Patreon?

I have begun working on a new record and will be documenting the process on Patreon. From writing, to production, to release. 

What Is Patreon ?

Patreon is a platform through which creatives can finance their projects by sharing exclusive content with people who wish to support them. For me, it is a way to stay independent, and a means to connect more closely with the people interested in my work.

Why not just ‘document the process’ on Instagram ?

Social media is the way in which people present themselves to the world. We are encouraged constantly to share more, and (perhaps) to care less about the things we share. But making a record is a less-than-glamorous process. There are elements of intimacy, awkwardness, and failure which you would only wish to share with the people rooting for your success - people who have an understanding of what you are trying to achieve. Whilst I’m excited about leaving open a window to my studio, this is less of a public presentation of my work, more a private view of a process. 

What will I be sharing ?

Demos of new songs. Video updates of new ideas. Live streams from my studio. Archive access to unreleased songs + alternative versions. Lyrics. Thoughts. Musings. Etc. 

Live Stream Launch - Monday 21st June - 8pm (GMT).

To mark the launch of this Patreon project I will be streaming a short live performance from my studio on Monday 21st June. This will be exclusive to Patreon.  

Thoughts on Patreon..

It took me a while to get my head around what Patreon is, but the conclusion seemed pretty simple. Everything has changed, and this must be part of it.

The 'stage' of the 21st century is online. It is where music is discovered, promoted and performed. Whilst I perhaps lack the energy / disposition to reap the full benefits of social media, I am fascinated by its reshaping of the modern world.

The expectations are now greater than ever for ‘artists’ (I’m not a big fan of the term..) to create more and more, for the sole purpose of the act of sharing. To interact more in order to build a ‘presence’ online. Yet the rewards for this are more elusive than ever for those who don't wish to be distracted from the only thing which really matters - to create something worth sharing. (The act of sharing, of course, has no artistic merit in itself).

The question always appeared to be : how do we adapt to this new 'stage' without allowing our work to suffer?

In the cracks of the modern confusion over ‘posts’ and ‘reach’ and ‘presence’ I have always been confident that a more balanced platform would show up which could better support creatives. A platform where the main agenda was not to pressurise users into listlessly feeding the beast with content, and one which might give some value to the process and efforts of the people creating.

Patreon, I realised, could be one such platform. A place to leave the door ajar to those who might enjoy the flawed creative undertaking for what it is - not an obligation, but an awkward, fickle, yet ultimately fulfilling way to live out the hours. A place to privately share processes and creations not intended to be representations of finished work - but which are the modern ‘performance’ which appears to have become our most valued commodity.

So here we are. Everything has changed! Once it was a ticket to a show, now it's Patreon.