What happens when you can no longer subsidize creativity with a second job? Part 2 of our conversation with Gareth David digs into the real cost of being a musician in 2026: visa fees, tour buses, the collapse of sync deals, and the brutal math that's turning bedroom producers into solo acts instead of bands.

In Part 2, Gareth explains how the economics of live music are excluding new artists entirely, why class matters more than talent, what happens when a breakup tour costs 50 quid and a reunion costs 100, and whether music could ever work as a genuinely not-for-profit industry.

We also discuss Los Campesinos! 20-year evolution, why they won't do reunion theatrics, the uncomfortable politics of being an openly leftist band, why low-income tickets matter (and why more bands won't do them), and what he'd do with £500 million to fix the industry. Plus: his actual dream for the next 20 years.

Gareth is the lyricist and lead singer of Los Campesinos!, a band who've been walking the walk for twenty years: unconditional support for trans people, rejecting unaligned brand money, low-income tickets for fans, and now, brutal honesty about how much (or how little) the music industry actually pays. In Part 2, he gets into the systemic economics that are reshaping what kind of music gets made and who gets to make it.

Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to hear our podcast companion playlist and discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality. To start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz head to https://qobuz.com/dis.

Edited by: tell.studio (Phil, Louisa, Owen, Matt)

Co-hosted by Helena Wadia, who also co-hosts the Media Storm podcast: https://mediastormpodcast.com/about-us/

Los Campesinos!
https://loscampesinos.com/

Further reading
How much Los Campesinos! made from Spotify
US tour budget breakdown
Explainer of Dublin show budget

Recorded remotely.

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