For most living in the digital age, social media is key in keeping connected with friends and family, whether they may be living abroad or just down the road. While the same can be said about our favorite stars and artists, occasions sometimes arise for all of us that require a more personal touch.
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We recently spoke with Jared Watson from California-based Alt favorites Dirty Heads, who gave us some insight into how he stays connected with his friends, fans, and family in separate but still very intimate ways.
As fans know, the band is constantly touring, even recently returning from a trip to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, and they're heading back out again sooner than you'd expect. While it’s difficult staying connected with family while on the road, Jared explains that there are ways of keeping in touch that make him feel much closer to home.
“With two young kids, things have certainly changed recently. It used to be me and the boys out on the road and we’d stay in touch with fans via social media and with family over the phone. As our clan has grown, we’ve always had a close relationship with our fans,” he says. “We keep in touch via most social platforms. It works really well when we want to talk to hundreds of thousands of fans. It’s a fantastic way for the band to reach out to our fanbase, show behind-the-scenes of our work in the studio, crazy things from the road, etc. But I’ve found social media has limits when it comes to talking to my wife and kids.”
“Sometimes, you only want to share things with specific people. I love an old-fashioned phone call and sharing videos and pictures via texts and DMs, but my kids don’t always have my wife’s phone, so recently I’ve been using the Aura frame,” Jared explains. “I can take a picture of something while I’m on the road and share it to the frame. Maybe I’m up late at a show and I take a picture of the crowd, I can share it to the frame and when the kids get up, they have a new surprise waiting from Dad. It works the other way as well. I set my frame up in my hotel and bus and they can send me things like a picture of their art project from school. It’s just awesome seeing what they’re up to.”
We were given a chance to take a look at the frame ourselves and found it could be a pretty slick addition to your family room, desk, or bedside table. Just connect the app and easily add photos that will instantly display on the frame. Invite others to join, and you’ll have a slideshow that goes on for days -- or keep it simple with only a few choice contributors.
“Social media is great for the fans,” he adds, “but I’m loving the Aura frame for the family.”
“You have to look at social media as a toolset you use to reach out to different types of people,” he continues, addressing the differences he sees in social media as a rock musician and a parent. “We have a large following for the band on social which is great for sharing music, updates from the road, videos, etc. It’s an honor to be able to share what we love doing with so many people. It’s also a two-way conversation. I can’t tell you how many pictures I've seen of Dirty Heads tattoos on Instagram. We take it seriously, while having a blast doing it.”
“As a parent, I’m finding that there’s different flavors of social media that fit our needs. I’m immensely proud of my wife and kids. I do show off our antics on my social channels, but I also like the idea of having something with more privacy so we can share more personal things. The ½ million Dirty Heads fans on Instagram might want to see pictures of us on stage, but they might not want to see my kid with spaghetti smashed all over his face, but do you know who does? I do. I love that s***. Finding the right balance with social media is key.”
If you’d like to learn more, visit Auraframes.com.
Listen to more of your favorite music on Audacy's Emo Kids, Alt Now, Rockternative, Drivin' Alt, New Wave Mix Tape, 90s and Chill, Alterna 00s, IndustriALT, Greatest Guitarists, Greatest Drummers, and ALT Roots stations -- plus check out our talent-hosted Kevan Kenney's Music Discovery, Megan Holiday's My So Called '90s Playlist, and Scott Lowe on the Go's Post Modern Music Box.
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