Discovering new music you love can feel like unearthing treasure. So when fans flocked to Geese in the last year and made their frontman, Cameron Winter, the most talked-about indie star of the moment, it felt like a genuine rush of emotion and connection. They ruled the end-of-year lists. Their tours sold out. A big deal for a group whose members were barely born the last time New York bands were cool.
But when fans heard a podcast interview with two marketing executives talking about how they created a buzz around the bands they worked with, a backlash ensued. The culture journalist Shaad D'Souza explains why music lovers felt so angry, and the music business and technology reporter Eamonn Forde tells Nosheen Iqbal why bands' publicity machines feel they need to take such extreme tactics to break through.
In a recent podcast, Shaad D'Souza detailed how a marketing company revealed its tricks for pushing bands into the limelight, including Geese. The revelation sparked outrage among fans who felt deceived. Eamonn Forde discussed the broader context, noting that the music industry is so competitive that many artists resort to manufactured hype to gain traction. The episode explores the fine line between genuine promotion and artificial buzz, and what it truly takes to succeed in today's music landscape.
