CBS AM magazine This Morning checked in with Country radio and found that its relationship with the musicians it plays is in tip-top shape. The musicians know it is the best way to connect with fans and sell recording.
As Dustin Lynch put it, “The radio is what you’re always striving to get to. Once you get to radio, that’s the top of the mountain.”
Kiefer Thompson of band Thompson Square affirmed radio’s role as middleman between the artist and the fan, saying, “To get to your fans, you have to go through radio, and this is a fan-based business.”
Airplay is the name of the game for Country artists, who love to hear their own music come on over the speakers in their car.
Country artist Brad Paisley noted how new personal audio devices cannot fully replace the radio experience. “There’s something so cold about just going through and hitting a playlist on my iPod,” he said. “I want to hear somebody make a comment from time to time, as mad as it might make me.”
It was noted that for most Country artists, touring isn’t just about arriving into town, playing a concert and leaving. It also includes a visit to local Country radio stations, giving them a chance to connect on a personal level with fans in a way that no other medium provides.
