The Floorwalkers' DIY approach spurs grassroots growth

The Floorwalkers - The Natural Road
www.thefloorwalkers.com

The do-it-yourself mentality born out of free-access, online communication channels and increasingly cost-efficient recording software has shaken the music industry and redefined the landscape of opportunity for bands trying to make a break. Arcade Fire is the mainstream exemplar of the phenomena that is motivating bands across nations to record their albums, market their music and book tours without the backing of the traditional record label. 

The Floorwalkers of Columbus is becoming Ohio’s own DIY music success story. The unsigned six-piece ensemble released two records, The Floorwalkers EP and The Natural Road, on its own in the last five years and is harvesting a strong grassroots following across state lines.

“When you do the grassroots on your own, you kind of learn the ropes quicker. There’s certain people you end up meeting who you wouldn’t have met if you had a booking agent or manager,” Jonathon Vernon, lead vocalist, said.

The band has forged supporting relationships with bands and management teams from Nashville to Denver and recently had the opportunity to further expand its network of industry professionals at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. The Floorwalkers was one of more than 1,300 bands that played a showcase during the music festival, one of the largest in the U.S.

“We learned that we’ve made some good decisions and met some of the right people,” Vernon said. “For having one showcase, we benefited quite a bit."

As part of the "We Are Columbus Ohio" music showcase, the band played to a sold-out room at The Treehouse Bar on E. 6th Street in Austin, but it held less than 100 people. It was a nerve-wracking experience for the group because there were A&R representatives who initially couldn’t get into the show, according to bassist Benjamin Meinhold and guitarist Kerry Henderson.

“It was so weird because we were playing in a venue that had an upstairs, second level. It had a fire code, and they didn’t let in anymore – not joking – than 75 people, but it made us look great because we had a line out the door,” Vernon said.

The band had to ask a few friends if they wouldn’t mind leaving to let the guys from the record label come in.

“We were down there trying to do what everyone else was trying to do. Get ourselves in front of people who can help us out,” Henderson said.

Fans help fund band's SXSW transportation

The Floorwalkers have a loyal fan base, which proved its dedication by helping the band make it to SXSW. Prior to the event, the group launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $10,000 for a tour van. On March 7, with the help of 127 backers, they were able to achieve more than the goal, garnering $11,107 for the investment. The band bought the van the day they hit the road for SXSW, Meinhold said.

“We have very loyal friends and family that support us. It was pretty amazing,” Vernon said. “It’s definitely a very gratifying feeling that if you do something people like, they’ll give you money for it.” 

The Floorwalkers adhere to no specific musical style. Their sound incorporates rock ‘n’ roll, soul, pop and even ragtime into an amalgamation of feel-good vibes. 

“The fact that we don’t cater to one style of music kind of keeps things interesting,” Vernon said.

The musicians’ body-rocking compositions are influenced by a multitude of artists, and their ability to seamlessly mesh their diverse influences comes from the relationships several bandmates built with one another over a lifetime, according to Vernon, who described the group as family, saying, “That comes off best on stage.”

Songwriting for the band is a collaborative effort. After three years of writing and recording, the band released its second record, The Natural Road, on iTunes in November 2010. They started with 60 songs and narrowed their selections down to create the 14-song album.

“It’s like picking which children you want on your team, you know,” Henderson said. “That’s not easy to do because we love a lot of these songs so much that it’s kind of difficult to put one on the side burner for a while.”

Band maps out tour, 'natural road' to success

Now that the band is well into the first year of the release’s debut, it has turned its focus to the business of promoting and touring. Although the group has achieved a moderate level of success pursuing DIY opportunities, The Floorwalkers are seeking management and booking agents, according to Vernon.

“Getting someone who knows how to book shows efficiently and how to route a tour – that stuff is important,” Vernon said.

The band plans to launch a full-fledge tour in August, making a “southwest curl” through Tennessee, heading out to Texas, up to Denver and back around to Ohio. There are no plans for the group to relocate from the Buckeye State to another music hub, but the bandmates are in consensus that they want to play nationwide as often as possible. 

“Our goals are pretty high,” Vernon said. “We’d love to have five records under our belt one day. We’d love to have some awesome music videos, some awesome merchandise. We really want to do the cool rock and roll American dream thing.”

The band is taking necessary steps toward those goals and recently released its first music video for the song “Three Wishes,” track one on The Natural Road, which fans can watch on YouTube. 

“If you’re a fan of ours, participate a lot and tell everyone you know because for us this is it,” Henderson said.

Fans can follow The Floorwalkers on the traditional social media channels – Facebook, Twitter – as well as the band’s website, www.thefloorwalkers.com.

Written by Priscilla Tasker

Music video: The Floorwalkers – "Three Wishes"
© 2010 In Room One Productions, LLC
Video by Kertis Creative and Periscope Web Video