For international star Lorde, touring has become a “crazy struggle to break even or deal with debt”.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter emptied her heart in her latest newsletter, which was sent to thousands of subscribers. She talks about the difficulties many artists have to struggle to do lucrative touring. For some of them, the mere idea of going on tour has become financially impossible, believes the author of numerous planetary successes such as Royals, Tennis Court and Solar Power.
She was credited with her first record deal at age 12, with Universal Records, thanks to a video of her singing on a college talent show. She insists on the importance of explaining to music fans the obstacles artists face.
In her long letter, the New Zealand singer speaks of “almost unprecedented difficulties” for artists, promoters and teams, citing various factors including the three-year pandemic, the global economic slowdown and “understandable” distrust of viewers’ health when attending a show. Add to this the shortage of labor and travel equipment (especially buses and trucks), upwardly revised prices, the cost of air travel, accommodation and equipment transport, and inflated overheads since the COVID-19 pandemic.
More expensive cards?
“Transporting a set around the world can currently cost up to three times what it was before the pandemic,” she writes. Ticket prices would have to go up to adjust even a little bit. »
Charging admirers and music lovers a higher bill to see them in concert is not an option for artists, she explains. The young woman also regrets the numerous cancellations and postponements, “the promises and the disappointments” that have been made to this audience, which she describes as understanding and flexible.
“All we want is to play for you guys,” writes the one who says she’s lucky though, while for other artists selling fewer tickets, the tour has become a mad rush to break even or to deal with debt. »
In her letter, the singer also addressed the increasing mental health issues facing stressed artists. “You’ll find that a lot of artists have canceled shows over the past year citing mental health issues,” writes the artist, who feels blessed that many of her venues are still full. .