Featured Essay: The Intimate Relationship of a Demo Track

by Zeinab Fakih

Demo albums have been utilized by punk and rock artists for decades, such as Green Day’s “Demolicious,” “Dookie (30th Anniversary 4-Track Demos),” and “Jesus of Suburbia,” as well as Metallica’s “No Life ‘til Leather.” Indie artists release demo tracks constantly to bring their audience behind the scenes of a recording or to build an audience through websites such as SoundCloud. Phoebe Bridgers, for example, is an indie-rock singer-songwriter who released a 3-song charity collection of demo versions of her most anticipated songs in 2020 titled inner demos. Bridgers is known for her powerful and emotional tracks, which are often used to underscore the saddest scenes in the most depressing films and television shows. Consequently, listening to unedited versions of her songs is particularly appealing, as it allows listeners to fully experience the emotions she evokes through her music. Many pop artists have even opted to release demo versions of singles to accompany studio releases but what makes a demo so alluring to fans? While they may often feel like a cash grab––an excuse to release a deluxe version of an album for an upped price––there is something appealing about having a listen to the raw track provided.  

Something that people love about indie artists is the authenticity they hold in their music. Without major labels behind them, fans can trust that all their decisions are made by them instead of a label. Which songs they release, the music videos they create, and the persona they take hold much more intention than someone who has people designated to make these decisions for them. That is why we often see demo releases by indie artists.  

However, alternative artists like Green Day, Nirvana, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, and Death Cab for Cutie, to name a few, weren’t always indie––many graduated to major label representation and gained mainstream success. Yet, they’ve all had histories of releasing demo versions of some of their biggest albums or songs.   

Demos are important to maintaining cultures of certain genres. Many people prefer demos of punk, rock, or metal bands to their studio releases as these are genres that are meant to sound grittier. Listeners want to hear the strain in a voice and the rawness of a sore throat; these are elements that characterize the sound of these genres. However, when it comes to modern recordings, genres that are meant to sound messy often sound overly polished, causing them to give a corporate feel that the countercultures they are a part of have traditionally fought against.  

All of this is good and well but beyond maintaining countercultures and a cool feature for dedicated fans, what do demo tracks provide and what makes them so interesting?  

Understanding.  

Demo releases give an extra sense of intimacy between the artist and the listener. Similarly to waking up next to someone, a demo track provides a rawness that technical preparedness could not emulate and a new level to the relationship established. Though they do not know each other, there is still a relationship to be maintained between the artist and the person listening. One way to maintain a strong relationship is to find out more about the person you are in a relationship with––learning about their history to understand how they became who they presently are. This is the role that demo tracks play. They give the listener a history to go back to so they can form a deeper connection with the finished product and the creator of the demo.   

There is a hierarchy that is often displayed between who is entitled to call themselves a “big fan” of someone. The hierarchy usually has to do with wealth and class: the people who have access to attend the most shows, watch the most interviews, purchase the most albums, and own the most merch. Capitalism has intertwined itself with fan culture and the music scene. People have to prove themselves worthy enough to claim the title of “fan.” Though there is something to say about artists who cater to this mentality by releasing demo tracks on exclusive deluxe albums or for a limited amount of time to purchase––signaling that a connection to them is only for those who can afford two copies of the same album, immediately purchase limited tracks, or live in the location of their exclusive physical releases––most release these demos on free streaming platforms.   

Demo tracks are almost akin to a live performance. Listeners get to experience their favorite artists’ raw vocals without a producer manipulating the audio or the roadblock of being unable to attend a show. Parasocial behaviors aside, artists have a relationship to maintain with their listeners. Beyond red-carpet events or concerts, there aren’t many ways for artists to interact with their fans on a person-to-person level. Demo tracks allow that rawness to exist beyond monetary interactions.  

In the same way that every person experiences a studio release differently, they experience demo tracks differently. This is because they all started with different levels of closeness to the artist. A new fan will be provided insight into the artist’s mind right away whereas an old fan will unlock a new level of intimacy and creative process. Though separated, there is still a bond to be formed and an understanding to be had that a polished look will never be able to provide. 

Zeinab Fakih is a Lebanese-Canadian author and poet. She has written two poetry collections titled “I Didn’t Know How to Say This. So, I Wrote It Down” and “Sweet Tea and Ketamine.” Through her writing, Fakih aims to explore themes of identity and the human experience.