A special release day message.
Remember when music wasn't free, and you actually had to seek it out in record stores and listen at listening booths and then take it to the cashier and pay for it? Remember when that was normal? Now aside from a few purist holdouts none of us do that anymore. Music is basically free and ubiquitous and it seems like it was always meant to end up that way. Sure it's that much tougher for everybody who tries to make a living creating music, but then again poets used to be like rock stars hundreds of years ago and now they teach English Comp and tend bar on weekends.
I didn't do a kickstarter for this record. I thought about it. People told me I should. They said it was a good way to 'monetize' my small but loyal fan base who are eager to support me. But the curmudgeon in me couldn't do it. I'm still too in love with the simple proposition that I go make something like Ron Swanson in his workshop, you check out what I've made and then IF you like it and IF you can afford to, you buy it. You don't have to take anything on faith. I don't owe you anything.
The record I spent 18 months creating and stressing out about and obsessing over is out today. I think it's maybe the best thing I've ever done. You can stream the whole thing right here for free. You can listen on Spotify or any of the other streaming services and I'll get a solid $.000000003 cents.
My one request from you today is this: IF you listen to it, and IF you actually like it, buy it.
Actually buy it! There are multiple ways to do this: right here on this site (via Bandcamp), in iTunes, on Amazon, on Google Play... the list goes on. Even if you do the streaming thing, even if it's been a while since you bought music...buy THIS music. You buying this record is you supporting an independent artist and his family (who haven't had the easiest year), it's you telling me you want me to make another record after this one, and it's you showing the world that music matters so much to you that you're willing to part with a little money to prove it. On the Bandcamp page you can even pay more than the $8 I'm asking if you're feeling especially generous. Lots of people have already done that with their preorders and I'm extremely grateful.
My second request (yeah I lied before, there are 2 requests here) from you is this: IF you listened to it, and IF you liked it enough to buy it, tell your friends about it. My biggest fear is that I'm going to pour all of myself into a project I end up being incredibly proud of like this one and no one will even notice that it's come and gone. An independent release like this depends on word of mouth. We both know that you have that one music-loving friend who goes to house shows and is always listening to things you've never heard of. If this record comes and goes and they never hear it that would be a gross injustice right? And isn't there enough injustice in the world? How heroic of you to slightly reduce the number of injustices in the world by sharing great music with them! (see what I did there? you're a HERO)
Anyway that's it. Obvious requests 1 and 2. Please buy the record and please share it with people you think might love it. I spelunked down deep inside myself and made it with my eyes closed, hoping when this day came that SOMEBODY would care that it now exists. Thanks for (hopefully) being that somebody.