November 5th, 2025 —
I recently had the opportunity to interview J. Edward Keyes, the Editorial Director at Bandcamp. As a current KXLU DJ, Independent Music Manager, and classically trained musician, I was eager to hear from one of the leaders of a platform that spearheads the support of Independent music/artists.
Keyes joined Bandcamp a decade ago, after a long career in print journalism writing for Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Span Entertainment. He entered the digital music space in 2005, and since then has been building editorial digital platforms.
Keyes runs Bandcamp’s Editorial vertical. This includes Bandcamp Daily, where they feature stories of artists who use the platform to connect with fans directly all over the world. Everything from the techno scene in the Philippines, to the metal scene in Uganda — Bandcamp’s goal is to showcase the global music community. Through interviews, scene reports, and albums of the day, Bandcamp helps elevate artists which ultimately translates into sales for those artists.
“It’s exciting for us, after we run a feature on an artist, to see, ‘Oh, they sold a bunch of albums as a result of us doing a story.’ That’s where the payoff is.”
Q: What are the differences between the print world, vs. working in digital spaces? What has that transition been like as technology has transformed music discovery?
A: One of the things that is more gratifying on the digital side is that you see results right away. When you’re working in print, you’d submit an article, and it would move into a newspaper or magazine, and then that’s somewhat the end of the conversation. You couldn’t see the impact as clearly, for example knowing how many people were listening to the bands that you had just written about.
“I feel like the biggest difference in digital spaces is the heightened feeling that I’m making an impact for artists and bands. You’re not just writing articles to be all theoretical but you can see it — and that motivates you to to do it more. It just feels more purposeful.”
Q: Streaming services feel like a chokehold on independent artists and the DIY scene, making break through the noises seem hopeless. What role does Bandcamp play in music discovery versus algorithm based streaming services? How does Band Camp stand apart from these spaces?
A: One of the main differences between streaming and Bandcamp discovery is that all of the discovery on Bandcamp is human-powered. Whether that’s the new and notable section of our homepage with handpicked releases, the radio shows, the editorial pieces that we run — there’s real people behind everything. We hope that it captures the nuances of individual taste. We hope that by being an environment with different textures, we can put music in front of people that maybe wouldn’t hit in the algorithm. Ultimately, discovery on Bandcamp is based on other humans who use the site, and who you follow on the platform.
“When you’re spending money on Bandcamp, you feel like you’re paying an artist directly (which you usually are), which again makes your listening feel more meaningful and purposeful. I’ve personally spent way too much money as a result of our human discovery.”
When artists appear on an editorial playlist and/or in algorithmic discovery on streaming platforms, most likely there has been money exchanged for that, whether large or small. Listeners can sense that being discovered on an algorithmic based streaming service is largely fueled by these behind the scenes connections, which is another obstacle for independent artists and the DIY scenes trying to break through the noise. It creates an environment that feels like you have to sell out to streaming services — with little return — to even have a chance at getting into the right ears, and even then growth is not guaranteed.
“One of the things that I’m very proud of is Bandcamp has never in the 10 years that I’ve been here, covered anything anywhere because we got paid to do it. We cover stuff that we like and that’s it.”
Q: I’d love for you to talk about the new Bandcamp Clubs feature and how artists can use that to diversify the way they’re connecting with fans.
A: It all goes back to this notion of human discovery. The average listener doesn’t necessarily have the time to dig and discover new music. The goal with Bandcamp Clubs is we have clubs for specific genres, which is led by an expert in that particular genre. For example, Jay Bennett is a known metal writer who is the host of “The Hard Stuff” metal club on Bandcamp’s platform. With a monthly subscription, Jay Bennett will choose an album for you and it will automatically show up in your Bandcamp collection. The Clubs will also have a live interview feature where subscribers can be a part of a live interview with the host and bands etc. It’s just another feature on Bandcamp to engage fans, and encourage music discovery and curiosity.
