Heya!
-> Following up from today's single/ep and video release for "The Some of Us," which I'm happy to finally share with the world, warts and all. While it wasn't the earliest track for this project, it was the first that I felt genuinely proud of by the time its structure was finished. In essence, it's a compilation of a bunch of unrelated fiddling with instruments that just so happened to piece together into the perfect image of how I wanted to represent myself. It's examining an era of the past with a new lens. I hope it speaks to people, even if it is just myself.
While I'm here, I'm going to address the not-quite elephant but not-quite mouse in the room today. I will regretfully have some music available on streaming services via Distrokid, starting today. After all that we know (and have known) about Spotify for the last decade or more, it's unfortunately one of the sins that independent musicians are pressured to commit to be taken seriously in the modern landscape. The people of my community use it regardless as the way to communicate by creating and sharing playlists, so you play with the hands you're dealt. I'm not making any money off it, but likely neither will the companies, which is the more important point. If I grow a larger than local audience, that's when I can worry and consider pulling back.
The best model and message I can stress: STREAM ONCE, DOWNLOAD FOREVER. Listen for free - hell, download it for free. If you like it enough you can always pay for it later.
Bandcamp, here, or any future independent alternative, will be the complete resources for any JHz or Olive Patch projects. Streaming is only an outlet for the material in its default stage - a taste for those who aren't quite ready yet.
Should I be making such a big deal out of it here, with my audience? Probably not, but I'd rather be transparent on what is otherwise a pertinent subject to the distribution of music today.
More news to come:
- Next single/ep release is planned specifically for June 1st.
- The full album will arrive soon after (specific date TBD). It's been in its final stages for a while, with little tweaks here and there, but it's been nursed long enough.
- In the meantime, catch me at The Crucible in Madison, where I look to perform on their Lucid Tuesdays as I am able. I'll post performance dates as they arrive, and can always upload potential highlights to Insta or YT.
Surprise releases between may be a possibility - I've worked on a lot of material that will not appear this first go around on "in summary." Because things were created sequentially without much gap between, you can think of the next major release of material as part of a 'sister album.' I won't go further, as I need to make sure the initial work finds its way to your hands, but you may hear some of this material live. So, stay tuned...
... and on that note, stay beautiful! 'Til next time.
<3 JHz