At the end of 2018, I announced that I was ending online availability of my solo work, partly to protect it against theft, and partly because I believed that I was playing into a global/financial cultural mentality which is antithetical to creative work. The Music Modernization Act was one of the villains of the piece.
The anniversary of that legislation’s enactment has prompted some soul-searching, on the principle that any important decision should be revisited occasionally. I wrote an imaginary interview to help me dig down into the deeper questions, of which the following is a quick summary.
Regarding the above two motivations, I think I allowed my hatred of thieves to overshadow two important principles: the joy of connecting with my fantastic audience, whether personally, through my website or through Bandcamp; and the duty we artists have to do everything we can to lift up the culture. Even if the attempt seems hopeless, to make the effort is better than surrendering the field to the mainstream of mediocrity, anger and hate.
As for the global/financial cultural worldview, I think I can distinguish now between simply having a website and Bandcamp store, so that people can find the music, and Seriously Trying Too Hard – like investing hours a day in social media and all that stuff. Available time still needs to be spent in the studio, not begging for attention.
So the question was: Can I just say Fuck it! to the thieves, the corporations, the legislation and the mainstream culture, and put the music out there anyway? Can I say My music is worth sharing with people of good will, even if some lowdown bastards have nothing to do but steal it!?
When I withdrew my music, my feeling was Fuck you, thieves, you can’t have it! Now, I’m feeling more like Fuck you, thieves, I’m here to rock, and I’m not letting you stop me!
So, I have restored all albums to full online availability, in both physical and digital formats.
Big Gratitude to all of you who support music and its creators!
That rebellious spirit is what keeps music alive. It is our passion and calling in life even if most of us can’t give up the day jobs. Keep creating music for the world to enjoy, and let’s all support each other. It’s what art and creation is all about.
Thanks Kris! That’s a deal. 🙂
You rock, Greg, and at least on Bandcamp you’ll have a good audience that actually pays for music. Keep fighting the good fight, and thank you for letting us at RadioSpiral.net help you do so.
Thanks, Mike – to you and everyone at Spiral, for doing all you do!