How Coronavirus Is Making Aussie Band Those Who Dream Get Creative With Their Music
"If you have a good attitude towards it, you can make this a really beneficial time."
The coronavirus pandemic has had a devasting impact on many industries. Thousands of workers across the retail and hospitality sectors have faced reduced hours or lost their jobs entirely. Small businesses have temporarily closed, and cinemas have shut their doors.
However, one of the hardest hit industries by COVID-19 has been the arts. With concerts, festivals and local gigs being cancelled to prevent the spread of the virus, many performing musicians have been left without a source of income.
But despite the challenges, artists have been coming up with innovative ways to continue sharing their talents with the world through virtual gigs and by connecting with their fans online.
As brothers Josh and Cooper Meyer from Perth-based pop-rock duo Those Who Dream tell Student Edge, the coronavirus pandemic has forced them to be more creative.
"When you’re stuck at home all day every day and only going out for groceries, you have no excuses but to just get in there, go do it and see what happens," Josh says.
"It forces you to do a lot more with your day now that you’ve got all this free time at home."
As the duo explain, practicing social distancing has made them reflect a lot more on their own lives, which has ultimately influenced their songwriting.
"We’re spending more time with ourselves than we really ever have before. It makes it a very self-reflective world that we’re in when we’re at home all the time and not seeing as many people," Cooper says.
Pictured: Those Who Dream (supplied)
This self-reflection heavily informed the lyrics for the duo’s latest single "Monster", which is about considering how you’re perceived by others, and searching for meaning in life.
"If I was to step back and look at myself from a third-person perspective, would I like myself?" Josh asks.
Josh believes this is a recurring thought everybody can relate to, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic while people have more free time to get introspective.
"When there’s something that the entire world can single-handedly put their finger on, that’s kind of the most powerful thing."
The brothers, who grew up listening to pop punk band Good Charlotte, formed Those Who Dream when they were in high school. Since moving from Sydney to Perth, they’ve grown a following of 41,500 people on TikTok.
"We did not mean to do that, but now we’re here and it’s cool," Josh says.
"If you want to be a successful artist in any time in the world, you have to be where the people are," Cooper adds.
"It’s pretty clear with the trajectory of TikTok that it’s not going to be a one week fad or anything.
"I think if you get onto these things before they become oversaturated, you have a lot better chance at standing out."
TikTok has provided them with a platform to connect with their fans during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I think it’s a good time for building your fan base and connecting with them, so that when this is over, we’ll have a much closer connection because we’ve all lived this similar experience," Josh says.
"If you have a good attitude towards it, you can make this a really beneficial time."
"Monster" is now available to stream.
Header Image: Supplied
