Wow, I am starting to feel like websites are dead. My day job is Website Designer and it took me 2 years to get around to re-designing my site and now finally doing an update to my blog… again, is a blog still a thing? I am going to try to switch to making a YouTube channel for this kind of content, but for now, let’s just try to get a post up once in a while.

The Big News!!!

I’m a solo artist… No, my bands didn’t fire me, but I’ve finally had some extra time, so I’ve been finishing the recording of old songs, registering and distributing them all the platforms. So now you can go to your favorite streaming service and say, “Play songs by Kentucky Jim” and after a few tries, you’ll come up with some of my new songs.

I have to admit, it’s pretty fun to be cruising around listening to Spotify and hear one of my songs pop into my feed. Judging from my analytics, it happens very rarely. But hey, it’s out there. I’ve been releasing my songs as singles every few weeks. Once I have a solid collection, I’ll release it as an album.

Why Bother?

Why bother is a great question. It’s about 50% monetary and about 50% legacy.

50% Monetary: No one really makes money releasing independent music, especially without having a huge social media platform. And I don’t even know if there are still labels out there that help new artists promote and develop their careers. On top of that, I’m no spring chicken anymore. The idea of seeing my big white bearded face standing on a stage at Coachella trying to front a band and get the mosh-pit pumping is not going to happen. I’m looking more for placement in TV or films. It’s tough for indie productions to afford to have big name act’s music, but maybe I have a song that has a similar vibe or tone that they could use? My generation as the last to be upset when our favorite songs were used to sell sneakers and coffee…. But I’m over that now! Hear that Advertising World, come exploit me!

50% Legacy: Everyday a musician or artist dies with a closet full of paintings, a hard drive full of recordings or a heart full of songs that will forever be lost. I don’t have a vault of songs like Prince, but my had drive is full of little snippets and finished ideas. But my family would never know how to find them, finish them and enjoy them. I have kids, and loved ones, that may not care about what I’m doing right now. To quote a favorite Rob Fetter’s Song, “Daddy’s in the basement. That’s where he belongs. Dad’s down in the dungeon singing daddy songs…” I’m thrilled that my family knows that I’m a musician and an artist. But I feel its a bit of a personal responsibility to leave them all with something finished that they can pull up and enjoy, long after I’m gone.

Hmm, this post went from kinda depressing to full on sad.