From the smallest local weekend pub band right through to the biggest stadium artists, cover songs are a huge part of the music industry. They generate income for songwriters, publishers and the performing artists. Plenty of them fall flat, though - lacking spirit, feel, technical ability, or missing the point of the song entirely.
Aspiring musicians learn their craft by copying the songs and performances of their idols. Performing, re-recording and re-releasing someone else’s copyrighted material is a different thing, and people do it for a handful of reasons:
- To pay tribute to a song or artist that influenced you
- To bring a well-loved song to a new audience
- To put a fresh arrangement on a familiar piece
- To entertain a live audience who want to hear songs they already know
- To make a living as a working band
All of these uses require the original composer’s (or their publisher’s) permission, granted via a legally binding contract.
What makes one work is subjective. Our take is that a cover needs something new in it - possibly unusual, possibly creative - to be worth hearing. Freshness and originality draw an audience in. The ability to portray a well-known song in a different light, with honesty and a bit of humility, is what attracts people to it.
We spend a lot of rehearsal time on arrangements of songs people already know, trying to do them justice and still put something of our own into them.
Like what you see? Get in touch to book The Brotherhood for your event.
