ISSUE 011
IN SITU this week recaps our first IN SITU LIVE: VOLUME 001 - "THE ART OF COLLABORATION".
IN SITU is a platform dedicated to the intersection between culture, brand strategy and music. Sometimes the focus will be on one strand more than another, but always sitting in that sweet spot.
ISSUE 011 AT A GLANCE
LONG READ Recapping IN SITU LIVE: VOLUME 001 - THE ART OF COLLABORATION
MUSIC CORNER Album recommendation: Michael Kiwanuka - Small Changes
LONG READ
RECAPPING IN SITU LIVE: VOLUME 001 - THE ART OF COLLABORATION
IN SITU LIVE exceeded all expectations. If you came down, thank you so much for joining us. We had a full room of interested ears listening intently to the fascinating panel discussion. But more importantly, a group of like-minded people met in a physical space, and that’s what IN SITU is about.
We covered everything from what makes a successful collaboration, to which brands have done a good job recently, to why the music industry is built on working collaboratively, and how each of the panelists use collaboration in their day-to-day roles.
IN SITU LIVE: VOLUME 001 TEAM
PANEL GUEST: David Zhou - Founder & Director of Eastern Margins and Margins United
PANEL GUEST: Casey Amber - Co-Founder of AKA
PANEL GUEST: Ariel Cohen - Strategic Partner Manager, Artist Development at YouTube Music & Co-Founder of Twisted Hearts Records
MODERATOR: Nicola J Davies - Founder of IN SITU, Cultural Strategist & Music Journalist
DJ: AKAY - Resident DJ for Love At First Vibe
PHOTO: PATRICK
VIDEO: Ramone Anderson
ARTWORK: Carole-Anne Dos Santos
VENUE: Upstairs @ The Haggerston
LEARNING 1: SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATIONS NEED BOTH ALIGNMENT AND FRICTION
“A successful collaboration in my experience is hallmarked by two things. 1) friction, and 2) compromise. There has to be some level of disagreement or tension in a relationship, otherwise you’re not creating anything new, you’re just working within your echo chamber. But at the same time…people need to disagree and have tension, but need to be willing to compromise to truly collaborate.” - David Zhou
“It’s not about just slapping two names together and calling it a partnership. It’s about aligning on a bigger vision, and I think from an AKA perspective, understanding the culture that you’re tapping into…is very key. Without authenticity, collaborations can fall flat.” - Casey Amber
If two very similar brands come together to create a collaboration, it doesn’t generate anything truly new, and therefore, it doesn’t excite consumers (e.g. Fendi x Versace). But when you have a degree of alignment combined with a healthy dose of tension, it immediately becomes more interesting (e.g. Giggs x Oatly).
LEARNING 2: COLLABORATION IS AN ART
“Collaboration is definitely an artform. When brands and talent come together, it’s more than just an output and a campaign, it’s a form of creative expression. We throw this phrase around, ‘collaborations tell a story’, but I think that is definitely the case when done correctly.” - Casey Amber
“Even when it is a very, very specific business collaboration, if there is no genuine connection over artistic, shared ideas, it can come across very obvious. I think a lot of…audiences are very savvy. If it’s a straight business collaboration without the art overlap, people know straightaway.” - David Zhou
Not only is collaboration a form of creative expression in itself, but to create a ‘good’ one, there must be shared artistic sensibilities that make sense to the target audience. Otherwise, there is little real-life relevance and therefore, no stickiness.
LEARNING 3: TIMING IS EVERYTHING, BUT IT CAN BE MANUFACTURED
“There’s a calcuation that goes on, that’s not very scientific, that people just kind of make bets ultimately, all the time. That’s when it’s left to the business, but when it’s artists themselves, they go for people they like.” - Ariel Cohen
“Timing is super important, but you can engineer your own timing.” - David Zhou
We all know of those collaborations that missed the mark in terms of relevance or sensitivity, but hat doesn’t mean that some truly great collaborations can’t be timeless. However, given how rapid the news and culture cycle is, it’s more important than ever to pick the right moment.
LEARNING 4: COLLABORATION FUELS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
“Brand partnerships and sync offer opportunity for those different income streams, and also allows artists to gain wider visibility.” - Casey Amber
“Nothing gets done without collaboration in music” - Ariel Cohen
“There’s a sweetspot of the number of creators. Once you get past a certain number of collaborators, it becomes like bloat.” - David Zhou
Whether it’s big brands and major labels, global artists or emerging artists, or grassroots creators and community events, the music industry lives and breathes collaboration. However, more isn’t always more - and sometimes the vision gets blurry with too many players involved.
LEARNING 5: CONTENT IS NECESSARY, SO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE FOR YOU
“I’ve never once met an artist who was like, “I really like doing short-form content creation”.” - Ariel Cohen
“Once you find that thing that is clicking, that is resonating with you as an artist and is resonating with an audience, do saturate it, make that your thing…It’s not about saturating quantity, it’s about saturating an idea, and just being really consistent with that idea.” - David Zhou
With any form of creative expression, content is part of the package if audience growth is a measure of success. But just because we receive too much content, doesn’t mean one should make less. In fact, if you’re contributing to the noise in a way that serves you and your audience, then keep doing it.
We can’t wait to host the next IN SITU LIVE in London next year, but keep your eyes peeled for the next location…it might be in your city! Keep up to date with all IN SITU LIVE announcements here and on IG @insitu.njd.
Please enjoy this short video of collaboration examples that played at IN SITU LIVE before the panel discussion began:
MUSIC CORNER
MICHAEL KIWANUKA - SMALL CHANGES
After a 5+ year break, North-London’s Michael Kiwanuka is back with his 4th album, Small Changes. Unlike other artists who may have been perfecting tracks for all that time, it seems Kiwanuka may have fallen out of love with his artform until he didn’t, as shared on his Instagram: “As I was writing Small Changes I remembered what got me hooked, what persuaded me to sing. I remembered that what really matters to me is the song writing, the music, and then the sharing it all with you.”
An accomplished album musically, lyrically and emotionally, Kiwanuka effortlessly blends soul, jazz and folk into his own brand of music that we didn’t know we were missing until this album came out.
Don’t forget to follow IN SITU on Instagram @insitu.njd, and check out my website at nicolajdavies.com.