DIY Punk Band Scooped Up Talks Growth and New Album The Runs on The Powered By Rock Podcast

Navigating the Modern Music Industry: Lessons from Scooped Up's DIY Journey

Key Takeaways

• DIY Ethos & Consistency: Scooped Up's perseverance and independent work ethic have propelled their success.

• Creativity in Promotion: Utilizing unique marketing strategies and leveraging creative multimedia content has been vital.

• Authentic Community Building: Maintaining genuine connections with their audience through engaging content and live shows.

The Evolution of Music Promotion in the Social Media Age

The world of music has drastically evolved with the advent of social media platforms. Isaac Kuhlman, the host of Powered by Rock, notes that musicians today face a more complex set of challenges compared to previous generations. Instead of merely relying on their musical prowess, modern bands must also master social media, streaming platforms, merchandise sales, and other business aspects of the industry.

Enter Scooped Up, a band from Milford, Connecticut, who have embraced this new landscape with fervor. Jimmy Barbetti, the band's guitarist and primary creative force, transitioned from being a graffiti artist to a musician. His unique background in visual arts has significantly influenced the way Scooped Up promotes itself. Jimmy explains, "I took the visual concepts of that medium and basically moved it over to music."

The Power of Persistent DIY Efforts

Scooped Up’s success is a testament to relentless DIY efforts and consistent engagement. Isaac Kuhlman emphasizes how vital it has become for modern musicians to have an active online presence:

"Now that over 75% of people in the US use social media regularly, it's pretty hard to be off the grid as a musician."

Jimmy and Jesse from Scooped Up embody this principle by maintaining their dedication over the last eight years and creatively promoting their music. As Jimmy mentions:

"It's literally from eight years of not stopping and just doing that shit. Consistency is definitely number one."

This consistency has allowed them to cultivate a loyal fanbase, despite the reliance on independent promotion methods. By giving out over 50,000 stickers at concerts, they have creatively embedded themselves into the culture, which has surprisingly fruitful outcomes. Jimmy shares an instance:

"I got an email from somebody last week that doesn't even have social media […] they found our music because we gave them a sticker at the Green Day concert."

Innovative Marketing and Engagement Strategies

The innovative marketing tactics deployed by Scooped Up are both clever and authentic to their brand. They have found unique ways to engage their audience beyond conventional methods. For instance, Jimmy created a parody website, mgksucks.com, which capitalized on the online discourse around Machine Gun Kelly. This novelty garnered significant traffic:

"Literally, the post blew the fuck up. We got like 7,000 website views and it only cost me $15 for the domain."

Such grassroots yet effective strategies underscore the importance of understanding and engaging with the community. Jimmy also highlights the value of personal engagement:

"I would say any small band starting out, make videos saying, 'Yo, we'll be in this town. We'll be playing here this Friday.' It goes a long way."

Even when forced to adapt consistently evolving marketing landscapes, Scooped Up has continued to stay relevant. Running ads on platforms like Instagram and YouTube has further amplified their reach, turning digital investment into tangible audience growth, although currently hindered by certain ad restrictions.

Authentic Community Connection and Thematic Continuity

What sets Scooped Up apart is their approach to community building and thematic continuity. Their music videos serve as a visual extension of their live shows and personal experiences, making fans feel part of their narrative. This visual storytelling is reminiscent of filmmakers like Kevin Smith and the CKY crew, who cultivated a loyal following through relatable and entertaining content. Jimmy elaborates:

"Kevin Smith is a huge influence on me, like, as a filmmaker and shit. Just, like, with Clerks, he just hired people he knew into the video, into the movie. And that's what happened with us."

Their video for "Dyslexic" epitomizes this, featuring the band in a humorous robbery scenario at a pancake diner, a creative but non-literal interpretation of the song's theme about unexpressed mutual feelings. Jesse notes:

"There is usually no correlation between the songs and the music videos […] but this time, it's just the perspective of shoes and there's no personality to be put onto it except for whatever the viewer puts on."

This thematic freedom allows Scooped Up to experiment and resonate deeper with their audience, as seen in their nostalgic and emotionally rich video for "Shoelace." The use of 16mm film in this video added a unique artistic touch, demonstrating their commitment to high-quality production and storytelling.

Concluding Insights from Scooped Up's Journey

Throughout their journey, Scooped Up has shown that blending genuine creative output with relentless self-promotion can carve out a substantial niche in the competitive music industry. Their approach highlights the multifaceted role modern musicians must play, blending artistry with strategic business moves. Jimmy encapsulates this ethos well:

"It's not a chore. It doesn't feel like a chore to put in all these hours editing videos and making a video every day. I love doing it."

Ultimately, Scooped Up’s path—and their continued flourishing—showcase that with a blend of innovation, consistency, and deep community engagement, independent bands can thrive even in today's complex music landscape.

By drawing authentic connections with their fans through unique, homegrown content and live performances, Scooped Up has crafted a blueprint for aspiring musicians looking to navigate the digital age. Their story serves as a compelling case study for leveraging the DIY ethos in building not just a b