6 Real Ways Singers Can Find Bandmates After Moving to a New Country

A little over a year ago, I moved to Vietnam with my wife and daughter. My wife had received a good deal from an international school here, and we decided to take the plunge to live in an entirely new country. At the time, I was doing pretty well for myself as a musician in Portugal, I was the breadwinner in my family for a year and was booked months in advance. So when the time came to move, I knew I had to build up these local networks quickly.

A little over a year later, and I'm now in multiple bands, and approaching the same booking rates I did back in Portugal. But how did I do it without knowing anyone when I first landed?

Today you'll learn how to find bandmates in a new country!

#1: Leverage Local Expat & Musician Facebook/Social Groups

Facebook groups, and to a lesser degree Instagram posts, are still central hubs for expat communities and local gig calls in most countries I've travelled to. Here's how to leverage those groups and maximize your chances of finding great musicians and gigs.

Fake It Till You Make It

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

For better or worse, the music industry is more about appearances than it is about musicality. It's the farthest thing from a meritocracy.

And I'm not even talking about your Instagram follower count, or Youtube subscriber count (though these definitely help). My follower count on Instagram when I arrived was at around 700, not particularly remarkable.

I'm talking about the appearance of being fully booked, all the time. The more you look like you perform, the more you'll perform.

If you have footage on your socials that shows:

• How you handle a crowd
• How professional you are
• How you engage with the community online
• How cool of a person you are in general

Then you'll have a much easier time finding musicians abroad. Your profile will stand out a lot, because it's that extra 5% work that most musicians aren't doing.

Notice I didn't even mention anything about what you sound like. While this is definitely important, to always be learning and improving, it's just not what will keep audiences engaged for the long-run, your vibe and natural demeanor are way more important.

Present Yourself Properly

Even if you don't have amazing, camera-shot footage, being extremely clear about who you are, what you offer, and what you're looking for is also essential to finding people who align with you. The bar is remarkably low even for this. If you were to combine both footage and proper written clarity, you're in the top 1% of musicians already. Here's what your post should include:

• Vocal Style & Genre: 3–5 specific artists or genres that define your sound (e.g., Acoustic Pop/Rock, Soul, Indie).
• Audio/Video Proof: Direct link to a 30-second clip of you singing (live or raw phone recording—no studio magic needed).
• Current Location & Travel Radius: Your city/neighborhood and how far you’re willing to travel for rehearsals.
• Goals & Commitment Level: Clear expectations ("Looking to gig twice a month" vs. "Casual weekend jams").
• Gear & Technical Setup: What you bring to the table (e.g., have own mics/mics + self-managed setup).
• Clear Call-to-Action: Exactly how to reach out ("DM me or comment your main influences below").

This is step 1 of how to start your own band in a new city! All of this is exactly what enabled me to book gigs in Vietnam even before I had even stepped foot!

#2: The Jam Session Shortcut (And How to Spot the Right Players)

This is how I met Hung Ton, the keys player in Goldplay, our Coldplay Tribute band in Vietnam.

On those same Facebook groups, bars and organizers will routinely post about weekly jam sessions and open mics. This is a golden way of finding players to join you because face-to-face interactions will always be better.

Not to mention that you get to hear a musician's timing, their ego or lack thereof, adaptability and other factors before offering to collaborate.

If you want to work full-time as a musician, you want to make sure that the other members of your project are as committed and professional as you. And seeing how they behave in an open mic is a shortcut to getting to know them on stage.

⚠️ Here are some red flags that I advise you not to ignore when meeting and/or watching someone perform:

• Flaky communication
• Mismatched Gigging Expectations
• Lack of gear
• Unsafe environments

#3: Attend Open Mics as a Solo Act First

Because these jams have an open format, it's great to showcase your sound as well, introduce yourself to the hosts and they'll be glad to have new faces take the stage.

Showing up with just an acoustic guitar or backing track proves you can handle the stage solo, making musicians want to join your existing momentum. A quick mention that you're looking for people to collaborate with will definitely set you on the path of getting DMs from musicians also looking for work.

It's important to keep your solo "audition" tight, playing two or three crowd-pleasing or distinct songs.

#4: Tap into Non-Musical Events Like Language Exchanges & Expat Meetups

How does this get you more gigs? Simple, lots of musicians love playing music, but hate engaging with the business side of it. Meeting them casually, in non-musical settings is not only easier for them to be receptive to an offer, it's also a great way to make friends who will show up to your gigs!

Since coming to Vietnam, I've started learning to dance bachata and salsa, and the friends I've made in those classes are some of my biggest supporters in the city!

Don't discount this one.

#5: Attending Local Shows

This one seems obvious, but I feel like so many musicians overlook it. You want to feel the support of a community? Support the community!

I met who would eventually become one of my best friends, Rafa, a killer guitarist and awesome human being, by literally showing up to one of his shows with his band Green Leather. I didn't know anyone, but I saw their poster and I thought it looked like something I'd like, so I left the house, paid 10 Euros and enjoyed a show from a band that would eventually play at NOS Alive, one of, if not the largest music festival in Portugal!

Rafa eventually joined my band, Adam Khan & The Coyotes, and we recorded a few songs together! Good times, man. Good times.

I can't tell you how many gigs I've gotten simply because I showed up to a gig, and told them the band they sounded great.

Musicians, we're an insecure bunch, we remember who complimented our sound honestly and intelligently.

So get out there and see that local Death Metal band! You never know who you might end up being friends with!

#6: Master the Cultural Etiquette When Joining a Foreign Scene

Before you even start looking, it's worth investigating a few things first:

• Typical performance fee: What is the going rate for performances?
• Local gig etiquette: Do venues typically give free drinks? What kind of backline do they usually have? For example, here in Vietnam, lots of venues have karaoke machines which can kind of double as PA speakers.
• Communication styles: Do people prefer phone calls or texts? It's important you adapt to them. In Portugal, people definitely preferred text, but in Vietnam it's phone-call first.

Conclusion

Building a network takes consistency. Having good footage elevates your pitch, but it's not strictly necessary. Having good communication will go a long way. For maximum impact, pick just 2–3 of these methods to start this week.

NEXT READ: So you've booked that cafe gig with your new bandmate? What's the best gigging setup for it?

Best Live Setup for Small Cafe Gigs

I find small cafe gigs more intimidating than regular, rowdy bar gigs, or massive high-production corporate events. The reason is that they are way more unpredictable, you never know what kind of gear they have, and in what condition. So today we’re going to talk about cafe gigs,

Signal ChainAdam Khan