Sarah Beth Tomberlin has built a career in the music industry from nothing.
The 28-year-old singer and songwriter, who performs under the name Tomberlin, crafted her 2018 debut album while supporting herself by working at a Verizon store. She has since recorded and released a second studio album and an EP while touring, building up to opening spots in larger venues for well-known acts such as Tegan and Sara.
In her first five years in the industry, however, Tomberlin said she doesn’t believe she was able to turn an annual profit. As she prepared to go on tour as an opening act for Ray LaMontagne this year, she took steps to cut costs, such as choosing to bring along only one support person instead of a full band.
So when the Filene Center near Washington, D.C., informed her that it was cutting deeply into her main way of making a profit, she took a stand. After being told she would have to hand over more than 40% of the money she collected from selling T-shirts and other items, Tomberlin refused to sell her merchandise at the venue and publicly spoke about a practice she calls robbery — venues taking cuts from bands’ merchandise sales.
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