What Is the Indie Music Hunt?
If you’re here you are probably already familiar with the Hunt, but just in case:
Conceived in the summer of 2023 and run by John Woodson, known as Only the Host, the Indie Music Hunt is a daily opportunity for indie musicians to get their music heard. Although it’s evolved over time, the basic method has stayed the same. Every morning, Monday through Friday, the Host sends out a tweet calling for music; artists send in their music; that same afternoon, the Host plays the music on his YouTube channel as we listen and chat about it. That’s it. No fees, no tricks, just people hanging out and enjoying some tunes.
The very first Indie Music Hunt had exactly one live listener: Marc Schuster of the Tweetcore Radio Hour. I myself started watching and listening in episode 3 and have been hooked ever since. Over time, a core community has formed that gathers every day to hear and appreciate each other’s music as well as new tracks from strangers – artists new to the Hunt always get priority. All genres are welcome. We each have our own favorites, from EDM to metal to funk to Americana and many genres in between that have no definition, and we each bring distinct voices to the party. What unites this disparate group is the spirit of the Hunt – that is, the discovery of new music and maybe your new favorite indie artist.
A culture has developed over time as we’ve gotten to know each other and each other’s music. Friendships have formed that have led to some amazing collaborations and even a record label (Only The Label). The community is a self-selecting group that genuinely enjoys music, and people are there to have fun and be supportive. We’ll talk about facets of a song we’re hearing that we particularly enjoy, and if a song especially blows someone away they will call out “CRISPY”— a signal to the artist that they have moved and impressed someone with their song.
So, What’s the Problem?
“It is quickly becoming amateurville now with anything goes. Y’all think everything’s crispy… sounds like Wayne’s World.” – Name withheld to protect privacy
“If you choose to give disingenuous praise instead of constructive criticism (because you place the fragile ego of a fellow musician higher than their development as an artist), I get that. Being kind is important, but obsequiousness is not a cool look.” – Name withheld to protect privacy
The problem is, we’re indie musicians. Most of us record from home studios. We don’t have production teams. Some of us are in the earlier stages of learning the technical skills of our craft – for example, I didn’t know anything about how to master a song until two months ago, long after I’d released my first EP. Some people may play their instrument beautifully but don’t have a trained singing voice. In other words, the music sometimes has flaws or rough edges.
Furthermore, a wide variety of genres are represented, and not all music is to everyone’s taste. I myself think death country polka is painful and you can’t convince me otherwise. Depending on your personal tastes, some songs may be hard to listen to even if they’re perfect examples of their genre.
And yet, the stream is full of people calling out “CRISPY” to most songs. Everyone seems to like everything. Criticism is rarely offered. Why? Is it because our egos are too fragile to handle the truth? Is it some form of strictly enforced toxic positivity or just a musical circle jerk?
The answer is: none of the above.
First of all, it is not true that everyone likes everything. However, we have a wide variety of genres and tastes represented, so for almost every song played, there will be someone who is enjoying some aspect of it and will say so in the chat. The fact that YOU may not enjoy a song does not mean that a compliment offered by someone else is not completely genuine and heartfelt. Yes, we want to be supportive, but that doesn’t mean lying. If something doesn’t strike my fancy, I just turn the volume down a bit and wait for the next track, which will more than likely be right up my alley.
Second, we have a Discord server where we can ask each other for feedback if we want it. But if nobody asked for your opinion, then volunteering criticism on a chat that will live forever on YouTube where the artist has to see it every time they want to rewatch their own appearance on the show… well, that’s just needlessly mean. Nobody died and made you Simon Cowell. Consider that your need to offer unrequested criticism might be more about you showing off how smart you are rather than a true desire to help someone. Consider also that you may be wrong. Music is a personal art form and something you may think is a mistake may be exactly the effect the artist was trying to achieve.
Third, we all have ears and a willingness to learn from each other. Just hearing my music next to some of the other folks on the show, I immediately realized some things I was doing wrong. Nobody needed to point it out. If there were aspects of music production I couldn’t figure out how to do, I’d contact someone I’d heard doing it well and DM them after the show for advice. I know many people in the community have had a similar experience over the past several months. In a supportive environment, it is safe to ask for help. If you think you’re going to be torn apart, on the other hand, you’re going to be defensive and never even open your mouth, much less come back day after day to enjoy the community and the music.
And finally: the vast majority of the songs are legitimately awesome and crispy AF. If you don’t hear that, the problem may be with you and not with us.
Just sayin’.