“I don’t know Memphis music without Alicja Trout.” MEM Executive Director Elizabeth Cawein shared this in the first few minutes of this episode of Export 101, before getting a crash course from Alicja on her varied touring history – starting with a band called Spit Shine and most recently with her current project Sweet Knives (a band funded by MEM as Ambassadors for domestic and European tours). She’s been at this for a while and was generous enough to let us in on some things she’s learned along the way – click below to watch or listen to the full episode, and keep reading for some of Alicja’s top tips.
Make the plan, throw the plan out, repeat
The business of touring is a full-time job, and Alicja talks about the need to be flexible and roll with the punches in the process of booking yourself – especially as it takes you out of your comfort zone of creativity.
“There are days when you do nothing musical, and nothing creative, you’re just working on booking. You have to learn to be really flexible because you’re going to book the whole tour around this one date in Stockholm, Sweden, and everyone else is going to say, ‘Oh, can you do this other day? Can you move this around?’ You’ve got to be willing to take all the no’s, all the ‘you’ve gotta change this around,’ and not take any of it personally. Next thing you know, it’s the first day of your tour and next thing you know, you’re home from the tour – somehow, it all happens.”
When not to cut corners: security and safety
After years of touring there are plenty of lessons learned, but one Alicja emphasizes is not to cut corners when it comes to protecting yourself and your gear on the road.
“Safety is really important to me. It’s really important that you don’t decide one night to be lazy and not haul all your stuff inside. Or go out of your way to find somebody who can find a safe parking place for your van and your stuff, or a club that’ll let you house your stuff overnight and come get it in the morning. I’m completely sympathetic when I hear that a band got robbed, it’s terrible, but I always think: never, never, never get lazy. Always move your stuff inside. If it’s three o’clock in the morning and you have to move it up three flights of stairs, move your stuff inside.”
Alicja on what it means to be export ready: “You know you are ready to go on tour when your band has solidified its sound and every new song comes together with ease. But sometimes you book the tour before your band is ready, then you take the true Memphis sound outta town… fresh, uncontrived, raw, and real. This way you bring an energy that seasoned bands don’t have. Either way, it’s worth the trip. When you leave the U.S., you can really see the influence of American music. You also better understand that the sound you possess is a cultural thing, reflective of your region and its past influences. Touring teaches musicians a little more about the mystery of what they are making.”