i want to make music. not money.

As of today our album is officially free online. we've all been talking and talking and talking to figure out how to best begin adapting to the changes technology has brought into the music industry. we're not sure what to do still, but we're moving in new directions and that's important to get things started. the water is muddy - that is for sure.

i haven't slept in too many hours. emeri and i wanted badly to have an entire new website up and running in celebration of our 'worldwide distribution deal'. unfortunately fireworks went for a crap on us and natural Vacuity luck ensued. somehow the van's battery even died - typical band vehicle voodoo at work again. for now just the download is available on the site. the full site will be up and running by early next week. (here's hoping)

don't misunderstand the donation thing. we dont want to associate that too closely with the actual download of our album. Our music is free. this isn't an 'in rainbows' pay-what-you-like. we are merely putting out a hat on the digital merch table. if you want to toss in, thank you - but hey - no pressure. in fact, i would rather you come to a show. buy a shirt or a physical copy of the record if you really want to support things monetarily. even better, buy a patch or a tote bag our fiend elena handmade for us. the important thing to us is getting the music to people who want it.

too many of my musician friends are waiting for a record deal to release their albums, or worse, caught in a bad record deal with their hands bound. what's the obsession with the record deal? You don't need it. we're entering a time where the interaction can potentially be as simple as ARTIST to FAN. If you're a middleperson in there, you'd better be doing legitimate work or you're out of a job. someone said they would like to see an A&R guy go 'A&R' on a street corner for pocket change. i liked that comment.

and why shouldn't digital music be free? the artist needs to be paid in order to live. they need to live in order to continue making music. so compensation needs to happen. definitely. however we don't need 'rock stars' glamourized on tv. touring their mansions and checking out their pimped out rides. use super models, and the ultra rich as further examples - pop culture sells us this very small slice of reality as standard. most people are not super models, most people are not ultra rich, most musicians do not have 5 cars. you get the point. if technology enabled our civilization to make food and shelter free, would we resist with such strength? what's the goal here?

i've been awake for 30 hours. coming undone very much so.

enjoy the music. we're not beggars. point made.

g.

i want to make music. not money.