2020 has been a memorable year due to the COVID-19 quarantine and social inequality protest. SR.Gent shared his thoughts on the issues, and how the year has been for him. “The quarantine hasn’t bothered me, because I actually prefer being at home. I did plan to put a major effort into live shows and touring, however my first show on March 13 in Atlanta, GA was sold out but derailed by the announcement of the quarantine.” SO how have you been able to maintain momentum during the quarantine? “I have turned all of my attention to the digital space. Focusing on streaming platforms, and running ad campaigns for YouTube videos. I’m really just figuring it all out as I go like every other artist, but I will be creating a vast amount of visual content since it looks like this digital push is the way forward.”

Any advice to artist on staying creative and working their craft during this time? “I am fortunate to have my recording studio at my home, so my recording process has been unaffected through this time. The best advice for any artist is to invest in a recording studio. We live in a digital age, so we can now have the power of a 500,000 analog recording studio in a bedroom for 2,500. I think the music industry landscape is changing and it will be the independent labels emerging today that will receive a majority share of music industry revenue within the next 20 years. I speak about the next 20 years because I see this time as the span of my music career, and I want to play a role in the change that is to come.” I see that you have used your time at home wisely.

What would you say has been the hardest hit sector of the music industry? “The hardest hit sector would be live performances. The majority of live shows have been canceled completely or have very limited capacity. The larger issue here is that artist signed to major labels primarily live off of performance money, and have become financially unstable during this time.” With most of the world focusing on the the BLM movement and the spread of the COVID-19 virus how are the marketing efforts of music effected? “I think this is a great time for musicians to market music for 2 reasons. One being that everyone is stuck inside with more time that ever to listen to new music, and 2 music is the perfect medicine for these times, so we as musicians have a duty to create and share now more than ever.”