Playing in an independent rock band will eventually make you equal parts truck driver, gladiator and mule. Glamour is for those with trust funds.
Interpretation
Being in an indie rock band involves hard work and sacrifice, dispelling the myth of glamour.
In this quote, Neko Case describes the gritty reality of being part of an independent rock band. Instead of the glamorous life often imagined, musicians face the challenges of hard labor and resilience, likening their experience to that of truck drivers, gladiators, and mules. This emphasizes the sacrifices musicians make in pursuit of their passion, contrasting it with the privilege of those who have financial support.
In practice
During a speech at a music festival, you might quote this to highlight the dedication of indie musicians.
Clare Fischer was a major influence on my harmonic concept. He and Bill Evans, and Ravel and Gil Evans, finally. You know, that's where it really came from. Almost all of the harmony that I play can be traced to one of those four people and whoever their influences were.
I've had experiences where people say, 'I hated jazz before I heard you guys!' I'm like, 'You didn't hate jazz before you heard us; you hated the idea of jazz.'
Audiences like their blues singers to be miserable.
Bach takes you to a very quiet place within yourself, to the inner core, a place where you are calm and at peace.
I think my biggest musical hero growing up was probably Ian MacKaye. He set a great example for all of us local musicians. Still, to this day, I see him as the best example of a right-on musician.
Radio stations have constructed a narrow door[way], and that's because they don't understand how complex and paradoxical our snap judgments are. It's hard to measure new songs.
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