Father John Misty, song and dance man
Musicians play a lot of shows and festivals, and these festival gigs often come with contracts.
One common contract is called a “radius clause.” A radius clause, in essence, gives the promoter a form of territorial exclusivity, making sure that the performer does not book concerts with competing promoters and venues in nearby areas, which can undermine ticket sales for their main event.
Father John Misty, also known as Josh Tillman, is the former drummer for Fleet Foxes. Tillman has toured on most major festival circuits and knows these clauses well.
“I ended up having to play a way smaller, basically unprofitable album release show because of a radius clause,” he says.
“I Love You, Honeybear,” his second full-length solo release since leaving Fleet Foxes in 2012, is out Feb. 10 on Sub Pop Records.
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