Warum wurden I PREVAIL so schnell so groß? Brian Burkheiser gibt Ratschläge!

Angesichts der Tatsache, dass es I PREVAIL gerade einmal seit 2013 gibt und die Band bisher noch gar nicht in Europa zu sehen war, mag man kaum glauben, dass man hier bereits einen Core-Giganten vor sich hat. Aber so ist es. In den Vereinigten Staaten brechen die Jungs spätestens der veröffentlichung ihres umjubelten Albums „Lifelines“ im letzten Jahr alle Rekorde und schafften es mit den Verkäufen der 2016er-Platte immer noch, in den Top 20-Rock-Alben der ersten Jahreshälfte 2017 aufzutauchen. Wohlgemerkt neben Institutionen wie METALLICA, AVENGED SEVENFOLD oder DISTURBED (wir berichteten).

Aber wie kann es sein, dass eine noch so junge Band so schnell in der obersten Liga mitmischen kann? Einer der beiden Frontmänner von I PREVAIL, Brian Burkheiser, hat hier seine ganz eigene Theorie und verteilt auf seinem privaten Profil bei Facebook Ratschläge an Newcomer-Acts, die es den Jungs gleichtun möchten.

So empfiehlt Burkheiser allen motivierten Bands, stets zu 100% am Ball zu bleiben und sich von nichts und niemanden ablenken zu lassen. Es gäbe viele, die einem nur das sagen, was man persönlich hören möchte – aber am Ende des Tages eine andere Vision als die eigene verfolgen.

Auch einen Schuss gegen die Industrie konnte er sich nicht verkneifen: Es gebe Leute in der Branche, die manche Bands gerne herumschubsen und dies gehe solange weiter, bis man sich dagegen wehrt und fortwährend für den eigenen Traum kämpft. Und sich zu einem gesunden Maß auch darauf konzentriert, anstatt Party-Exzessen zu fröhnen.

Als absolut wichtigsten Bestandteil überhaupt sieht Burkheiser das Verhalten zu den eigenen Fans. Diese solle man stets fair und korrekt behandeln, schließlich ebnen diese auch das eigene Sprungbrett zur großen Karriere.

Freilich könnte man Burkheiser den Vorwurf der „08/15-Tipps vom Reißbrett“ machen – aber mal ehrlich: Recht hat er doch!

So a lot of people ask me how I Prevail got big. If you want your band to grow and gain success, you need to be involved in every aspect of your business and constantly be looking to improve your craft. Songwriting, performing, social media, marketing, merch, finances, etc. If it’s your baby and you really have a vision, you need to be 100% involved in everything your band is doing. There are a lot of distractions in this music scene and it’s very easy to lose sight of what your initial dreams were when you started your project if you get to caught up in all the outside commotion. A lot of people will sneak their way in as you grow and get bigger. They’ll tell you what you want to hear in the moment, but then ultimately try to get you to follow their vision instead of yours. Don’t be bullied, if you feel strongly about something, fight for it. The biggest lesson I’ve learned in the industry is that if you don’t fight for your way, you’ll get walked all over. Industry people who are used to pushing artist around will do so if you don’t stop them. Your job is to speak up if you’re not in agreement with something. At the end of the day, it’s your band. Sure, there are a lot of amazing people you will work with that will help grow your career. But it’s your job to separate the good guys from the bullshiters. Don’t let anyone gain too much control of your business if you don’t feel absolutely confident in them. All it takes is a couple bad moves to bring your band down in an instant.

If you want to continue to grow, never lose your work ethic and continue to grind. There will be a lot of days when you think, „is this worth it anymore?“ Well, just know if you can get past those thoughts and keep fighting, you WILL succeed in this industry. Quite a bit I feel mentally and physically fried, especially when I’m out on a long tour. Touring can be a grind, especially when your trying to run a buisness at the same time. That’s where your drive will really get put to the test. How much time are you willing to dedicate to your band? I’m not saying you can’t have fun and enjoy yourself a lot while on the road, it’s just about finding the right balance. If you are too caught up in the party lifestyle you’ll forget what got you here, but at the same time if you never give yourself a break from the business side and being a perfectionist, you’ll drive yourself mad. It will take some time, but eventually you’ll find the right balance for you. Now the most important thing about this whole post. Your fans. Always treat your fans right. They made you. They’re giving you a chance to live your dream. Do right by them, and they will always do right by you. I’ve had so many incredible interactions with so many people the past few years and it’s absolutely what keeps me going. I get emotional thinking about how many stories I’ve been told, and how happy it makes me that someone can relate with the same stories that I’ve relayed through my music. Even on your darkest days, just know that your fans will always be by your side. Always be thankful for that. So yeah, I know that was a novel. I just wanted to get out some advice I feel like I would have loved to have been given when starting my band.