Paul Draper believes today’s music landscape struggles to match the depth of guitar bands that dominated the charts in the 1990s.
Speaking to ContactMusic.com, the Mansun frontman reflected on the current state of bands while promoting his newly reworked album Mansun Retold, arguing that standout groups are now far less common.
Fewer standout bands in the modern era
Draper pointed to a shift away from the era when guitar bands regularly broke through into the mainstream.
“I think the new bands that hit after Mansun… Arctic Monkeys were the first.
These days I really like Wolf Alice, alt-J, The Last Dinner Party — they’ve got some great tracks. But there’s a lot fewer great bands now than there was in the 90s when the charts were peppered with them.”
Breaking through is harder than ever
The singer was clear that while access to music distribution has improved, visibility has become the real challenge.
“It’s a lot harder now.
I’m lucky to have a fanbase left from Mansun and kids discovering it. I sell a lot of physical records, but I don’t get a lot of action on streaming.”
He added that the shift to digital platforms has created a crowded marketplace.
“It’s easier to get on streaming, but to cut through the noise is so difficult. That’s why there are fewer and fewer bands now. It’s a lot more difficult than it was back in our day.”
Rising costs and shrinking venues
Draper also highlighted structural challenges affecting emerging artists, particularly around live performance opportunities.
“There’s less venues for people to play.
Gig prices are through the roof too. It’s weird looking back at Mansun tickets — we were doing Brixton Academy for like £6, £8 a ticket.”
While he still aims to keep his own shows affordable, he acknowledged how dramatically the live sector has shifted.
“For the big acts, it is unbelievable, the prices.”
Mansun Retold is out now.
