Here’s the bit from Kalyn’s interview with Shovels & Rope for the Post & Courier where they discussed leaving High Water Festival:
Why Did Shovels & Rope Leave High Water Festival?
One way in which the business has shifted has to do with the music festival circuit. While Hearst and Trent never owned High Water Festival, they helped create it and were an integral part of artist curation for the annual showcase at North Charleston’s Riverfront Park. Earlier this year, they announced they’d be stepping away from the event put on by Live Nation.
“We tried to make the environment a certain way and there was a sweet spot,” said Trent. “But unfortunately, just the state of the music festival business is what it is and isn’t something we want to be involved with anymore.”
Hearst added that it got so big, costs ballooned and it stopped reflecting their values. As far as they know, though, the festival will go on next year without them.
“I would love to see Live Nation, as awesome as they are when we work with them, that monopoly busted up,” added Hearst. “There are local independent venues like the Pour House, which we love, struggling against this mega corporation. And every single one of us has to do business with them.”
While they help support “some of the greatest stagehands” and other talented and much-needed workers across the industry, Hearst said she’d love to see a more “naturally capitalistic and competitive situation” in Charleston, especially.
“Our city is really small, but it’s got big culture and big tourism … and it’s disproportionately talented,” she said. “There’s some incredible art, incredible young people doing incredible things. We want to see that scene continue to thrive.”
