Dexter and the Moonrocks’ Ryan Fox believes that social media is both hard work and necessary for the modern artist/band to prosper. The drummer and vocalist from the ‘”y’allternative band” discussed how he took over the social media manager role for the group, why fans always think their music is from a different time, how Dexter and the Moonrocks always split songwriting credits, and their fanbase being as diverse as they come. Fox also touched on the similarities between the country and grunge genres, how Dexter and the Moonrocks got their name (no one in the group is named Dexter) after originally starting as a country band, their song “Freaking Out” going viral, and why they believe the Turnpike Troubadours should be the biggest act in the world. But getting back to the social media conversation, I don’t have to sit here and tell you (the reader) that artists having an online presence has become a necessity in the modern music industry. It’s almost impossible for an artist or band to exist without social media, and while a lot of up-and-coming acts are helped by what appears to be “online overnight success,” Ryan Fox says it’s not that simple: “It is a lot of work. And I think a lot of people don’t think it is work because a lot of people will look at a Gigi Perez or Noah Kahan and it’s kind of that saying of, ‘Oh my gosh, they blew up overnight.’ But it’s like an overnight success 10 years in the making.” The Dexter and the Moonrocks drummer admits that there’s a bit of luck to blowing up online, but he claims those overnight, viral stories represent about 1% of the music industry stories out there. Though those are the stories that most people often hear of, in reality, there’s a whole lot of work – and a tremendous amount of time – that goes into gaining social media traction, as Fox explained: “I think a lot of people miss that, and they don’t realize that it is like, ‘Hey if you want to do it, you have to wake up and you’ve got to post a bunch, and you’ve got to figure out how to make videos and how to promote yourself.'” And if you are sitting there thinking, “Well why should an artist have to worry about making TikToks?” that’s a fair point… at least if you ask me. If you ask Fox, he’ll tell you that having that take is one of the worst soapboxes you can stand on, and gives a solid reason why he feels that way: “I really don’t like the people who are like, ‘Artists should be focused on making art, and shouldn’t be focused on being influencers.’ That, I think, is bullsh*t. I think, in a way, TikTok and Instagram Reels, that is art… And now with the internet, you can be Treaty Oak Revival and be fully independent and own all of your stuff, and you have the power of that in your pocket. People do not take advantage of that, and it pisses me off.” @whiskeyriff @Dexter & The Moonrocks Listen to the podcast out now. #whiskeyriffraff #whiskeyriff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff There is an inordinate amount of power in social media. The Dexter and the Moonrocks band member thinks that, more than anything, being on social media and putting in the work is really just artists and bands adapting to the consumption and discover model and getting with the times. In Ryan Fox’s mind, social media doesn’t have to be viewed as an evil thing: “We’ve now entered an era where making good music is the bare minimum and you actually have to put in effort into promoting yourself and making content and stuff like that. It doesn’t have to be the super lame TikToks like, ‘Can you guess which one of us is the drummer?’ You can do fun, creative things. Some bands and artists don’t want to do that, and they feel like it’s beneath them… if you just brute force it enough, you will figure out a way to do it.” Just another way for artists to showcase their creativity and connect with their fans. You can hear about all of that and more from Ryan Fox by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Dexter & The Moonrocks’ Ryan Fox Explains Why Making Good Music Is The “Bare Minimum” In The Social Media Age first appeared on Whiskey Riff.