Jack Daniel’s and Brisbane producer Dan Graetz have created a documentary ‘The Truth About Money in Music’ which suggests bands are much more willing to sell out than they currently are.

In a raw, honest and no holds barred look at life in music, artists including Kate Miller-Heidke, James Tidswell from Violent Soho, The Cairos, Remi and KLP offer up their views on what declining record sales mean for musicians and how they are adapting to alternative revenue streams in the modern music landscape. The thought-provoking piece also reveals their opinions on music streaming, corporate involvement and their definition of ‘selling out’.

The documentary is the work of Dan Graetz, an award-winning Brisbane-based filmmaker, who has partnered with Jack Daniel’s as part of a new initiative which aims to champion music’s future legends and the stories behind them.

Launching as part of an integrated campaign by The Sound Campaign and UM, Jack Daniel’s is set to support and showcase burgeoning talent through a series of unique music projects built around real ideas from real talent and real fans. Over the next 12 months, the program will create a platform for people and passion to come together and start shaping and sharing music’s Future Legends.

Dan Graetz, who has first hand experience of bringing creative musical concepts to life with very little, was keen to explore the secret of bands, brands and fans happily co-existing in today’s music industry. ‘The Truth About Money in Music’ is the first project in the Jack Daniel’s Future Legends series.

Graetz, founder of Graetzmedia said bands with no money have more competition than ever before just to build their profile. He said: “In creating music videos over the past four years, my team and I have made fireworks, gutted cars, cloned humans and more – usually on a shoestring – to help new talent stand out against cute kittens, dancing babies and big budgets.”

“There’s nothing lucrative about it but it’s fun and it forces you to be creative in every sense of the word. When Jack Daniel’s showed interest in supporting creative music-related projects, I figured I’d go for broke…so I pitched this documentary around musicians, brands and honesty. It was great they liked it and even better that they gave me the freedom to stay true to the concept. This is the result.”

With a host of other projects in the pipeline, the series will also see Jack Daniel’s collaborate with the likes of Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke, Sable, Motorik, The Griswolds, Golden Features and more to facilitate new music experiences that push creative buttons and boundaries.

Nora-Kate O’Connell, Jack Daniel’s Brand Manager said: “Jack Daniel’s has a rich musical history and know legendary music moments come from exploring the fresh, new and different, whether that’s sounds, people, places or ideas. Working with the most interesting artists and creatives from around the country, we’re encouraging trailblazers and raw talent to think outside the box.”