Meet Justin de Graaf

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justin De Graaf a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
From the age of 15 I have known music was my path. It wasn’t necessarily some big realization I had, but just who I was by nature and nothing else would have made sense. I followed that path into adulthood and it eventually took me from Canada all the way down to Nashville. Through the years I have experienced the best the industry has to offer but also witnessed the unspoken truths musicians are forced to endure due to the ‘competitive nature of the beast’. I have always believed hired musicians deserve much more than they typically receive so my passion turned into my purpose when I found a way to extend more opportunities to other musicians and artists.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
In 2021, while my wife and I were planning our wedding, my self-assigned mission was to find a killer band (that was in our budget). I quickly realized affordable was subjective when you live in the music capitol of the country, but that the talent was limitless. I kept thinking about how incredible most of the musicians I have played with and know closely are and how much I would rather stick that money directly in their pockets… so I did. Later that year Party Down Live Entertainment was born. I was able to create a model that featured the real and raw Nashville talent, sold at an affordable price point to clients and most importantly paid the band equally and very generously with wages 4x higher than other cover / entertainment bands and companies.

Over the past two years the attention and growth Party Down has received led to the creation of my umbrella company –
Only Bands Live Entertainment. Only Bands is an agency founded on the same values and honor as Party Down, but offers a variety of options across genres for clients to choose from as well as additional opportunities to extend to more artists. Entering into the new year, our ultimate goal remains the same – providing opportunities to not just my friends, but powerhouses like Matt Ferranti, Cross Points lead singers Mary Beth & Tyler, to America’s Got Talent contestants True Villians (Party Missile), and so many more. To start off 2024, our band So Glad You’re Here, will be sailing up the coast of South America, with one of our incredible corporate clients. Only Bands is constantly growing and adding to our repertoire and as we begin our third year as a company we anticipate additional growth to match further demand.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think a lot of people believe they can make it on their talent alone.. and yes you have to be talented but it’s the smallest makeup of the formula. When I jumped into music as my career, I didn’t have a backup or a plan b. No matter how many brick walls or uphill climbs I faced along the way (there were many) I had no choice but to push through and get back up because failing was never an option. No matter how talented you are, you will only go as far as your endurance. Equally important is your network, your circle, and taking advantage of opportunities that get you in the right rooms. It is an industry of people who know people who know people – so meeting people is crucial.

My advice to aspiring musicians would be to commit 120%. Decide this is what you want and simply never give up. Be consistent with your work and your presence. At your first taste of success, stay humble and stay the course. The long game is never promised and moments can be fleeting if you let them. There is no blueprint or guarantee but a strong work ethic, focused talent and wide network will take you the farthest.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Since the expansion of Party Down into Only Bands Live Entertainment (agency), it’s a fairly unique concept that has been lengthy to advertise the full potential of. When agents book out bands they have one product or group they are selling. It is set and not customizable to the client. In this process the agents settle into the middle ground, typically over quoting clients and underpaying the musicians. Only Bands however is an agency run by myself, a current touring musician, who understands meeting both the clients and bands needs. If I don’t currently have the exact product or style a client is looking to find, I will create it from an extensive network of musicians. We are not only affordable but entirely customizable from genre, style and setlist. I make myself available to the clients 24/7 and pride myself on almost immediate customer service. I work directly with all my clients to ensure they get exactly what they ask for and are not passed off. Everything about this business is personal to me. Every event that books us has my name attached both on the industry and client side, which is something I take very seriously.

Because of this ever changing and morphing business model, sometimes the marketed “product” can become confusing. Social Media is a fantastic tool to promote the current diverse groups we currently have and reach those in the Nashville and surrounding areas but honing in on an even wider audience organically has been a challenge.

Even through this challenge, we have been able to utilize our current assets and grow our bookings looking into the new year by more than double the previous year. As we continue into 2024, I look forward to continuing to strengthen our existing client relationships and to the new relationships we have yet to make.

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