TikTok is a place where obscure music is celebrated, retro comedy is king and lives can be changed overnight. But it’s a rare feat for all three of those corners to intersect on the platform.
As is the way with many TikTok sensations, faux radio show “The Bun 91.3” started off as a fun hobby. The DJ, known only to listeners as “The Bun,” highlights songs by up-and-coming artists all while sporting aviator sunglasses and mastering that cheesy, old-school radio voice.
Much to his surprise, The Bun’s passion project has actually been bringing major attention to aspiring musicians who might otherwise go unnoticed, just like real radio shows did back in the day.
Take for instance the band Bird Photos. In his video playing their song “Dove,” The Bun said that the group had only 85 monthly listeners. After the clip was viewed over 650,000 times, Bird Photos’ reach skyrocketed to over 36,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
@thebun91.3 Next song up: Dove – Bird Photos #rock #indierock #indie #indiepop #thebun913 #radiohost #spotifyplaylist ♬ Dove – Bird Photos
“Man really gave them a 7800% increase in listeners in four days. We LOVE small artist promoters,” one person commented.
Or singer/songwriter Sarah Crean, whose song “2:00 AM” blew up with over 4.6 million views after The Bun professed he “couldn’t get enough of it” (one of his signature phrases). Crean went from having only 295 monthly listeners to 170,000 monthly listeners and ended up signing with well-known record label AWAL.
@thebun91.3 Next song up: 02:00 AM – Sarah Crean #indiepop #indierock #menitrust #japanesebreakfast #indie #sarahcrean #thebun913 #radiohost #spotifyplaylist ♬ 02:00 AM – Sarah Crean
“My gratitude for it all is immense,” Crean told Insider. “He’s putting really incredible artists forward to such an open-minded following and it’s opening so many doors for them…I think he’s got something really special there.”
Following successes like these, The Bun’s creative outlet has turned into something of a mission—one which he is fully committed to. The DJ also shared with Insider that he not only spends every morning scouring the internet for cool tracks, but he’ll also find local bands and solo artists to see them play at nearby venues.
Of course, with his newfound internet clout, musicians often reach out to him for coverage. Like Minova, who submitted their song “I Miss You So” and got so many new followers they released a whole new single. (Of course, The Bun covered that, too.)
@thebun91.3 Next song up: I Miss You So – Minova #minova #dayglow #wallows #clairo #sarahcrean #indiepop #sadgirlstarterpack #thebun913 #spotifyplaylist #radiohost ♬ I Miss You So
For The Bun, helping aspiring artists potentially get out of any side hustles and instead focus on what they love is the best part of the job. “I just get a lot of joy out of them winning,” he told Insider.
We see plenty of videos on TikTok with folks sharing their art, but it’s not every day that we see someone going out of their way to showcase someone else’s. The Bun is out there doing the dang thing, and doing it all with a huge dose of quirky charm. It’s something we can’t get enough of.
By the way—you can also find The Bun’s special curated playlist featuring these artists, and more, over on Spotify.