We caught up with the brilliant The Rock Collective a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

What’s the Rock Collective? Where did the idea come from?

The Rock Collective is a free, mutually supportive community featuring some of the best emerging Rock bands in Los Angeles.  “The Collective,” as it’s affectionately called, was started by David Swanson to help Rock bands overcome the pay-to-play model and utilize their collective draw to maximize their booking leverage and exposure.  The community holds monthly Rock Party Events at Lucky Strike in Hollywood, its host venue partner.

The Monthly Rock Parties are incredibly interactive and fun for both bands and fans.  They consist of everything from bowling (“Rock n’ Bowl”) to a mixer with some pretty impressive speakers. At the end of the evening, there’s also a Live Show in which four of the bands in The Collective play 30-minute sets.

When asked about what inspired him to take on such a huge task, Swanson reported, “I felt like it was something I had to do.”  Swanson went on to describe a situation he witnessed at one of LA’s most iconic venues. “I couldn’t believe it.  The band walked in and the person at the door said, ‘You have the money?’  I was blown away.” Swanson said.  “Most of these bands are broke.  They work full-time jobs just to support themselves. With whatever money they have left, they have to pay for their instruments, studio time and rehearsal space. They write their own music. They rehearse three to four days a week and they spend countless hours going to shows and meeting other bands. They give everything they have to this. Now you want them to go out and sell tickets for you? That’s not okay.  Especially considering that they keep all the money from food and bar sales that these bands generate. It’s just wrong.”

Swanson reported that, right after he witnessed this situation unfold, he immediately began reaching out to several Rock bands in the community. “I knew a lot of these guys from being in and out of the recording studios and going to shows over the years. A lot of these guys were PA’s at the studios.”  Swanson has two children in music – Will is the lead singer of the Rock band, HVNTED (www.HVNTED.com) and Andrew is an independent artist who’s known as GORGS (www.GorgsMusic.com).  Swanson initially reached out to 12 bands and shared his idea of pooling their combined draw to support each other. “I just told them that, if they worked together to create a large draw, regardless of whether they were playing or not, they would bring a huge crowd.  What venue’s going to turn that down?” The bands understood Swanson’s vision and jumped on board.  The Rock Collective launched in January, 2022, at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood. Reflecting on The Collective’s first year, Swanson said, “I don’t think any of them thought it would be this big.”

Having the Hollywood Hard Rock Café as a venue partner is a pretty strong start for a community that, at the time, was virtually unknown.  The brand is synonymous with the greats of Rock n’ Roll and the central genre of The Rock Collective.  When asked about how this relationship came to be, Swanson simply stated, “A phone call.”  Swanson explained, “At the time, The Hard Rock was the dream. So, I called and got ahold of Brian Orozco. I shared the idea and he understood the vision.  He was super supportive from the start.  I’m so thankful for Brian… And Shane Tucker who was also a big part of this. Those guys both have huge hearts and really understood it before it was anything.  They took the risk on us and ultimately put us on the map.”

The launch went extremely well. The event was covered by Blurred Culture (www.BlurredCulture.com), No Cover Magazine (www.nocover.com/city/ventura/) and featured on Spectrum News (https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west). It seems that The Rock Collective tapped into something that fans and bands alike were desperately seeking. Long gone are the days of the 80’s Hollywood Rock scene when bands like Motley Crüe, Guns n’ Roses and Poison graced the stages.  For Rock n’ Roll, those were the glory days. But, with the help of The Rock Collective, perhaps we’re seeing a revival.

How does it help Bands? The Community?

In addition to exposing LA’s Rock n’ Rock fans to some of the best up-and-coming Rock bands in Los Angeles – before they hit the big stage – The Rock Collective provides an incredible number of opportunities for these talented emerging bands.  Perhaps most important is the ability to meet other rising Rock bands in LA – all in one place. “Networking is critical for these bands.” Swanson said.  “Meeting other bands grows your reputation, gets you respect within the community, and it creates opportunities for bands to book and play shows with each other.”

The Rock Collective also gives these Rock bands the opportunity to meet and receive guidance from several influential music industry professionals.  “We’ve had a number of great speakers come out to meet and talk with our bands. They’ve even bowled together during our Rock n’ Bowl Events.”  During the Monthly Rock Parties, The Rock Collective has a mixer where bands are provided with an opportunity to meet and hang out together. On occasion, these mixers host speakers who offer their expertise and experience.  This list of speakers is quite impressive.  Among them:

Benny Rietveld

• 8-time Grammy Award winning Bass Player
• Bass Player for Carlos Santana

Vicky Hamilton

• Grammy Award Winning Music Executive
• Former Manager for Guns and Roses, Motley Crüe, Poison Stryper and Faster Pussycat

Jonathon Rego

• A&R Fearless Records
• Worked with The Story So Far, State Champs, Pierce the Veil and Chase Atlantic

Nico LaRocca

• A&R Thriller Records
• Previous A&R We Are Triumphant

Bobby Litrell

• Owner, The Shed (Venue)
• Former Member of the Sales and Marketing Team at Epitaph Records, Anti-Cat Records and Hellcat Records working with bands like Rancid and Bring Me The Horizon
• Manager, MDDN Management working with bands like Sleeping with Sirens and Potty Mouth

“It’s just amazing to see these accomplished people give their time and energy to these bands. So thankful for them.  It’s very inspiring for the bands” Swanson said.  “We’ve also had a number of other pretty significant people just come to hang out because they enjoy our events.” Among these attendees:

Ricky Armellino

• Guitar Play for Ice Nine Kills
• Frontman for Hawk

Eric Emery

• Owner of Emery Recording Studios
• Grammy Nominate Engineer, Mixer and Producer
• Clients include Yungblud, Travis Barker and Starset

