Though it isn’t known for being the birthplace of iconic musicians, there are many small bands and artists who call the Sacramento area their home– and are flourishing.
Musicians and producers in the areas of Sacramento and Placer County are overall thriving despite the slow-paced nature of living in a suburb, with the exception of a few hiccups.
Tae Brackett, is a producer of a solo project called Gabriel Star. She explains that producing music out of a suburban area allows her to relate to her audience. She said:
“It definitely helps my creativity. There is so much to experience– and there is a lot to relate to other people.”
With the rise and fall of 2000s luxury-centered music, people are now looking towards relatability. Brackett explained that the ability to create music that is relatable to those who live in a suburb is a skill that can help artists thrive in the small area.
Although relatability is something Brackett reaches to achieve with her music, other artists are taking a different approach to using the suburbs as inspiration.
Relatable and Abnormal
Joshua Lidge, the musician in the featured image on this story and a producer of a self-titled solo project, explains that he looks for the abnormal in his own experiences to fuel his music. He said:
“(The suburbs) gives me perspective and the opportunity to search for the abnormal things in life.”
He continued: “I can make the creative effort despite growing up in a suburb.”
Lidge takes inspiration for his music from the spontaneous, adventurous, and abnormal things that happen in his life rather than routine things that happen daily.
Unlike Brackett, who enjoys writing about her relatable suburban life, Lidge enjoys writing about things that happen less frequently.
Do the Artists Feel Supported?
“I feel like there’s a lot of supportive people all around the Placer and Sacramento area,” Lidge said. “They understand the love and passion that comes from pursuing music.”
This support Lidge feels did also raise a few iconic bands—Deftones and Tesla, for example.
Brackett, however, argues that the scene in the area favors male-fronting bands. She said:
“Sacramento is a very sexist scene. It’s very boys-clubby, and a lot of female-fronting bands do not thrive here.”
This issue was present in the 1970s with an all-female Sacramento-based band called Fanny. The band disbanded in 1975 due to, “…factors beyond their control like sexism and misogyny.” It is evidently still a problem today, as Gabriel Star struggles in the male-centered suburban music scene.
Even though Sacramento favors male bands, Brackett continues to make and perform music both solo and with her band. They perform in several venues in the greater Sacramento area, including third spaces like The Fig Tree. She said:
“There is some demand for (female artists). We just have to find our niche.”
The Struggle of Sacramento Area Musicians
Several components in the process of producing music from a suburban area can be difficult—the misogynistic nature being one, and a lack of inspiration being another. Lidge and Brackett both explained their struggle to find inspiration in the small area, but neither of them let it stop them from continuing. Lidge said:
“There’s been many times where I don’t feel as passionate or as excited to make music. I usually take that as a sign to step away for a period of time, and the excitement always comes back.”
Brackett argues that finding inspiration is only sometimes difficult. She said:
“There are definitely long periods of feeling uninspired because not a lot is happening. But I feel like when (events) are happening… there is a lot of inspiration to take from.”
Not being in an exciting, bustling, and busy big city has seldom hindered the two from being able to let their creativity shine. They have found inspiration in their daily lives, or even the abnormal things they experience occasionally. Lidge said:
“I think regardless of where you grow up and live, music can always be a creative outlet for someone.”
Although it is not as busy and notoriously prosperous as a big city, the suburban music scene stays alive and thriving.
Supporting your local artists can help those who want to pursue art full-time, even if they don’t live in a big city that supports it. Go out to local venues and find and support small artists.
You can find Tae and Josh’s music on Spotify: @Gabriel Star and @Josh Lidge.
Reported and Written by Hailey Williamson
