry talks, performances and more on YouTube. With the platform's donation functionality, they are raising money for the Fund. Halestorm's Lzzy Hale offered some empowering words and music in one of the latest episodes. 

Read More: Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

On Wednesday, April 8, CMT will be airing a special star-studded tribute show to the late country king Kenny Rogers to benefit MusiCares. "CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit for MusiCares" will feature at-home performances by Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Lady Antebellum, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flatts and more.

Later this week, on April 11, the Human To Human 2020 festival on Facebook Live will feature live music from Alec Benjamin, Tayla Parx, Skylar Grey, Richard Marx, Cyn, Grouplove, Jewel, Lauren Daigle and more. They will be raising money for the Plus1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has partnered with MusiCares and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

Until April 9 (it began April 2), the UnCanceled Music Festival is bringing tons of live sets from artists around globe by pairing with local venues and brands to curate digital stages. The massive online event is hosted on the StageIt platform and requires "attendees" to donate in a pay-what-you-can model to watch. Fender's stage has featured alt faves like Waxahatchee, Cautious Clay and The Marias, while Los Angeles venue Hotel Cafe has tapped VINCINT, Colbie Caillat, Molly Tuttle and more. All money raised is donated to the venues' staff, the artist community and MusiCares.

Fender has been finding several creative ways to collaborate with artists and contribute to the MusiCares Fund. With the Fender Artist Check-In series on IGTV, they've tapped bad-ass guitarists including My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero, John 5, Isbell, and more and are donating on behalf of each artist that participates. In Iero's recent Check-In, which you can watch below, he shares a guitar tutorial for two MCR fan-favorites, "Ghost of You" and "Welcome to the Black Parade."

For those seeking a little retail therapy for a good cause, live music photographer Jacob Blickenstaff and pop star Troye Sivan have you covered. Blickenstaff has partnered with some of the artists he's photographed over the years, including Isbell, Dawes, Yola and Hiss Golden Messenger, selling gorgeous prints with a portion of the proceeds going to the Fund. Sivan, who had shared he would be supporting both MusiCares and the WHO's coronavirus relief efforts, recently released merch for his new single, "Take Yourself Home." All the profits from the three t-shirts will be donated to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Spotify's COVID-19 Music Relief project, which supports MusiCares and several other charities.

Last Fri., April 3, Light In The Attic & Friends Live brought live sets from Ben Gibbard, Jim James, Fred Armisen, Barbara Lynn, Devendra Banhart and more on their YouTube and Twitch accounts. All donations were directed to MusiCares. "Lo-Fi" singer Haley Reinhart recently did a performance on Billboard's Live At-Home series, choosing MusiCares as her charity of choice.

Explore: GRAMMY Museum To Debut Never-Before-Seen Content From Billie Eilish & FINNEAS, Brandi Carlile, Yola & Much More

Denim purveyors Levi Strauss have launched a star-studded 5:01 Live IGTV music and chat series to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts from MusiCares and the WHO. So far, it's featured a stellar squad including Snoop Dogg, Questlove, Burna Boy, Moses Sumney and Brett Young. Young, who performed last week, donated his performance fee to MusiCares. Additionally, the country star's past GRAMMY Museum is also being featured in the Museum's exciting digital offering rollout, going live on April 29.

On March 30, his birthday, country star Thomas Rhett released a new song benefiting MusiCares, called "Be A Light." Featuring none other than Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin, all of the artists' proceeds will be donated to the cause. Joining the growing coalition of companies supporting the Fund, the Country Music Association and its philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, announced a $1 million donation last week.

As more members of the music community rallying around a unified cause, we'll keep you posted right here on musicares.org.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

How Kevin Griffin Of Better Than Ezra Raised Over $40K (And Counting) For MusiCares In Just An Hour On Facebook

Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan performs in Sydney in 2019

Photo: Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images

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Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

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The Recording Academy's nonprofit arm, MusiCares, established the fund earlier this month to support the many people in the music industry negatively affected by the coronavirus crisis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Mar 30, 2020 - 4:57 pm

Two weeks ago, MusiCares, the Recording Academy's nonprofit dedicated to supporting music people in need, established the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The new MusiCares fund has already raised money for and offered help to those facing "the greatest need" in the music industry right now, as the coronavirus crisis has halted most-to-all live events.

