As an artist, do you sense that everything about rock today is backward? Why do the indie gatekeepers force you to waste so much time and energy using their tools? This can’t be what the public wants, nor what matters to history… Well, you’re not crazy: The system is broken— and here’s how we’ll fix it!
To join a BYCombo band, artists must pledge not to use indie rock’s tools. Instead, they’ll earn the trust of future business partners by sacrificing a serious chunk of lifetime to advance the art form.
Anyone of legal age is welcome to apply. But ideally, you should already have some life experience under your belt! You’re also reasonably skilled in one or more of the following roles:
Women, minorities, and members of other disadvantaged groups are encouraged to apply!
As a rock movement started by a minority, BYCombo was conceived to give disadvantaged artists the interdependence they crave and thrive on.
If we accept you, we’ll set you up with prospective bandmates who match your artistic tastes and skill levels. We also recognize the importance of gender diversity, and we’ll strive for an equitable ratio in every band.
Upon reviewing each other’s links and videos, you’ll meet online. If everyone agrees to form a band, you’ll all relocate to Los Angeles, or another major city of your band’s choosing. Once settled in, each of you will put in enough time on your band project for the sum total to be at least 25,000 hours.
BYCombo will provide a forum for you and the others in your cohort to befriend each other, and we’ll periodically advise you on your band project. We also encourage every alum to pay it forward and collaborate with our bands in the next cohort!
Once your demo is complete, we’ll add it to our public registry and notify everyone on our mailing list. Over time, each new BYCombo band will raise awareness of our mission, boosting your own chances to get heard. Of course, we’re just getting started, so to thank you for your patience during these early years:
The Bobtail Yearlings will invite up to ten bands from our pilot cohort to feature as guest artists on their next project— an album about the life of English biochemist Rosalind Franklin!
Email us the following information, and we’ll be in touch:
If you’re co-applying with one or more bandmates, please send a single email with each person’s information. If you have special circumstances that need to be considered, please let us know. We’ll see if we can make things work.
And remember, as a nonprofit, BYCombo will never charge fees or take a cut of your earnings. If you’re ready to join the interdependence revolution, then we’re here to serve you!