Aaron Snow of Landing on the Landing subscriber series

As mentioned in a previous post with Robin Rimbaud, I've been trying to talk to musicians who maintain fan clubs or subscriptions that offer exclusive releases. And, bonus if the band had something to say about Spotify. The first band I reached out to was Landing, a band I read about in MassTransfer: A zinethology. Not only did they have a successful subscription series, the series seemed to have been, at least partly, spawned out of a "small protest" against Spotify. And did I mention they make beautiful floating drone-esque space gaze akin to Windy & Carl ... but surely you already know that if you're one of the few coming to lurk around the blank mood shadows here.

So anyway, I got in touch with Aaron, who spoke to me on behalf of the band, about their subscription series. With their blessing, the song "Pillow", from their monthly subscription series collection 01, was included in episode 14 of _____ mood.

You can read more about Landing in MassTransfer: A zinethology - the entire book is a highly recommended read for anyone with an interest in the independent, DIY, zine-staplin', playin' in so-and-so's basement, experimental space/psych music scene of the US in the 90s. Or really, anyone who ended up here and hasn't read it yet. If you don't buy books, check out this Landing interview from 2022 with Sun 13.

What was the main reason for starting the Landing subscription series?

We started the subscription as a way to keep the band active. When we started the subscription a few years ago, we had stopped playing shows and were geographically distant from each other. It seemed to me like there was a chance we could drift into inactivity, which bummed me out. I thought that if we had a few subscribers, it would force us to stay active. I priced the subscription as low as they allow and hoped we could muster a handful of subscribers. I knew that if we had even a few people spending their hard earned money, we'd feel obliged to deliver something. Our first year featured a monthly subscription track which turned out to be a very difficult schedule to keep up with, so we switched to a bi-monthly schedule. I still feel guilty for charging a few dollars/month, but I know that without that impetus we'd most likely be far less active.

I sometimes refer to this model as a ‘subscription service’ - do you see it as a service? Or a patronage programme? How do you prefer to describe it?

I suppose patronage is a good word for it, but the way we run it is more like a non-profit because of the free cassette tape that we mail out to subscribers at the end of the year and the fact that they have access to our full catalogue. We end up making a little bit of money, but the cost of pressing up cassettes and mailing them out eats up a large chunk of it. As I said previously, the point of setting up the subscription was more motivational than economic. If we could price it cheaper, we would. I'd happily just break even because the reward, for us, is staying connected to each other through the creative process. The fact that fans of our music also benefit is a nice side effect.

Are there non-music benefits of the subscription? 

We are a bunch of middle aged people who really have no reason to make music other than we enjoy each other's company and creative output. The subscription has forced us to stay involved with each other even when things like family, jobs, physical distance, or lack of success might have put an end to the band. At this point, we don't play shows or do any promotion other than the occasional post on social media. This being the case, we don't garner many reviews or get much press. Most bands might pack it in and call it a day but the fact that we have a few subscribers spurs us to carry on, which we're very grateful for!

Do you consider it a success thus far? What has contributed to the model’s success? 

The subscription has been successful beyond our expectations. We hoped to have a handful of subscribers and we actually have a few handfuls! That being said, I would consider the model a success if we only had two or three subscribers. It's been a lot of fun being in touch with people who are into what we do. 

What has been an unexpected outcome of the subscription?

The most unexpected outcome of the subscription has been the fact that so many people have signed up for it. We have always been a very small band with a tiny fanbase. The fact that we're able to have any subscribers blows my mind. I'm very thankful for it.

I’ve seen streaming referred to as a ‘sustainable’ option for consuming music as it does not produce physical media objects - what’s your take on this?

I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, probably because I'm an old guy, physical media has always been precious to me and I had hoped to produce tangible products that meant something to other people. I still buy cassette tapes and records from bands I really love. On the other hand, I'm not one to gate-keep creativity, so it's been really cool to see kids recording something at home and then having the ability to put it online for other people to connect with. 

The financial aspect of streaming doesn't play much of a part in my thinking because we've only ever lost money on Landing. We make music because we love doing it. We (obviously) have no idea how to have a proper career in music and can't really speak to that side of the "business". We're not really in the "business". I'm sure we would have done a lot of things differently if we had been.

What role do fans/supporters play in your creative process?

They play no role in the creative process other than inspiring us to remain active. Our fans are the sweetest, most gentle people and we love them, but the only people who have input into the music are Daron, Adrienne, Dick, and myself.

What’s your take on TikTok as a music discovery platform?

TikTok has been really great for some artists I love, but I suspect there's an element of payola at play, like there is at every level of music promotion. I really have no idea, though.

You have said in the past that Landing would not distribute its music via Spotify. A lot of artists (and fans) love to hate Spotify, yet people continue to use it. Where do you stand on this dynamic between platform/artist/listener?

For a long time, the music we had full control over was not on streaming services. I still believe that music should have value, but I guess I've surrendered and most of our catalogue (minus subscription-only content) is available for streaming. My feelings haven't changed; artists should be compensated fairly, streaming services are unfair and have de-valued music, but I realize that there are people who only listen to music on streaming services and I totally understand why. We don't get paid either way, so I guess I'm happier to make our music available for free than to keep it behind a paywall.

Do you think fans have the power to influence or change the music industry and big tech/social media platform practices?

I think we've seen from the resurgence of vinyl and cassette tape sales that fans have the ability to shift the industry in certain directions, but I'm pessimistic about social media's influence on art. In my lifetime there has been a huge shift in the way music is promoted which used to be based on hard work (physically shipping CDs to reviewers, going on tour) and is now entirely driven by money. We refuse to pay for promotion and, as a result, we don't get reviewed anymore. Our music doesn't get placed on curated playlists, the vast majority of our fanbase never sees our social media posts because we refuse to spend money on "boosting" posts, our last Pitchfork review was in 2005, and I suspect it's because we can't afford to pay for that sort of access. If you are starting a band and want to connect with an audience without spending money on promotion it will be a struggle. This didn't used to be the case. I don't envision fans having the power to reverse this, unfortunately. I hope I'm wrong.

What do you think artists/bands can do to help each other? Particularly more well known bands in relation to lesser known bands or those just starting up?

We've only been a lesser known band and have appreciated it when people we respect mention us in interviews or play shows with us. Windy & Carl really took us under their wing for a few years when we were first starting and it was a total thrill to hear that they liked what we were doing. Being able to tour with them was a dream come true.

Are you a member of a union, such as American Federation of Musicians (AFM), Musicians’ Union (MU), or an international group like United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW)? 

We are not in a union as we don't make money with our music, but I am staunchly pro union.* 

If you could ask fans to adopt a new behaviour or take some sort of action in support of independent musicians, what would it be?

Go to shows and buy stuff- tapes, records, t-shirts. Spend a few dollars on the bands/artists you love. Listen to college radio. Dig for new music that isn't being spoon-fed to you by the algorithm. 

Thank you to Aaron for taking all of my questions about the Landing subscription series. And of course, thanks to the band for the music. You can get in on the goods of Landing's subscriber series over at Bandcamp and check out photos and vids on their Facebook. Also, read a bit about their song "Pillow" over at the _____ mood. Insta.

* I'd like to add that Aaron ended up joining the United Musicians and Allied Workers Union not long after our exchange.