S3 E7: Joe Tilston from Random Hand & Merch Stall

During the third UK lockdown, Sarah caught up with Joe Tilston - the bassist and organising force of ska-core favourites Random Hand. Joe comes from a musical family and gives a unique perspective, from years of experience on the road with Random Hand, writing as a solo folk artist, playing with Traits as a fun project, and setting up his own business: Merch Stall. Expanding his screen-printing business has kept him busy through lockdown, giving us the chance to discuss how to take the ethos and community of the punk rock world and grow a business from it. We discuss how the musical landscape has changed in the last 10 years, whether making a living from music is still feasible, and what we predict will change in a post-COVID world. We have an honest conversation about the financial hardship and sacrifice of touring with an band that's as active as Random Hand were, and debate whether it's still feasible to make a living from music nowadays. We also play tracks from Random Hand, Traits and Joe's unreleased solo album. For more interviews and opinions, head to shout-louder.com.