Side projects are becoming more and more popular on the music scene. It seems like every week, a new project emerges that features members of popular bands. Are side projects just for fun or can they ultimately lead to the demise of a band?
Side projects normally start as an alternative creative outlet for band members. Sometimes musicians have muses burning inside of them that don’t exactly fit into the spectrum of the band they’re in (see hip-hop project Fort Minor, started by Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda). Sometimes musicians meet other musicians they really want to work with (see The Postal Service, which pairs Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard with Jimmy Tamborello). Sometimes a group of like-minded musicians just want to get together and try and create something new (see supergroup The Sound of Animals Fighting which features members of Circa Survive, RX Bandits, Chiodos and more).
“I think it’s good for bands,” said RX Bandits guitarist Steve Choi, who plays guitar in The Sound of Animals Fighting. “It totally allows people to express things that don’t necessarily fit in the collective vibe of things. They’re like steam vents.”
But sometimes side projects can be deadly. It was the idea of Angels and Airwaves that caused Tom DeLonge to leave blink-182. It was the early writings that Circa Survive front man Anthony Green did with friend Colin Frangicetto on a trip home that convinced him to leave upcoming Orange County post-hardcore outfit Saosin.
I think that while side projects are good for music, they can be bad for chemistry. It takes a certain level of trust and confidence to allow band members to play in other bands. Unless your band is a tight-knit group, you might want to think twice about it.
