At a time when pop artists are dominating the music industry, Alex Rolston has created an interactive platform for music lovers to explore more local bands and appreciate the music they produce.

“By Candle Light” is a not-for-profit local music hub based in Ontario aimed at spreading the word about artists and their works. Already being in the scene as a professional drummer, Rolston, a Music Industry Arts graduate from Fanshawe College, was inspired to create a platform where musicians could interact together not only amongst themselves but also with their fans. It is a platform where listeners can stream, explore, and download music from their favourite local bands like Brighter Green and Girlfriend Material. 

“When I think of the name ‘By Candle Light’, I think of a bunch of people and maybe the power has gone off or they are just casually sitting by the campfire and enjoying each other's company, avoiding any kind of distractions and getting down to the basics of spending good times with people”, Rolston said.

Speaking of the evolution of the music industry in recent times, Rolston mentioned that everything now depends on the online presence of an artist and how much they can engage with their fans, which was one of the primary reasons he created such an initiative. He explained, “As opposed to just being a part of a band and playing for their shows, everything now depends on how much the artist is active on social media and how much of an online presence they have. If one fine day a fan goes to their band’s Facebook page and sees they have not updated anything for a month or so, they may wonder if they are even a band anymore”. 

Despite COVID-19 bringing the world to a standstill, these times have proven that music has the ability to reach audiences far and wide. With virtual concerts being held across all streaming platforms, artists are coming up with innovative ways to stay connected with their fans and keep them entertained. “What I feel about the future of the music industry is just that there are going to be more communication online and virtual gigs and we might actually find it easier to get to know each other better. I guess during the times of COVID-19, we are encouraging people to be more connected than ever”, Rolston mentioned while giving a special shout out to the London Music Committee for regularly hosting virtual concerts on Facebook. He also mentioned that he will be organizing a show via Zoom with local bands in the days to come. 

Amidst the popularity of pop artists, it may be hard for local artists to rise to fame. Yet, there doesn’t seem much comparison on the basis of the content they produce or fan base. “In my opinion, if you compare your local garage band to a popular Canadian artist, there isn’t much difference in their fan following. People who are interested in a band like Jailbirds (a local band in Ontario) will be as interested in a band like Metric (a popular band)”, Rolston commented.

Rolston hopes that By Candle Light becomes a medium to spread the word about local music bands and improve their fan base. He reiterates the fact that having an online presence is crucial for an upcoming artist or band to retain their support from their fans and increase their exposure. 

Check out the music available by By Candle Light here:

bycandlelight.bandcamp.com

Follow By Candle Light on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/by_candle_light/ 

Follow By Candle Light on Facebook:

facebook.com/ByCandleLightCanada

Check out their Spotify Playlist:

open.spotify.com/playlist/5tY39uUHHzWbYdAcsuBPfl?si=hhFc7Z6DTNGtrat2dd4JZw