Looking to capitalise on the recent success of Australian musical acts in the US, a growing line-up of Australian bands, including a strong contingent of acts from Western Australia, is blazing a trail to one of the world’s largest music markets.
Country superstar Keith Urban and rock and rollers Jet and The Vines have led an Aussie onslaught in recent years.
This was followed up by more of Australia’s biggest names who succeeded in getting radio airtime and signing deals with US record companies.
Aussie rock band Powderfinger signed a major record deal with Artemis Records while blues and roots man Xavier Rudd signed with Universal Records.
One of WA’s biggest successes, John Butler, signed with US record label Lava, which released his EP What You Want as well as his latest album Sunrise Over Sea in the US.
More recently, Perth teenager Samantha Jade signed with US label Jive Records after a performance at the Australia trade Week 2004 in Los Angeles.
While the trade week has proved a successful stage for some, including 21-year old Australian singer Diana Rouvas, who signed a record deal with Reeltown recently, a major industry drawcard is the huge South by Southwest music conference and festival in Austin, Texas.
The conference and festival, which started last week, is one of the biggest in the world, and last year showcased more than 1,200 acts before more than 8,000 registrants from all over the world.
A number of Australian bands, including WA’s Panda Band, Little Birdie and Gyroscope, are currently in the US for the 2005 festival.
The five-piece Panda Band will appear at two showcases in New York and Los Angeles as well as the festival.
Aiding Australian music exports to the US are two initiatives – one by the Australian Music Collective and the other by Austrade.
Both organisations are represented at the SxSW festival, hosting a number of the bands. The AMC is also involved in showcasing Australian music around the US while Austrade is currently establishing something akin to an export music office in the US to help Australian artists navigate the industry.
Austrade says despite the huge successes, songs and artists tend to ‘break’ regionally rather than nationally, and Australian artists therefore need to think carefully about their approach to the giant US market.
