This is the 2025 entry in my annual series of standalone "self-portrait" songs, produced by Ogi Feel the Beat. Get exclusive access to it by signing up for my free newsletter where I occasionally send out exclusive or early access art, news, and deals.
Before taking 6 years off from releasing music to the public, I used to put out a song every year on my birthday (January 15th). In 2024 I restarted the tradition, releasing songs and a poem exclusively to email subscribers, and then 7 months later to the wider public on streaming apps.
Unlike most of my major releases, these songs aren't part of a big story or concept album. They're standalone, sometimes a bit rougher, more raw. Like an updating self-portrait.
Streaming apps and social media are tricky places for artists, especially independent artists who don't have a self-sustaining community.
These platforms can be necessary for reaching new people, and they also make artist discovery so much more accessible and convenient. But they can also encourage a shallow engagement with art. They offer little to no payment for streams and engagement. And dependence on a platform creates a weird dynamic where artists have to conform to an ever-changing algorithm and the whims of corporate decisions.
I don't like the idea of putting art entirely behind a paywall, but I also put time, money, and personal vulnerability into this and I don't want that to end up as disposable content.
So my current solution is sharing exclusive art, news before the public gets it, and deals with email subscribers. Most of what I release will eventually be available to the public, but it could be days, weeks, months later, or in some cases just exclusive forever.
This helps me maintain some integrity rather than catering to algorithms. And as a completely independent business it gives me a channel to keep people up to date on new releases without having to totally depend on various platforms.
Plus I like encouraging a slower engagement with art, in part because I appreciate it myself when artists break my attention away from feeds and routine.
I get that not everyone prefers email (which is still a form of digital clutter), so if you want to get new releases on a specific social platform just send me a message.
Thanks for understanding.
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