Touring in rural areas can present unique challenges. How difficult has it been for you as a band to make sustainable choices while touring in more remote locations?

As with all sustainable choices its generally easier not to bother and just tour as we always have, but that’s not really acceptable any more. Our two primary options for reducing our carbon footprint are to car share and to minimise travel by insisting on doubling and tripling up distance gigs. This has, of course, lost us some distance gigs we’d have like to have done but it was the right thing to do for our carbon footprint.

When comparing rural touring to larger-scale tours, what do you see as the key environmental benefits of touring in smaller, rural areas?

The key benefit is that the audience doesn’t need to travel much and they very often walk to shows. Performers travelling rather audiences travelling inherently reduces the show’s carbon footprint. Using smaller, community venues often reduces the venue carbon output too as less lighting, heating and electricity are being used. The size of the venue limits the space the artist can use, so sets are generally smaller and artists can usually car-share to shows.

From your experience, what are some of the most practical steps that artists can take to be more sustainable while touring?

There are two main areas target as far as I can see: travel sharing and doubling up distance gigs. Having done the calculation of our carbon footprint for this year’s Mumbo Jumbo gigs using Julie’s Bicycle, over 85% of our footprint was our travel and over 65% of the total show footprint (including the audience footprint which was calculated from the venues average figures) was again, the artist travel. Of course, once we’ve done the calculations and have awareness of the environmental impact of our gigs we can plant trees to offset the carbon, but that’s really a final effort to undo some of our carbon footprint.

What changes, small or large, have you personally made as a band to reduce your environmental impact while on tour?

We have insisted on doubling/trebling up when travelling over 80 miles to a show. Although this has resulted in fewer gigs overall, it has significantly decreased our carbon footprint and made our tour more sustainable.

What role do you think rural touring schemes can play in supporting artists to make more sustainable choices?

They can help artists to create short tours instead of asking them to do a one-off gig whenever possible. Schemes can also actively encourage carsharing and embed sustainability planning into the selection process – including selecting performers who have a better awareness of their environmental responsibility and encouraging artists to consider their carbon footprint. Rural touring schemes have a fantastic opportunity to help support artists to learn more about the carbon impact of touring and why rural touring is already one of the most sustainable forms of touring.

As the Environmental Artist Ambassador for Live & Local, what have you learned about the challenges and opportunities in promoting sustainability within the live music industry?

Everyone in the sector is talking about their carbon impact but now it’s time for action! It’s great to see that everyone wants to do something, but there are challenges. The rural nature of venues can pose travel challenges, such as limited public transport and may even impact audiences. It’s difficult to programme the same event multiple times in neighbouring villages without reducing audience turn out at each event. Therefore, I think it’s important that artists, schemes and communities work together to combat the carbon crisis. If we could, for example, encourage a collective of community spaces across a 100 mile radius to programme the show within a one week period, this will reduce the overall travel requirements. One way to encourage this is to restrict the availability of the show – but of course, this may result in less gigs if your availability doesn’t match that of the venue.

Can you share some of the initiatives or projects you've been involved with through Live & Local that have helped raise awareness about sustainability on the road?

From an artist point of view, considering our travel movements is the key for reducing our carbon footprint and it all starts with awareness. Tools like Julies Bicycle and the audience travel surveys available at venues help us to get a better understanding of the impact of our travel on the overall carbon footprint of the events. Most artists now seem to be re-using sets, costumes and kit (mainly due to costs) but this itself results in lower waste and a reduction in the carbon output generated in design and production of sets, materials and instruments.

Live & Local also provide all their print marketing materials in house using recycled toner and a lower carbon printer. This removes the need for artists to produce, print and deliver their own marketing materials and limits wastage.

From the venue point of view I think much is quietly being done to reduce footprint and to reduce running costs. The growing interest in online ticketing, reduced use of print marketing and the introduction of Live & Local’s Green Rider will all positively contribute to the reduction in the carbon output of these gigs.

What advice would you give to artists looking to try and make a difference/impact in their own ways?

Do your best to reduce your carbon footprint and stand by your decisions