Photo: Michael St. James | Madison Lucas, 4/18/26: Attention local musicians! And I mean both kinds: cover and original. Maybe you’re in bands or just sitting home alone doing music. I’d like to start a conversation about cover vs. original, or if we should even worry about it at all.
A good friend who’s done nothing but creative original music for decades in the Denver scene once described it his way: ‘playing covers is like you’ve just given up…’
I found some truth to that at the time, and I still see his point… But… it’s probably more complicated than that, at least for some.
My personal musical involvement in town (unfortunately, it’s never really gotten OUT of this town…) has been most saturated with original music and original bands: Getting in a room and creating something from the ground up with other people.
Then I did Majestyk, my first ever cover project, a rock band doing only ‘70s music including a string section. Some of the most talented friends I know. It’s a terrific and popular band, mainly with the middle-agers which is fine. Pay-wise, I never really made any money doing any Denver music, ever. But in the cover band, I certainly made a little more than I had before. Maybe some cash in my pocket for lunch during the work week. Safe to say, if money was my motivator, I would have quit any of this nonsense long ago.
The cover band meant learning tons of material, writing out skeletons of songs- often with self-disparaging notes to myself… and making sure tempos were right for the songs- the way people heard them on the radio. I’ve famously walked out on local bands performing classic rock covers at “punk rock” tempos. A huge pet-peeve.
So I learned a lot and definitely became more musical as a player, what with all this attention to detail. We were doing covers, but still there was definitely a lot of ME in those songs.
In some of the original projects I did, I was hired for a reason. Not only for drumming but to assist in song idea growth and orchestration from my side; I was trusted with my inclusions to the music based on experience.
Here are questions, and I hope this raises some of yours:
- So, should we (or do we) disparage cover bands vs original bands (and vice-versa) like a competition?
- Are people one-sided, or can (should?) we give equal time to both?
- Why are there so many cover bands exploding here; all over the nation for that matter?
- Is there really a lacking amount of original bands compared to cover bands more recently in local music history, or are older people (like me?) just not paying attention or taking any time unless they ‘know that song’?
- If you do covers, have you indeed ‘given up’?
- Or, is originality overrated?
- Is originality what’s holding you back?
- Or: Is a LACK of originality holding you back?
We may need to ‘let the love go’ as bassist Sharon Renold says in the link in the comments; she has a healthy outlook (which partially inspired me to write about this today). Please watch that clip. And feel free to discuss this stuff. Or not.
Michael St. James: So, should we (or do we) disparage cover bands vs original bands (and vice-versa) like a competition?
Absolutely not. However, in Tribute / Big Act Cover land, it is absolutely a competition because it is a business and a lot of the fan base is the same.
Are people one-sided, or can (should?) we give equal time to both?
IMHO: both. I, and I think many of us you would know, are kind of skewed because we know or play with so many of the band members. It’s supporting and also fulfilling to see it executed well. Plus, it’s a show. So often “original” music is just a gig, not a show or an event. I’m here to see the music performed not just hear it played. But, having said that, another ingredient is missing: so few people hear the recordings of the original bands so it’s hard(er) to enjoy those shows right off the street without having some connection to the the tunes or sound. Whereas in tribute/Big Cover land it’s built in.
Why are there so many cover bands exploding here; all over the nation for that matter?
It’s partially economic- Because tix are $20 not $5 and beers are $15. Uber back and forth $50 – before dinner etc, that’s $100-$150 night out easy for a couple. If it’s a night of music you love and is executed well, with a big fucking light show and competent performers, it’s worth it. If it’s a bill with 3-5 bands with no light show, a weak setlists, talking in between breaks, etc, it’s just not.
Is there really a lacking amount of original bands compared to cover bands more recently in local music history, or are older people (like me?) just not paying attention or taking any time unless they ‘know that song’?
If you do covers, have you indeed ‘given up’?
There are less “original” bands grinding the scene. Partially because of the lack of mid sized clubs. But there are still many doing it. It’s just fragmented in genre so there isn’t a dominant scene or scenes like there used to be.
Covers is not giving up. Anyone who has played to packed houses and sweaty dance floors will tell you.
Or, is originality overrated? // Is originality what’s holding you back?
It absolutely is not. But keep this in mind, the more “original” you are, the harder you will have to “sell” or “market” it to find your audience. And there’s the rub. It’s takes years to find and build a real audience or fanbase. Most bands do not put that work in, and do not make it that far.
Or: Is a LACK of originality holding you back?
For some. But man, there are some terrific young acts doing great original music. Its harder for older people to find then because it does take work when you’re not locked into the nightlife and a bunch of single people who go out nightly. But they are there.
Steve Pavey: First, let me give a little background about myself. My dad was the oldest of 12 kids, and his tastes were in the sphere of Country, as in the Carter Family and Johnny Cash, Ferlin Husky etc, and Western Swing. My aunts and uncles, on the other hand, exposed me to stuff ranging from Big Band and Small Combo Jazz to Doo Wop, Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and Little Richard. Later, I heard the Beatles and I was doomed to play music from that point on. I’ve played original music and covered other people’s music. To me, creativity is creativity.
For example, I once took a Country-Rock ballad by Kenny Rogers And The First Edition and turned it into a Reggae song. I took another song with a little bit of a harder rock feel and turned it on it’s head, re-inventing it as an acapella Doo Wop song.
I like to write a song and give it two or three different arrangements – for example, one song has a guitar -driven rock arrangement, a piano -driven pop arrangement and a horn-driven jazz-rock arrangement. Same song but different tempos and slightly different melodies to match the tempos and different instrumentation.
And how about the artists like Joe Cocker and Earth Wind And Fire re-inventing Beatles classics? I’d say they’re pretty original in their approach.
There’s also the ultimate cover band: Three Dog Night. They covered Free, Traffic, Elton John, Randy Newman, Laura Nyro and Otis Redding, among others. NONE of their hits were written by any of the band members and they also weren’t written expressly for them.
Most of Dr.Hook’s songs were not written by them either.
There are also plenty of original bands that only had one or two songs that really hit with people. That doesn’t mean they were bad bands because music is subjective. It just means that most of their original stuff wasn’t compelling enough to find a market that wanted to buy it.
Music both is and isn’t a competition. If you’re trying to make a living at it, it most certainly is a competition because you’re competing for dollars to pay your bills. That’s true, whether you play original music or are a full time travelling Eagles or Journey tribute band.
If you’re not trying to pay the bills and are just looking at some gigs here and there, it’s not really so much of a competition whether original or cover, because either way, you aren’t going to make much money!
Heath Volmer: So let’s talk classical music: Do the same people complain about those highly-trained cover bands we call symphonies? Probably not. Do they care about most “modern” classical? Probably not, cause most of it sucks.
For the cover-haters: to each their own. Yeah there are plenty of shitty bands playing covers poorly, and plenty of amazing musicians playing covers mediocre. Choose the bands that don’t suck, who do what one likes, and stay away from the rest. If one still don’t like it, move along. Nobody cares.
I will choose what gives me the most enjoyment: playing tunes for people who care about those tunes, done well. It’s more important for me to have an audience enjoying themselves, feeding positive fuel my way, than to give a single milligram of a shit about whether I’m original or not – and whether anybody cares about my originality. Selfish, maybe. It makes me feel good and there’s not enough of that in the world. I’ve got skills that I will use to the best of my ability, performing what I enjoy, that audiences also enjoy. And maybe I’ll make a little money too.
If being original makes one happy, great! If being original means being unhappy about the successes of those who aren’t original, then check oneself: it’s the life of an artist, and we got enough sad, envious mofos messing up or world already.
