by Vance Joy in late 2012. That insanely catchy ukulele riff, then the vocals wailing about dentists and dark rooms and Michelle Pfeiffer, joined later by some of the merriest percussion ever committed to record. “I was like, ‘Holy shit! This is pretty special’,” he says.
, with a value of $40 million and $35 million respectively, is the story of the music industry’s great resurgence, from a time early last decade when many were questioning the financial model that underpinned it. Also joining the list is singer-songwriter TonesThe 38-year old Comerford has been in the music business more than half his life, selling his clarinet at 17 and using the proceeds to help press compact discs for his favourite local punk and metal bands.
, which tracks recorded music sales but also money from live concerts, artist merchandising and publishing . “These days a band will have nothing like those sales, but be selling thousands of tickets. The interest in going out and seeing live music has gone through the roof, and things like merch have followed along with that.”