Since the spread of Covid-19 called for social distancing and isolation measures around not only the country, but the world, the arts industries have suffered, with many grassroots venues closing permanently. As musicians themselves, Lovett and Bay feel passionately about this issue, but they also worry about their teams who might not be as well off, and other artists, such as new aspiring acts.

On this topic, they reminisced about their early careers, which both began as so many do, playing in small music venues. Lovett described this, saying it’s “a place to build up a bit of a fan base but it’s also a place to make mistakes.”

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Caught up with Ben Lovett of @mumfordandsons, @communionmusic and @omearalondon to discuss the current music venue crisis we’re facing. Hopefully this helps to give you a bit of insight into the effects of Covid-19 on the music industry. If you want to help, you can watch my free online gig from Omeara a few nights ago and donate to Save Our Venues! x

A post shared by James Bay (@jamesbaymusic) on Jul 19, 2020 at 12:52pm PDT

After expressing the urgency of supporting music venues, the pair looked at how to remain positive during this time, and what artists and fans can do to help. Bay recently performed a solo show at Omeara which followers watched via livestream, and he explained that although it feels strange playing without an audience, it’s important for venues to have the business. Although Bay’s gig was free to watch, and is still available on his YouTube channel, he is donating all the income from the video to the #SaveOurVenues campaign. So far, over £4k has been raised.

Taking place on 16th July, the singer played his famous hits along with new single ‘Chew On My Heart’, and included a message to viewers in the description box of the video. He wrote, “We must never live in a world where live music venues don’t exist. They are as important for the artist as they are for the countless visitors and of course the dedicated staff that devote themselves to running those rooms like clockwork.”

Fans are encouraged to watch the video back, and to donate to the campaign themselves, or to Lovett’s Crowdfunder page which was set up in May to fund the workers at Omeara and prevent its closure. Furthermore, Lovett opened his new venue, Lafayette, in February, which the campaign will also support.

Despite the worry that both Bay and Lovett are feeling, they did bring up a hopeful element in their video chat, with Lovett saying, “I think hope is important and we’ve been through a lot as human beings, and through everything music has come through the other side of it.”

Of course, as Donovan stated in his social media post, it would be difficult for all of his 15,000 followers to join: “Don’t think we can get you all on, so we’re running a competition”. To enter, contestants must simply save ‘Tangerine Skies’ to their Spotify library, and sign up to the singer’s mailing list found in the shared link.

Excited to announce my lil Zoom gig! Before it got rescheduled, my London show at Dingwalls was supposed to be on 11th June… So I thought I’d jump on a Zoom call instead and play a few songs. Anyone keen? Hit the link below win a seat https://t.co/tYHptyIh0m pic.twitter.com/bmtRX9GxT9

— Declan J Donovan (@declanjdonovan) May 22, 2020

It has not yet been made clear how many places are available for fans to win, but there will surely be many chances to join Donovan in his online gig. Along with a humorous video of the artist photoshopped at a live festival, he explained “Before it got rescheduled, my London show at Dingwalls was supposed to be on 11th June… I was really gutted that we had to move it as I know a few of you had booked flights and I was really looking forward to playing the new songs and having a bit of a party with you all.”

Given that the gig at London’s Dingwalls was originally planned for 11th June, it makes sense that the online gig is held then. Though it will be a change from the 500-capacity venue in Camden, Donovan’s creative new way of holding gigs offers winners a more intimate set and the chance to chat directly with him. This is an incredible way of connecting while in isolation; maybe it will catch on amongst other musicians.

Though he is on lock-down at home in the UK, Donovan created a music video for ‘Tangerine Skies’ and, after watching it, it seems hard to imagine any other video for the song. Its playful attitude shows the songwriter’s personality, while allowing fans to find solace from the chaotic events which are currently taking place. Check out the video below.

Declan J Donovan began his music career in 2017 and has made strides since then, touring with artists Jake Bugg and Freya Ridings, as well as releasing numerous singles which gained millions of streams. His debut EP was shared earlier this year, including both new music and popular singles ‘Pieces’ and ‘Vienna’.