X Ambassadors reveal the biggest misconception people have about musicians

Updated
X Ambassadors reveal the biggest misconception people have about musicians



Being a musician on tour may seem glamorous; you get to travel all over the world, perform at some of the most legendary venues, and meet your die-hard fans that helped make your career. But for any band that has climbed the music ranks, they know that being a rockstar has its downsides.

If anyone understands this, it's X Ambassadors, the alternative rock band hailing from Ithaca, New York. The four-piece, made up of Sam and Casey Harris, Adam Levin, and Noah Feldshuh, has experienced almost every aspect of the music industry, good and bad.

We caught up with the group before their incredible performance at the first-ever Okeechobe Music & Arts Festival in Florida, and got their take on the biggest misconception people hold about musicians.

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, including more exclusive X Ambassador features, click here.



What's the biggest misconception people have about musicians?
Sam Harris: We were in France recently at a bar with our manger and this guy started a conversation with us. And we told him what band we were in and he kind of knew who we were. And then all of a sudden the conversation took a dark turn and he was like, "Oh, so you must have a lot of underage girls at your shows. Do you like to sleep with these girls?" And we were like, "Dude, you're just stupid."

That mindset is so dated.
Sam Harris: It's so dated! Even on a practical level, it's hard enough to hang out with our family or our friends. We have no time and try and chase down chicks. It's so stupid. That's the most annoying misconception. There are different levels to being a band; we started out with no representation and we tried to do tours on our own. And then we were signed and still losing tons of money, we owed money all over the place. And we were touring in a busted van or trailer, but were being presented with cool opportunities. So we were asked to open for Imagine Dragons at these big arenas, and then we'd finish our set and then have to get down on our hands and knees and start unplugging everything, because we couldn't afford roadies or any sort of crew. We just had one guy with us -- who is still with us today, he's the greatest.

%shareLinks-quote="Even on a practical level, it's hard enough to hang out with our family or our friends." type="quote" author="Sam Harris " authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%

People probably assume that since you're touring with a big band, you get the same luxuries they do.
Sam Harris: Yeah! There are a lot of bands who work really hard and write their own music, but they stay under the radar, and they open for other musicians and they do their smaller club tours. And then when they're done their tour, they go home and go back to their day jobs and then wait for another tour. And once they book another tour, they then have to quit those day jobs. It's basically a never-ending cycle.



More YouShouldKnow:
Why alternative band X Ambassadors will soon be a household name
X Ambassadors gets candid about their relationship with Imagine Dragons
Brittany Wright reveals her most touching fan moments yet

Advertisement