Learn More: MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

Many musicians have already made generous donations to the fund, with many engaging with fans in creative ways to fundraise, from livestreaming concerts and online festivals to merch sales. Today, March 30, Japanese rock star Yoshiki and philanthropist offered a generous donation of $100,000 to the fund via his charity Yoshiki Foundation America.

Aussie pop sweetheart Troye Sivan pledged donations to the WHO Solidarity Response Fund and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund in a recent IGTV video to his fans. He explained the vital importance of MusiCares' work at this time, supporting crew and others most affected by tours and festivals being canceled en masse. He noted that he'll be donating via Spotify, as they are matching donations to MusiCares, and encouraged his fans to do the same.

WATCH LIST: Livestreaming Concerts From SOFI TUKKER To Neil Young To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

Alt-folk crooner Father John Misty recently released a new live album on Bandcamp, Off-Key In Hamburg, for which 100 percent of proceeds will go to the fund. Dave Longstreth of Brooklyn indie favorites the Dirty Projectors, released a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Isolation," with all proceeds (until April 3) going to the fund. The track, also available on Bandcamp, is being offered as "pay-what-you-wish" to encourage larger donations to the fund. Pop act OneRepublic and their label UMG/Interscope are donating a portion of streaming proceeds (through September) from their new single "Better Days" to the MusiCares Fund.

With many artists joining the livestream concert-from-home party, some of them have used the platform to solicit donations for charities working on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Americana power couple Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell have been sharing daily-ish concerts on YouTube they've dubbed "I So Lounging," sharing a portion of the donations they get with the Fund.

Kevin Griffin, the frontman of indie-rock stalwarts Better Than Ezra, raised over $40,000 from one Facebook live performance! He shared he was inspired by rising singer/songwriter Molly Tuttle, who raised $2,200 for MusiCares with a Facebook livestream on March 16. Tuttle is also donating a portion of all merch sales on her website (until the end of April).

Singer/songwriter Trevor Hall did an IGTV livestream on March 27, partnering with CLIF GreenNotes for their Playing From Home concert series. The org donated one dollar for each person that tuned in (up to $5,000) to the MusiCares Fund and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Nahko Bear of Portland band Nahko And Medicine For The People also participated in CLIF's series on March 23, with MusiCares the recipient of all donations.

Los Angeles-based trio Magic Giant organized an IGTV Live From Quarantine concert over the past weekend to raise money for MusiCares, tapping Nahko, Brandon Jenner, Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T's and more. Following the model of the CLIF series, one dollar for every viewer that tuned in (up to $15,000) was pledged to the Fund.

How Will Coronavirus Shift Electronic Music? Maceo Plex, Paul Van Dyk, Luttrell, Mikey Lion & DJ Manager Max Leader Weigh In

Concert discovery platform Bandsintown hosted a two-day "Live Music Marathon" on Twitch, featuring performances from Taking Back Sunday, Amanda Palmer, Tank & The Bangas, Tayla Parx, SOFI TUKKER, BLOND:ISH, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, The Mowglis and more. On their Twitch page, they encourage donations via the platform's "Bits" monetization program, and will continue to do so with their upcoming programming.

Bass DJ/producer Said The Sky released a popular new "Sadboi" hoodie today, with a portion of the sales going to MusiCares. Last week, pop superstar Selena Gomez made headlines for dropping new merch for Rare's "Dance Again," with part of proceeds going to the MusiCares Fund.

