FAQs

1. I am interested in booking a Bucket City artist.

Please visit the artist pages and, ultimately fill out the booking form. We will respond to your inquiry within 2 working days.

2. I am a artist seeking booking representation. Do you accept submissions?

If you are reading this FAQ, then you have likely perused other booking agencies' websites and have somewhat of an idea of common answers to this question. The artists on the Bucket City roster were accepted for a variety of reasons, some of these reasons are more complex than others. Artists are selected on a case by case basis, but a shared theme across the board is a extensive tour history. This being said, we do look over artists submissions even if we are not currently accepting additional clients. However, due to volume, it is often the case that we will be unable to respond to your submission. Don't take this personally, its just the nature of the business. Sometimes, we keep our eye on certain developing bands.

2a. I hate dealing with booking and NEED a booking agent.... You don't need a booking agent. You may wish that you had a booking agent, you may want a booking agent, you may think a booking agent will make/change your career, but this simply is not the case. If any of these previous statements correlate with your thinking, quite frankly, you are too lazy to succeed in this business. We have designed BucketCity.com as a social network to allow independent artists to equip themselves with the tools and skill sets necessary for booking.

Your music career should be built firmly on the assumption that nobody is going to help you out with anything. EVER.

2b. But isn't it unfair that the artists that need a booking agent the most, can't acquire one?

Perhaps, but if nobody knows who you are, we can't do much for you. The best way to build awareness about yourself or your band is to get out and play as many shows as possible in as many different markets as possible. Artists have been doing this for years and there are many self booked artists that tour full time playing over 200 dates a year. In the early stages of your touring, you will likely be doing a lot of "show swapping." The best way to ensure people attend your shows is to align yourself with local bands that draw, however this is not booking agent work, this is called networking and is fundamental to your career as a touring artist. Furthermore, the skills and understanding of the business that you will acquire when handling your own booking will be imperative further down the line, if and when a agency picks you up.

On a similar note, we'll need your appreciation of the difficulty of our job, and the only way you can fully appreciate it is to do it yourself. In the early stages of working with a new artists, we often work very closely with the artists themselves in order to ensure a seamless transfer of booking duties.

2c. You have band "X" on your roster, if you like band "X", then you will love us.

Possibly, but that's not how this works.

3. I see a Bucket City artist is playing in or near my hometown, can my band open?

This is a very common question with no straight forward answer. It is possible... your band very well could be the support act for an artist on the Bucket City roster. But, there are numerous factors and concerns that are involved in selecting support bands.
Your first course of action is to contact the promoter and/or venue hosting the show. They may already have a full bill lined up or have asked other locals bands to support. Yes, often local politics will play a role in this selection and no, it may not be fair. That's just the way that it is.

Sometimes local bands will sneak or force their way on to a bill. This tactic will certainly not land you any credential with Bucket City, quite the opposite. If you go behind our back or the promoter's back, you will often end up being removed from the bill even if it is the day of the show. Remember, its nothing personal.

Let's consider for a moment, the role of a support band when a touring act comes through. The role of the support band is just that, to "support" the headliner. Support acts bring additional audience members and assist with show promotion, therefore the support band often must be an established act in the particular market with a tangible fan base (i.e. real people who go to out shows). All of this works together: the headliner's draw, the support band's draw, the promoter's promotion efforts, local media, social media, etc to create a successful show. The point of this explanation is enforce the notion that being a support band is not about you, it's about the headliner, or better yet, its about the show itself. Let me say that again: It's not about you.

The number 1 problem we run into with local support are artists wishing to make the support role about themselves. They want to open up for artists X because they love artist X and they want artist X's stamp of approval. Or, they think that fans of artists X will love their band and if they can just open up for artist X this one time, their career will be made. Sorry, just doesn't work that way.
Generally, we are looking for a band that is well suited musically to share the bill and someone who will bring out an appropriate amount of fans (appropriate for the size of the room and show). In some markets, bands will chose to always play with the same locals every time they come through. Again, it's nothing personal if you feel "locked out."
Assuming you qualify as a "strong local", what will earn you points towards landing a support slot is the willingness to aggressively promote the show.

4. I am interested in working for Bucket City.

At any given time, we are potentially on the look out for the rare, talented individual that has the experience, contacts and motivation to perform this job. Please note that both agents at Bucket City come from touring as well as academic backgrounds.
Internships are also considered for individuals with the academic credentials to support such a role. Alternative consideration could be given to a individual with a extensive touring background.

5. Where is Bucket City located?

Home base has recently shifted from Nashville TN to Memphis TN. We also have a West Coast office in Chico CA and a new, Midwest office in Lafayette IN. 

6. Where does the name "Bucket City" come from? Read here.