THE FINGERTIPS Q&A

Brian Sendrowitz

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Q: How has your life as a musician been affected--or not--by the existence of music blogs?

A: Music blogs have sort of been the key for me. I started to find an audience when music bloggers started writing about Beat Radio in 2005. Before that, I'd been playing around NYC for a while but hadn't really connected with much of an audience beyond my circle of friends. I think there was more to it--I'd also worked on simplifying my style of writing to try and connect with more people, but soon after a few NYC bloggers started posting my demos, more and more people started coming out to shows, labels got interested, good things started happening. It was critical for me because I knew what I was doing meant something, and that inspired me to keep trying to move forward. We made our first record available as a free download for the first year after we put it out, and it was downloaded over 50,000 times. This all happened because of the songs getting out there through music blogs.


Q: What are your thoughts about the album as a musical entity-- is it dying? Or are reports of its death greatly exaggerated, as the old phrase goes?

A: I think the album is alive, and still holds a good amount of cultural currency as an art form. At least in my world. Maybe less so in the world of the music "business," but in the creative world, for both artists and fans, I think it's still very much alive. In the Scorcese documentary about Dylan there's this bit where Bob Neuwirth is talking about how back in 1964, artists weren't measured by how many records they sold or how large a concert hall they could sell out. They were judged by whether or not they had something to say. Maybe I'm being idealistic but for me it feels like it's going back to that sort of thing. And I think as much as ever, you need a great album to be held in that sort of esteem. Long live the LP!


Q: A lot has been made of the assertion that in the future, people won't buy music, and artists will make a living only via performance. What's your take on this? Does music "have" to be free, as some claim?

A: I won't speculate on the sort of moral dilemna of whether or not music has to be free. I think if we're being honest, we're already beyond that. Music is free. Intellectual property was a cool idea, but it's sort of over now. Well not entirely, but you get my point. Might as well go with it.

As for the oft-repeated refrain that artists are just going to have to make money by performing, touring, etc.--that's a lot more complicated than people think. People don't realize until you've already hit a certain point of popularity, and it's pretty big, you don't really make money playing out. And if you're an up-and-coming band trying to put a tour together, you're probably losing money. So does this mean the only bands that will break through now are 19-year-olds who live with their parents? If that's the case, I think we're going to miss out on some pretty great music. I don't subscribe to the myth of the tortured artist. It's different for me. I've got a family to provide for. I can't wait to tour, and to have more time to work on writing and recording, but for now, I feel lucky to have a day job. I just stay up late and work on songs, post them on my blog, play shows in Brooklyn. It means a lot to connect with people through music. I'm motivated to make songs because I believe I have something to say, and I could never stop, even if I wanted to. I love the process.



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Previous Fingertips Q&A interviews:
Local Natives (July 2009)
Haley Bonar (June 2009)
Jill Sobule (May 2009)
David Harrell (the Layaways) (April 2009)
Joey Barro (The Traditionist) (March 2009)
Dave Derby (Gramercy Arms) (February 2009)
Shane Nelken (The Awkward Stage) (January 2009)
Mark Northfield (December 2008)
Mike Reisenauer (Pale Young Gentlemen) (November 2008)
Brad Armstrong (13ghosts) (October 2008)
Dirk Darmstaedter (September 2008)
Jonatha Brooke (August 2008)





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