Me and Per have talked about this before and today it popped up again. I was reading a book about the ‘hair metal’ bands and there was an interview with one of the guys who used to sell millions back then. Now he is playing clubs and did come across as pretty bitter. It was the question about the death of albums and how easy it is for artists to release music now that got my attention. It was clear that he hates how things are now and can’t wait for it to return to how it was. As independent artists we of course like how things are now. We can release our music and we actually have a chance to grow our audience even if it of course isn’t easy. Another thing that was pointed out is that there is no quality control and that ‘everything’ gets released. Well, how did that quality control work anyway? Did the best music get released? Or was it maybe the case that when one band got popular the record companies would chase down and sign endless number of clones until the genre was saturated and a new thing was needed. Now there is more music than ever available and everyone can hear it. Of course it can be a challenge to find what you like, but is and endless supply of music at your fingertips really a problem? Personally I can’t see that. I understand that some established artists miss the days when they could release an album, tour for a bit and then hang out in their mansions. As far as I see it though, those days are gone and not likely to return. As independent artists we will continue to create and release music because we love it. If we make some money off it it’s nice, but it’s not something we take for granted. I’m sure some established artists hate what we represent, but hey. Get with the times. This is the new reality in music, just accept it.