Winning a Grammy may seem like the pinnacle of success for many musicians, but according to guitarist Justus West, it doesn’t guarantee financial stability. As he puts it, “clout” doesn’t pay the bills.
West, who contributed to Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning country album Cowboy Carter, knows firsthand the weight of accolades in the music industry. However, he believes that these honors, while valuable, aren’t sufficient for a musician to sustain themselves.
“It’s funny because the ‘industry’ strings you along with these empty accolades,” West shared.
He continued, emphasizing that while Grammy wins can potentially change a musician’s life over time, they don’t provide the immediate financial security that many artists need to continue their careers. “Grammy wins can change your life over the course of time. Don’t get me wrong, they are a form of currency. Sadly, landlords don’t take ‘clout.’”
West’s message underscores a critical reality in the music business: winning prestigious awards like the Grammy can boost a musician’s visibility, but it doesn’t translate into consistent financial stability for the day-to-day needs of an artist’s life.
The 26-year-old guitarist, who balances his solo music career with his role as a session musician, further adds that timely payments from record labels are essential for maintaining a stable life. “Labels paying you on time can keep your life from falling apart though,” he explained.
As one of the musicians behind the track “16 Carriages” on Cowboy Carter, West previously shared how the album’s creation — which took over five years — had to be kept a secret. He noted that revealing any details about the project would have been detrimental to his career, stating, “For those of us who worked on the album… it’s career suicide to get online and spill the beans.”
West further explained the importance of confidentiality, saying that disclosing information about such a high-profile project would not only result in being cut off from the Beyoncé team, but would also jeopardize a musician’s ability to collaborate on future major projects. “Not only would you be disbarred from the Beyoncé camp, no other artist would trust you could keep confidence. You’d essentially be out of the circle of trust for big/major projects that require a level of silence.”
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