Indie Music Is Retail: Peter Mulvey on Tour

Like most independent musicians, singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey relies on the Internet to share and sell his music. But ultimately, he makes a living the old-fashioned way: performing in bars and coffeehouses from Anchorage to Dublin, and building a career one fan at a time.

But Mulvey says his tours are far from the luxury-bus riding, hotel-room-destroying ego trips often seen in the press.

"I became the highgest grossing, lowest netting member of my family," he says.

"And my family are social workers and public school teachers."