I'm sorry to report to all of you a major loss in the music industry, after a long bout with the music buying public, The Album, IS DEAD!!
So, Patrick Cornell (that's me) no longer releases albums, or EP's (which is a mini album of 2 - 7 songs). Nope, he only releases Singles from now on. This will be more fun anyway, it'll give me something new to talk about each month, all year long–and something new for people (you) to listen to each month.
As most of you know I recently recorded a new album at Johnny Cash's house/studio, The Cash Cabin. I will be releasing a new Single from that collection of songs each month of 2010 from April - November (8 Singles) on iTunes and all other digital music stores worldwide. Each Single will have it's own artwork as well. And for the month of December, to end the year, I will release the full album, in it's entirety, which will include 3 unreleased bonus tracks (11 song album).
The full length album, however, will only be available for purchase exclusively on my Website, PatrickCornell.com or at live performances.
Now, why is this? Because the vast majority of music buyers don't buy full length albums any longer, they buy individual songs, or, Singles, as they're called. Even if you are one of the few that still buys the whole album when your favorite artist releases one, you're one in a million.
The most active music buyers today are ages 15 - 25 and they don't even own CD players let alone buy full albums to play them in. They go to iTunes, listen to the 30 second snippets of each song on the album and buy the three or four they like best. The truth hurts, but that's the truth folks–just ask iTunes, or musicians for that matter, or Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.
Corgan was recently asked by Chris Isaak on The Chris Isaak Show what his opinion of The Album was. Corgan laughed and replied, "Releasing a full length album today is like recording 11 songs, giving 3 of them away for free, and throwing the rest in the trash, that's all people are going to listen to anyway."
Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset about it or going to try and fight it, in fact, I embrace it.
There you have it–new man, new plan, new Single in April.
Patrick
