Sunday, January 31, 2010

I shall be released

It’s not like it was in the old days.
And by “the old days”, of course I mean about 18 months ago.

A lot of people have asked me as to the release date of my new record and bless them for showing an interest. My answer has always been vague: “soon”, “when the time is right” and “2010” are my most common responses.

You see the whole concept of a release date - or a release for that matter, is something akin to an echo from a bygone age. What does it even mean? Have I been keeping my new album captive in an abstract prison of song until the moment is deemed perfect to issue it forth into the world like a startled dove from a magician’s trouser?

The idea of the specific release is to set a promotional timetable: it always used to be at least eight weeks to allow your press, radio and possibly TV people to get the album into all the right hands and to grease the right wheels so that for that all-important week of release, the record has an effective media presence.

Then BANG! We have lift off. Media saturation translates into impressive sales figures which, in turn yield a high chart placing, enhancing the reputation of the artist which maintains the profile of the record. Platinum discs and shiny awards are imminent. In short: we have a hit.

At least that’s the best case scenario.

The more common occurrence is an eight week spell of desperate scrambling by PR and pluggers to get anybody “important” to give a shit about the record, maybe a radio re-mix of the lead single by a big name producer and all at a cost to be stacked against the impending success of the record.

Then BANG! We have meltdown. A clutch of moderate, yet unenthusiastic reviews and the absence of a significant national radio playlisting result in poor chart showing for the first week and complete disappearance the week after. The record is dead, the label cuts its losses, drops the act who never makes another record ever again.

I have been making records for a decade now. So many bites of the cherry. I don’t really understand how I have been allowed to continue for so long given my phenomenal lack of commercial success. What I have come to believe is that the honesty of music might just stand a chance against the tried and tested bullshit of the machine. Not a great chance. But a chance nonetheless.

So my new record: Let The Hard Times Roll (which, incidentally, I believe to be my finest work to date) will be available the very moment it has been manufactured. No strategy, hidden agenda or politics. I will take to the road, sing my songs and spread a little joy/sadness. Global domination is not the objective but may prove to be a pleasantly surprising side-effect.

Who knows? Who cares?
Something will happen and it will be fine.

Let the hard times roll.