Breaking into the music industry in the modern age is a tricky task to say the least.
Rising costs, a decrease in gig venues and an influx in the number of bands has made it increasingly impossible for acts to stand out.
However, one tool that is proving most effective is the use of social media, and Headwired are doing that perfectly.
The indie rock band from the Black Country have tripled their monthly Spotify listeners to 9,000, and their hit single Carousel is approaching 120,000 streams on the platform – largely through their use of TikTok.
Headwired have grown to 17,000 followers on TikTok and have amassed just shy of 130,000 likes across their many videos, and have secured multiple gigs around the country, as well as an upcoming UK tour, as a result.
They upload videos promoting their songs and upcoming concerts, live stream rehearsals, release interviews and film various behind-the-scenes videos.
The band consists of George Langford, bassist and lead vocalist, Jack Redfern, lead guitarist and vocalist, Joe Roberts, drummer, and Frankie Cast, rhythm guitarist.
Roberts explained why the band decided to use TikTok and how it has led to their rapid recent rise.
He said: “We used to post on TikTok every now and again, because we always thought that these ‘doomscrolling’ platforms weren’t really for bands.
“And then it got to July last year and I saw a video explaining how it can be really useful for artists and bands to post anything, as long as you’re posting two to three times a day – it could even be a video of setting up your drumkit or something like that.
“So, we started doing that and then we had our first viral post at the end of July and after that, we’ve kept posting three or four times a day.
“It’s really good to reach a lot of people who like our music and it’s had a really big impact on our streaming numbers.
“It impacts all round really, because you get people messaging you offering you gigs or asking where your next gig is – hopefully we can continue to keep that momentum going.”
As aforementioned, Headwired have accumulated 17,000 followers on their TikTok account, which has opened multiple windows of opportunity for the band.
One of these opportunities is growing their audience nationwide, something Roberts is relishing more and more as their social presence grows.
The 19-year-old admitted: “Meeting fans off TikTok is definitely weird at first!”
“But it’s pretty cool now when it’s happening more often.
“We had a gig in Sheffield a couple of weeks ago and then one in Birmingham the next day.
“As soon as we got set up in Sheffield, we had people coming up to us saying how they’d seen us on TikTok or that their mom had watched our videos and told them to come down and watch.
“It’s really weird to see that happening, but it’s great to be fair – hopefully we can continue to grow.”
That social media demand for Headwired, according to Roberts, can be put largely down to a lack of quality musicians in the indie rock genre in the modern music world.
The Stone Roses have not released new music since the 1990s, and, despite the record-breaking Oasis Live 25 Tour, the Manchester band had not been seen in action since 2009.
An ‘Indie Rock revival’, which Headwired have adopted, appears to be taking TikTok by storm, with music fans worldwide apparently crying out for new music from top artists – something Roberts is eternally grateful for.
“I think it’s helped us, because I think people are missing it,” he reflected.
“One of the best comments I’ve seen about our music was a guy saying that he knows now what his dad felt in the 90s when he was discovering new bands coming through – that’s what people of our generation have missed.
“There are only a few bands from the last five years that we’re probably going to be listening to in 30 or 40 years’ time like we are with the bands from the 90s and 80s.
“That sort of longevity is the goal for us and hopefully we can start the Indie Rock revival that everyone talks about.”
Creating your own sound, your own identity and your own fanbase as an upcoming band is quintessential, with many copycat bands producing music similar to that of their heroes from the 90’s.
While Headwired admittedly take inspiration from Oasis and Foo Fighters especially, they strive to create their own unique sound that fans nationwide can fall in love with.
Roberts said: “It’s really important to us.
“I think everyone can have influences, but when you hear someone else’s song in a new band’s song, I think it just makes you not want to listen to it.
“I think you can listen to our songs and think that they sound a bit like certain bands, but we’ve not ripped anyone off – our songs are all quite unique.
“It’s definitely important to build our own identity and create that Headwired sound that we can make our own.
“Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters inspire us, but we want to create our own sound.”
Headwired are a Black Country band, born and bred, as all four members strive from that particular area in the West Midlands.
During the ‘Madchester’ music scene in the 1980s and 90s, with bands like The Smiths and The Happy Mondays, artists frequently referenced their upbringing and local area – expressing pride in their roots.
Roberts revealed that Headwired consistently strive to keep the Black Country at heart, and that the band wish to put the area on the map should they become more mainstream.
“It’d be great to make it and have that authenticity of being from the Black Country,” said the drummer.
“I can’t think of anyone recently that has done that.
“You see Noel Gallagher with his [Manchester] City flag on stage in the background at gigs – we’d love to have a Black Country flag on stage with us at all the big festivals.
“You’ve got to be proud of where you come from haven’t you?
“The lads in the band have got pretty thick accents, so there’s no escaping our identity!”
Headwired have their biggest ever gig approaching in the coming weeks – a headline concert at the 600-standing capacity Brierley Hill Civic Hall on Monday 2 April.
A headline gig in their hometown, at one of the biggest venues in the Black Country, is bound to be special, and Roberts is extremely excited about it.
“We’re feeling great – I can’t wait for it because it’s a massive venue,” he confessed.
“We’ve got a few exciting things lined up and we’ve got our support acts sorted now who’ll be announced soon.
“I think the last we heard we’d sold about 100 tickets, so it’s doing really well so far to be honest.
“We’re going to try and make a bit of a statement because you don’t see any bands like us playing that sort of venue – you may as well go for it.”
Should Headwired showcase their obvious talent at the Civic in a months’ time, it could catapult them further into stardom.
Their recent rise to fame is inspiring, with TikTok at the heart of that, but with bigger plans reportedly in mind, where they go from here remains to be seen.
