diff --git a/cmd/scanner/main.go b/cmd/scanner/main.go
index a2b9c27..bc06132 100644
--- a/cmd/scanner/main.go
+++ b/cmd/scanner/main.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func readTags(fullPath string) (tag.Metadata, error) {
 }
 
 func handleFolderCompletion(fullPath string, info *godirwalk.Dirent) error {
-	log.Printf("processed folder `%s`\n", fullPath)
+	log.Printf("++++++ processed folder `%s`\n", fullPath)
 	if cLastAlbum.isEmpty() {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ func handleFolderCompletion(fullPath string, info *godirwalk.Dirent) error {
 }
 
 func handleFile(fullPath string, info *godirwalk.Dirent) error {
+	fmt.Println("+++++", fullPath)
 	if info.IsDir() {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/server/main.go b/cmd/server/main.go
index 8034f94..cc74b90 100644
--- a/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sentriz/gonic/handler"
 )
 
-var (
-	dbCon = db.New()
-)
-
 type middleware func(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc
 
 func newChain(wares ...middleware) middleware {
@@ -50,10 +46,7 @@ func extendFromBox(tmpl *template.Template, box *packr.Box, key string) *templat
 	return newT
 }
 
-func setSubsonicRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux) {
-	cont := handler.Controller{
-		DB: dbCon,
-	}
+func setSubsonicRoutes(cont handler.Controller, mux *http.ServeMux) {
 	withWare := newChain(
 		cont.WithLogging,
 		cont.WithCORS,
@@ -83,17 +76,14 @@ func setSubsonicRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux) {
 	mux.HandleFunc("/rest/getLicense.view", withWare(cont.GetLicence))
 }
 
-func setAdminRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux) {
-	cont := handler.Controller{
-		DB: dbCon,
-	}
+func setAdminRoutes(cont handler.Controller, mux *http.ServeMux) {
 	sessionKey := []byte(cont.GetSetting("session_key"))
 	if len(sessionKey) == 0 {
 		sessionKey = securecookie.GenerateRandomKey(32)
 		cont.SetSetting("session_key", string(sessionKey))
 	}
 	// create gormstore (and cleanup) for backend sessions
-	cont.SStore = gormstore.New(dbCon, []byte(sessionKey))
+	cont.SStore = gormstore.New(cont.DB, []byte(sessionKey))
 	go cont.SStore.PeriodicCleanup(1*time.Hour, nil)
 	// using packr to bundle templates and static files
 	box := packr.New("templates", "../../templates")
@@ -143,8 +133,11 @@ func setAdminRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux) {
 func main() {
 	address := ":6969"
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
-	setSubsonicRoutes(mux)
-	setAdminRoutes(mux)
+	// create a new controller and pass a copy to both routes.
+	// they will add more fields to their copy if they need them
+	baseController := handler.Controller{DB: db.New()}
+	setSubsonicRoutes(baseController, mux)
+	setAdminRoutes(baseController, mux)
 	server := &http.Server{
 		Addr:         address,
 		Handler:      mux,
diff --git a/db/db.go b/db/db.go
index a4a6a7f..2d1d09f 100644
--- a/db/db.go
+++ b/db/db.go
@@ -2,10 +2,17 @@ package db
 
 import (
 	"log"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/jinzhu/gorm"
 )
 
+var (
+	// cFile is the path to this go file
+	_, cFile, _, _ = runtime.Caller(0)
+)
+
 // New creates a new GORM connection to the database
 func New() *gorm.DB {
 	db, err := gorm.Open("sqlite3", "gonic.db")
@@ -14,3 +21,14 @@ func New() *gorm.DB {
 	}
 	return db
 }
+
+// New creates a new GORM connection to the mock database
+func NewMock() *gorm.DB {
+	// projectRoot presumes this file is `<root>/db/db.go`
+	dbPath, _ := filepath.Abs(filepath.Join(cFile, "../../test_data/mock.db"))
+	db, err := gorm.Open("sqlite3", dbPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("when opening mock database: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	return db
+}
diff --git a/handler/handler_sub_test.go b/handler/handler_sub_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..512eb6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/handler/handler_sub_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package handler
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	_ "github.com/jinzhu/gorm/dialects/sqlite"
+
+	"github.com/sentriz/gonic/db"
+)
+
+var mockController = Controller{
+	DB: db.NewMock(),
+}
+
+func TestGetArtists(t *testing.T) {
+	rr := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	r, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "", nil)
+	handler := http.HandlerFunc(mockController.GetArtists)
+	handler.ServeHTTP(rr, r)
+	dat, _ := ioutil.ReadFile("../test_data/mock_getArtists_response")
+	fmt.Println(string(dat))
+	fmt.Println(rr.Body)
+}
diff --git a/handler/respond_sub.go b/handler/respond_sub.go
index b901a9d..25332fa 100644
--- a/handler/respond_sub.go
+++ b/handler/respond_sub.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func respondRaw(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request,
 		w.Write([]byte(");"))
 	default:
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/xml")
-		data, err := xml.Marshal(res)
+		data, err := xml.MarshalIndent(res, "", "    ")
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Printf("could not marshall to xml: %v\n", err)
 		}
diff --git a/test_data/mock_getArtists_response b/test_data/mock_getArtists_response
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6177dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_data/mock_getArtists_response
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<subsonic-response xmlns="http://subsonic.org/restapi" status="ok" version="1.9.0">
+   <albumList2 />
+   <artists>
+      <index name="A">
+         <artist id="1" name="A Certain Ratio" coverArt="0" albumCount="0" />
+         <artist id="3" name="Anikas" coverArt="0" albumCount="0" />
+      </index>
+      <index name="#">
+         <artist id="2" name="13th Floor Elevators" coverArt="0" albumCount="0" />
+      </index>
+   </artists>
+   <musicFolders />
+</subsonic-response>