Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026

Asking fans to help wind the cables: Picture Parlour on what it's really like to be a touring indie band in 2026

From The Price of Music by Music Ally

March 18, 2026 · 42 min

About this episode

Katherine and Ella from Picture Parlour discuss the financial challenges of touring as indie artists in 2026, alongside David Martin from the Featured Artists Coalition.

Your easy weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works. Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Superfan of the podcast for free – and enjoy a weekly Superfan Lock-in section! ⁠ This week Katherine and Ella from ace UK indie band Picture Parlour talk about the stark economic realities of being a touring artist in the modern music industry. They're joined by David Martin from the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), who explains why his organisation is handing out top-up financial support to help artists like Picture Parlour get out on the road. ( As ever, our ⁠⁠ Patreon Superfans ⁠⁠ get the full interview with extra bonus conversation!) In this episode: Katherine and Ella explain the huge financial pressures of touring – while inflation has soared, artist fees have remained largely unchanged, and yet ticket prices are kept low to maintain demand. How Picture Parlour lost approximately £10,000 on a recent support tour, even when trimming their budget by asking fans to help at the venues. With this in mind, David explains why The FAC is distributing £125,000 to artists to help get them on the road – and how he hopes to put the money to work effectively and fairly. The band also talk about the reality…

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