The music industry is a mess. While the internet allowed artists to beam their work to new audiences across the world, it also collapsed the industry, devaluing music and draining power from musicians. None of this is to say that the industry was fine and dandy before Spotify bulldozed its way across the world – it clearly wasn’t.
The arts have always been a place of exploitation. Artists’ work is devalued because it’s often not viewed as real “work.” The internet hasn’t helped that perception either. But as someone who spent years caring for and trying to nurture a local scene, there was another impact that has gone more unnoticed: it’s partially erased the individual personality of regions.
When people can access nearly every song ever recorded all at once, what motivation do they have to explore what their hometown has to offer? For a music scene like San Diego’s, which has always struggled with an identity crisis, that has been particularly damaging. Society’s increasing atomization, which was supercharged over the pandemic, has also taken its toll.
That’s why I so adored the most recent episode of “The Finest,” the excellent new arts and culture podcast from KPBS reporter Julia Dixon Evans. The episode is filled with big questions about the value of art, and harsh realities about what it takes to make it as a working musician.
The episode also introduced me to a local musician I’d somehow never heard of: Shua. That alone is worth the listen.
Shua, “How to Let Go”: Dixon Evans is right. In the episode of “The Finest,” featuring Shua, she calls his voice “stunning.” It is, but not because of its technical perfection. It’s stunning because of how richly emotive and incredibly impactful it is – he’s able to communicate so much more than the simple words he’s singing.
That richness is evident on Shua’s big hit, “You Can Only Go in Pieces,” during which he forlornly meditates on love, failure and growth above a sunny folk picking pattern. But it’s on the more meandering and meditative “How to Let Go,” that Shua really showcases his ability to craft a song that truly transports you. The gentle acoustic strums are offset by ghostly backup vocals, synths and hints of bass.
Like what you hear? Listen to the full episode of “The Finest,” here, or catch Shua live at Belly Up on Thursday, April 17.
Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists.
