Megaturquoise - The Aftermath
Based on my calculations - finger in the air to check to wind, analysis of biometric pressure and unseasonal-but-slightly-dipping humidity quotient - we’ve reached mid-October, which means that Megaturquoise is approximately four months old. In classic “me” fashion, I pushed the album out the door to much self-generated fanfare and then went almost completely silent on the social medias and the blogs, but you know what? I’m not gonna apologize. I needed a break from relentless self-promotion, and besides: the full album was released, and there was nothing else rocketing down the pipeline to talk about.
Things are beginning to percolate now, though, and I’ve got some updates for yas.
Check out that new record, all dressed up for the fall - so harvesty!
First up, and this one will be quick: Megaturquoise is available on vinyl. I’ve got 100 of these suckers, they’re a shockingly vibrant green-blue (read: megaturquoise [patent pending]), and I think they’re sick as hell. Grab one on the new “store” page of this very website. My biggest takeaway from the vinyl ordering process is that ordering vinyl in 2021 takes a LONG time. For real, I should have ordered these in January to have them available for the album release in June, but I didn’t, and here we are. Still, big thanks to New Orleans Record Press for delivering faster than every other presser I talked to and for generally doing a bang-up job.
Second, I’ve been hard at work on new material, and I’ve already got enough of it that I’m trying to formulate a release plan. I’ve got a few covers (!) that reinterpret some personal favorites (one you’ll know, the other you probably won’t) and a small-but-growing collection of new originals, and I’m storming my brain on the regular to figure out the best way to get them out into the world. Having just run the gauntlet of releasing music in this particular climate, I have a few ideas (see below), and I’ll loop you in as soon as they evolve into a big-boy strategy.
Third, in an attempt to diversify the CONTENT that I offer to you, my AUDIENCE, I sat down (in the same chair that I sit in literally all day for work, music, recreation, life, etc.) to chat about Oasis and the Gallagher brothers with my friend Deke, and we just so happened to hit the “record” button during our conversation. The result probably best identifies as a podcast, but it does have a video component that you can experience if you select Instagram TV as your platform. Check it out here. Without venturing too deep into the weeds: Oasis was a massively influential band, and in the wake of its breakup, the Gallagher brothers have each gone on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. In the podcast, Deke and I explore the importance of Oasis to our own lives and music and also attempt to ascertain which Gallagher is the best Gallagher at this moment in time. Podcasting - or, as I like to call it, “speaking opinions into a microphone” - is fun as hell, and I’m hoping we can keep this thing going. We have a few big ideas for where it might go next, so stay tuned.
So yeah, that about wraps up the CONTENT update. Oh…you were hoping for a retrospective on the Megaturquoise release? You want to know how it’s all GOING?! Alright, I’ll oblige. All things considered (especially if one of the things you’re considering is that I’m an attorney-by-day who almost never plays live shows), things are going pretty well. The paid PR/marketing push was, uh, interesting, in that only parts of it really worked; the PR company really wasn’t able to secure much press/blog coverage at all, but given how little I think that kind of thing moves the needle anyway, I doubt it made much difference in the end. The marketing company that they partnered with, on the other hand, was way more successful, and they’re responsible for a major portion of my (ongoing!) Spotify streams, which they drove mostly through digital ads and playlist placements. Once I have enough new stuff amassed, I’m planning to go back to them (Venture Music, in case you’re interested) to see if we can form a braintrust on a release plan.
That’s a lot of thousands!
I think that’s probably enough for now. If you’re still paying attention, you’re probably the most likely subset of my audience to take this advice: keep listening to my songs, buy a record, and don’t forget to check out my podcast with Deke. There’s just so very much to do!