I chat to the bassist of Aussie metal band, Lord, Andy Dowling all about cultivating a DIEHARD fanbase, how they landed on the ARIA charts, social media, geeking out on time-management and more!
> Follow Lord here
> Andy Social Podcast
> Self Starter Podcast
> PR Course and resources for bands
Thanks for having me, Monica!
Pleasure! Was great chatting to you again!
Having been a fan of Lord (and it’s previous life as Dungeon) for almost 20 years i think they have always been ahead of other bands when it comes to interacting with fans. Long before social media started they were one of the first bands that had an online discussion forum where you could talk to the actual band members as well as other fans of the band.
Over the years they get to know their fans and understand the preferences of individual fans. With Andy handling most of the merch he knows that i’m old school and like the physical product (either vinyl or CD) and that i collect posters and setlists and other memorabilia so whenever I buy a CD or t-shirt he often includes a bonus poster or some old flyers or something he thinks i will like. As a fan that attention to detail really stands out.
I think a lot of new bands expect to have an instant fanbase because of social media but they need to realise it takes time. You need to be the opening band playing for no money and earn the respect of fans before you can expect to play higher on the bill.
Yes you can really tell by their fans how much they care about the band and it’s because the band genuinely cares about them! It’s fantastic to observe. Thanks for your comment!