Q: Do you think the DIY ethos of this early internet and DIY scene is still alive today in the digital landscape? Think Zines, CDs/Tapes, grassroots push to expand your listening reach…Do you think it’s still alive in the digital sphere ? Is AI shaping it in a different way? What do you think?
A: Well, I should preface with the fact that I live in Brooklyn, so I may be a bit biased towards what I experience in Brooklyn…However I do think the spirit of it is still alive, it is just manifesting in different ways. When I go to a club to see a show, the restroom is filled with stickers with QR codes (which usually link straight to a Bandcamp, where I can buy something to support the artist). This feels very DIY and old school to me, while utilizing new resources.
That being said, it’s as hard as it’s ever been to be a young band just starting out. It’s still pretty cutthroat, and the internet makes it easier for there to be more bands than there ever were —which is a mixed blessing in a lot of ways. I do think that the struggle is real — and I don’t say that in a funny flippant hashtaggy way. It’s hard. It’s a lot of work. But I think there will always be promising ambition.
Q: Do you feel like there’s still a rich live scene? I mean, you live in Brooklyn, so I’m sure ‘yes.’ But, as an active participant in the Independent scene here in LA, I hear a lot of struggle booking shows at stepping stone venues because of their ties with larger companies/labels. So there isn’t a space (barring house shows and DIY venues), for smaller artists to perform easily. What are your thoughts?
A: It’s dicey in Brooklyn, too. I’m quite old, so I’ve seen a lot of shifts. We had an amazing period in Brooklyn where there were so many DIY venues. Some that come to mind are Sha Stadium, Silent Barn, Monster Island Basement…It’s a struggle now. I do not want to shade venues, because I know they need to survive too. So indie venues, this is not shade on you. However, I am seeing an increase in things like, on a Friday night, instead of having a live band booked, you’ll see a DJ night, and not even a cool DJ night. It’s like, Taylor Swift vs. Charli XCX night. Don’t get me wrong, I love Charli and Taylor, but do we need to be using the indie space to promote Taylor Swift and Charli XCX more? And again, I understand these smaller clubs need to stay open, and that might bring people out…But to me, it makes me sad because it doesn’t give smaller artists a chance to play.
Q: Do you have any advice you’d give to college radio stations, student run music outlets, independent blogs that would better support the indie scene?
A: This is the main thing I’d say…it’s going to sound so corny but I do believe it’s true, and it ties into everything we’ve been talking about. Do what you feel. Play what you feel. Your taste is good and valid. That heart is what will draw people to connect to you. Don’t feel obligated to trends, unless you like the trend then play that. The minute I got back into Bandcamp, I could tell my work means a lot to artists. You’re really helping them. You’re really making a difference in their life. You’re helping them pay rent. You’re helping them express themselves. I think it’s the same with college radio. You’re playing someone and in the same moment someone is resonating with it.
“Go with your gut. Do what you believe in. It might not always pay off, but you’re going to feel better and you’re going to see rewards that are meaningful — AND the artists you support are going to care about it too.”
Q: Looking ahead, what makes you optimistic about the future of independent and artist driven music in this changing industry?
A: God honest answer — Every single year there’s at least ten records that wow me. By virtue of my age, I’ve been listening to music for a long time, and as generations go by, there’s still artists making stuff that knocks me sideways. The fact that independent music can still produce tracks that make me feel so happy, makes me optimistic. If you are an artist reading this, you could be that person who has an impact on someone like myself, so keep going.
J. Edward’s standouts of the year:
● Bastian Keb and Confucius MC are two folks from the UK who do spoken word rap.
● The duo Shrapknel put out three records this year with three different producers. Every single one of them is unbelievable.
● Gavia: She is based in New York and plays a million different instruments.
Headshot photo via J. Edward Keyes
—–
✰ Keep up with KXLU! ✰ Daily ticket giveaways & updates ✰