Shadows Fall’s Brian Fair Speaks Out on How U.S. Tariffs Are Impacting the Music Instrument Industry

Shadows Fall frontman Brian Fair is speaking out against the latest round of U.S. government tariffs, warning that they’re already having serious consequences on the music gear industry—and that the worst may be yet to come.

Beyond his role in the influential metalcore band, Fair works in the music retail industry at St. Louis Music, a company that handles the manufacturing and distribution of guitars, percussion, orchestral instruments, and more. In a recent post made via Threads, Fair detailed how these new tariffs are driving up landing costs across the board, which in turn are expected to increase retail prices for instruments and gear—costs that will inevitably hit musicians and local music shops hardest.

Fair explained:

“I work for a company that owns a variety of instrument brands… Our landing costs have skyrocketed and those costs are being turned into higher prices that will unfortunately be handed down to the consumers. We have tried to avoid increases wherever possible but a lot of it is unavoidable.”

He also emphasized that some of the brands affected were originally U.S.-made but were shifted to overseas production years ago due to costs. Now, with tariffs in play, even long-standing retailers are struggling to keep their doors open:

“I work directly with Main St. brick and mortar music stores, some that are barely scraping by. These increases, no matter how small, will make it even more difficult for these stores to survive.”

Fair also cautioned against assuming that unaffected manufacturers would keep prices stable, adding:

“The idea that domestic or other manufacturers not affected by tariffs won’t raise their prices to match the market shows a lack of awareness. As soon as tariffs were announced, prices increased even from those unaffected, and as we see with inflation, once prices go up, they don’t come back down.”

Fair‘s comments come as industry-wide concern grows. A new Billboard article outlines the broader implications of these policies, warning of impending price hikes on vinyl and added pressure on international touring artists navigating stricter immigration regulations.

For smaller artists and independent shops already navigating post-pandemic challenges, this latest economic shift could prove especially damaging.

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