Alicia Keys and the nonprofit she co-founded, She Is The Music, paired up with Amazon Music, who each pledged up to $100,000 to the Fund, with a fundraiser based on social engagement with a post. The streaming giant also joined SiriusXM and Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL, YouTube Music and Facebook last week, all of whom pledged efforts to support the music community in need via the Fund.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

Independent Publicists Persist Through The Coronavirus Impact On The Music Industry

Crowd shot at SXSW 2019

Crowd shot at SXSW 2019

Photo: Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW

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How The Global Coronavirus Pandemic Is Directly Impacting Songwriters, Musicians And Artists

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With the worldwide concert industry now in flux, the coronavirus disruption has created a volatile environment for artists, musicians, songwriters and producers on every level
John Ochoa
Advocacy
Mar 13, 2020 - 3:35 pm

By now, the detrimental effects of the global coronavirus pandemic on the music industry are loudly heard. Major festivals around the world are postponing or outright cancelling their 2020 editions. This month alone, Coachella and Stagecoach, Ultra Music Festival, SXSW, Lollapalooza Argentina, Treefort Music Fest, Brussels' Listen! Festival and several other major events were called off or postponed due to the coronavirus. The aftermath has impacted everything from music conferences and award shows—this year's Winter Music Conference, ASCAP Experience, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and BMI Latin Awards were all cancelled or postponed—while the amount of cancelled national and international tours continues to grow seemingly on the daily.

As the coronavirus itself continues to spread, so too does its ramifications on the music industry. While industry experts and analysts are projecting that the live concert business could stand to lose billions, the financial fallout is virtually immeasurable at this point.  

But music's financial collapse is already taking its industry-wide toll. 

"You have people delaying on-sales for tours, and you have people who are going to postpone tours. It's chaotic and stressful, from agents and managers to artists, their families and their support teams," Allen Kovac, an artist manager who represents Mötley Crüe and other acts, told The New York Times.

The downfall of the live music space comes in the streaming era when the majority of professional recording artists and performing musicians rely heavily on touring and live performances as their main source of income. A 2018 survey by the Music Industry Research Association and the Princeton University Survey Research Center, in partnership with the Recording Academy's MusiCares, found that live performances were the "most common income source for musicians," according to Rolling Stone. (Pitchfork's in-depth feature on the booming music streaming market visualizes these financial percentages in a helpful graph.) 

Crowd shot at SXSW 2018

Still, even as the streaming industry continues to grow, with streaming accounting for 80 percent of the music industry’s overall revenue, the low royalty rates make it difficult for small and independent artists to even earn a minimum wage through streaming. And artists continue to make nothing from traditional AM/FM radio platforms (a major reason why Congress needs to pass the AM-FM Act). 

This all makes the live music industry all that more important for artists and musicians, especially for those considered to be non-superstar acts who rely on paychecks from touring and live gigs just to make a living. A coronavirus-sized pandemic that causes festival cancelations and cuts touring schedules short will undoubtedly impact the bottom line of artists and creators of every size on a global scale. Simply put: No shows = no paycheck. 

The coronavirus cancellations will also trickle down to songwriters, who depend on performance royalties from the live performances of their songs. A decrease in shows unquestionably equates to a decrease in potential gains via live performance royalties.

Then, of course, there's the legion of audio engineers, sound and light crews, backstage teams, tour managers and other behind-the-scenes hands who have doubtlessly lost work due to canceled tours, conferences and festivals. As DJ TechTools, a DJ- and gear-centric outlet, points out, audiovisual technicians are reporting a massive wave of job cancellations as more and more music conferences are cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 

With the global concert industry now in flux, the disruption has created a volatile environment for artists, independent musicians, songwriters, producers and the like on every level. As tours and festivals continue to cancel, these same industries are, too, impacted, leaving session players, live musicians and all sorts of creative workers to face potentially empty touring and recording schedules for months on end. Worst of all, there is no end in sight just yet. 

Still, as the coronavirus story develops and the world continues to adapt, so will our beloved music industry. The artist and musician community can tap into the national and local resources available to alleviate any financial, mental and social distress caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

If you are an artist or music professional who has been impacted by this unprecedented circumstance and are in need of assistance, please visit our MusiCares page to learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy.

For more information and developments related to the coronavirus, visit the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for ongoing news and updates.

Going Viral: The Music Industry Grapples With The Worldwide Coronavirus Outbreak