Eva Black

• Artist Manager
• Social Media Marketer

In addition to great networking opportunities and the ability to learn from people who have had success in the music industry, The Rock Collective has managed to secure a variety of beneficial partnerships for its bands. “I think that the pay to play model has done a number on some of these bands because it reinforces the idea that the band’s music has no value. The band’s talent and exposure has no value to these places. It’s all about paying the fee.”  Swanson said.  “Since our launch last year, we’ve had a number of brands recognize the level of talent here and they ‘want’ to work with the bands in our community. It’s great to see companies value these bands for the talent they bring.”  To date, The Rock Collective has secured partnerships with:

Hidden Bands (Music Distribution App)

• Distributes music in the US and UK

Highwire Daze (Music Publication)

• Features great photos and articles on bands in The Collective

Sticker Plug LA

• Offers bands discounts on promotional materials

Eargasm (High Fidelity Earplugs)

• Bands serve as Influencers
• Bands can secure a free pair of Eagasm Earplugs in exchange for mutual promotion

Music Alliance

• Bands receive a free Pro-Level Membership
• Bands receive mentorship, education, discounts, etc.

Eric Bradley

• Bands receive Artist Relations discounts on gear and equipment

Frank Stallone Guitars

• Bands can act as Brand Ambassadors

Swanson noted that several outstanding music photographers have joined the community.  “These photographers are amazing.  The shots they take are incredible.  I’ve been totally blown away.” said Swanson.  “These bands are so lucky to be able to play a show in front of more than 180 people and have these crazy shots taken of their live performance.” To date, The Rock Collective is consistently shot by:

Jessica Greif

https://www.instagram.com/capturedbyjessica/

Vivian Ortega

https://www.instagram.com/sofinchphotography/

Jack Lue

https://www.instagram.com/jacklue/

Stephen Brownlee

https://www.instagram.com/stephenbrownleephotography/

Leire Baztarrica

https://www.instagram.com/leirebaztarrica/

Linda Emord

https://www.instagram.com/eyeshutter4u/

Teresa Highbrige

https://www.instagram.com/greatfoodallover/

Hannah Gini

https://www.instagram.com/losdeviles.ca/

Many of these photographers also lend their pictures to be published in the local music blogs and magazines which helps the bands gain even more exposure.

Any highlights or big developments?

Since the launch last year, The Rock Collective has had a great deal of success.  Fox News and Spectrum News have both done features on the community.  Swanson also appeared on the Dr. Drew Podcast to talk about The Collective.  Additionally, articles on The Rock Collective have been featured in Highwire Daze, Blurred Culture, Voyage LA and No Cover Magazine.  It seems that everyone is talking about The Rock Collective these days and the bands have been the beneficiaries. “They’ve worked really hard for this. They bring their friends, fans and family members out to our Rock Party Events, even when they’re not playing.” said Swanson.  With an average crowd size of over 180 people, it’s no wonder why The Collective has gained so much attention.

Another highlight noted by Swanson is their recent Partnership with Lucky Strike Hollywood.  Swanson notes, “I think we may have finally found our home.” Swanson continued, “This place [Lucky Strike] is a dream. Sean Herzfeld and Jonathan Jones are so incredibly kind and generous. They even open lanes for our bands to bowl.  They really emulate what this community is all about. Crash Cortez [Sound Engineer] is the icing on the cake. The sound is always great.  When it’s right, it’s right.  And I think everyone in our community feels extremely blessed to be here.”

In spite of all of the media attention and the recent partnership with Lucky Strike Hollywood, Swanson points to the strong sense of community as one of his favorite highlights. “I think one of the greatest highlights has been watching this community come together. I love watching the bands hang out and enjoy their time together.  They really deserve it.  That’s been the most amazing part for me.”

And it seems that this sense of community has extended beyond Lucky Strike in Hollywood.  Swanson noted, “Jessica, who’s one of our photographers, told me that it’s hard for her to go to any show around LA without knowing someone from The Collective.”

Any plans for the future?

The future is bright for The Rock Collective. Big draws, great Rock bands, music industry executives and valuable brand partnerships have all managed to come together organically during the community’s first year.  So, what’s next? Swanson isn’t sure.  He says he has some interesting ideas he’d like to explore.  Among them is an affiliate program. “I’m reaching out to talented Rock bands in other cities who can bring a draw.  I’d like to set it up so that two or more of our bands can travel to that city and play with the affiliate band who will book the show and bring a large draw.  In exchange, that band can come here and play in one of our Rock Parties in front of a packed house.  This would be a great way for every band in our community to get new exposure.”  When asked about establishing Rock Collective’s in other cities, Swanson noted, “I’ve thought about it.  But I would need someone in the other cities to take the lead.  This is all voluntary on my part and I just don’t have the time.”

How can Artist, Bands and others become a part of The Rock Collective?

Although The Rock Collective centers itself around the Melodic Rock genre, every artist and band is welcome to be a part of the community.  “Most of the time, when people ask about our community, it’s all about how they can play one our Rock Parties.  But there is so much more that they can get out of this.  Personally, I think the mixer is the most important part of all of this.  Meeting other bands can really help to get your name and reputation out there.  And, if other bands get to know you, it can lead to a ton of other shows around LA.”  Swanson said.  When asked about how bands get on stage for the Monthly Rock Parties, Swanson reported, “Playing in our events comes down to being in the scope of genres we host as well as honoring our core commitment of bringing people out to the shows – whether or not you play. We have a system in place where bands earn points for bringing people out. Obviously, we want to put on a great show too.  So, it’s important that the band is talented enough as well.”

Contact information:

Website: https://rockcollective.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larockcollective/

Email: [email protected]

Suggest a Story: CanvasRebel is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.