Balance Sheet: Slow Hollows Break Down Income and Expenses from Nine Shows
The post Balance Sheet: Slow Hollows Break Down Income and Expenses from Nine Shows appeared first on Consequence.
Our series Balance Sheet seeks to dissolve taboos around money in the music industry. Today, Slow Hollows goes through the income and expenses from a nine-date leg of their current tour.
Slow Hollows’ Austin Feinstein has been around the music industry block more than a few times. Recording and releasing music since he was a teen, Feinstein garnered increasing attention over the last decade or so, collaborating with the likes of Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator, before disbanding Slow Hollows, and (as of March 8th) reviving the project.
That revival — the fourth Slow Hollows album Bullhead — sheds the dancy, electronically-infused direction of 2019’s Actors, instead embracing a warmer, folkier strain of indie rock. At times it’s soft, understated, and lap-steel-backed, like on opener “Bullhead.” In other places, it ramps up to make a little more noise, like on the single “Idle Hands” or the cathartic, distorted anthem “Soap.” It’s a new era for Slow Hollows, but one that couldn’t feel more natural.
To accompany the new release, Slow Hollows hit the road for a headlining tour across the United States. He’s currently in the midst of the second leg of the tour, which will run through early May. In the Balance Sheet spirit, Feinstein has shared the expenses and income from the first nine dates, rounding up everything from food per diems to a night at the pub to a “nightmare scenario” that, luckily, resulted in a free hotel room. “While these numbers account for 13 days of touring, we are going back on the road for another three weeks,” he clarifies. “So, it’s hard to say what money will be left to collect at the end.” Still, it’s a transparent peek into the realities of life on the road.
Read on for Feinstein’s full Balance Sheet breakdown below. Also be sure to check out his Origins breakdown of the Bullhead single “Tired.”
Travel
Our first week of tour we played in Santa Ana, Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. Our mode of transportation was a 15-passenger Ford Transit van. We shared the van with our tour mate PHF. The rental cost was $1,799 so far, and the total will be around $8,000. The first show in Santa Ana was promoted by Live Nation, and they kindly gave us two gas cards each loaded with $750. This was a huge help and made it so we didn’t have to cut into our show’s guarantee for gas right away. These gas cards got us through the first two-week leg of our tour, and then some.
Rental: -$1,799
Gas: -$1,250
Gas Cards: $1500
Subtotal: -$1,549
Lodging
We stayed in hotel rooms and Airbnbs. None of us had friends to stay with, so we booked rooms ahead of time.
The first night of the tour was one of the more chaotic ones. We played a great show at The Observatory in Santa Ana, then immediately got in the van to drive overnight to Phoenix, Arizona, to play Good Morning Arizona at 8:00 AM the following morning. Sleeping in the van is essentially impossible, so that night we stayed in an Airbnb that cost $412.96. In Denver, we stayed in an Airbnb that turned into a nightmare scenario which resulted in getting a full refund and a comped hotel room. In Salt Lake City, we stayed at an Airbnb for $207. When we got to Reno, we spent two nights at the Peppermill Casino for $690. All hotels for four-and-a-half people, splitting the cost with PHF, was $1941.80
Subtotal: -$1,941.80
Food
We paid per diems of $25 a day to our three touring members out of the money we were paid from our first show in Santa Ana. One week of per diem payouts totaled $500. I spent roughly $25 a day on food as well. Every once in a while, we would get our rider fulfilled, which gave us a good amount of bananas, peanut butter, bread etc. We also took as much water and drinks from every green room we could.
Subtotal: -$2,000
Entertainment
We didn’t have much time for entertainment other than our night in Denver on St. Patrick’s Day. We found a bar that had $7 well drinks, so we spent a few hours there. I’d estimate I spent around $50 that night give or take.
Subtotal: -$50
Music Expenses
Upfront merch costs were $700. Managers rate is 15% and agent’s 10% [on net gross income].
Subtotal: -$4,125
Income
Our guarantees for this tour were around between $1,250-$2,000 a show, give or take. We work with Wasserman Agency as our booking agent and Like Management. They take 10% and 15% [of live performance income]. While these numbers account for 13 days of touring, we are going back on the road for another three weeks, so it’s hard to say what money will be left to collect at the end.
Concert Revenue: $11,700
Booking Agency Cut: -$2,925
Merch Revenue: $2,000
Subtotal: $10,775
Balance Sheet
Travel: -$1,549
Lodging: -$1941.80
Food: -$2,000
Entertainment: -$50
Music Expenses: -$4,125
Income: $10,775
Total: $1,109.20
Balance Sheet: Slow Hollows Break Down Income and Expenses from Nine Shows
Jonah Krueger
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