Linda Coogan Byrne and her team over at WhyNotHer have put together a startling report on the state of the Irish Singles Chart over the last 20 years and how it practically ignored Women and BIPOC. It's an incredible piece of work, one that, had all things been fair and equal, should never have had to be complied. Unfortunately, like most things, the Irish Music Industry isn't a fair and equal place... Anyway, don't take my word for it, click here to read the report.
Bandcamp Friday... If any online music company comes out of the Covid19 Pandemic with honours, it looks like it will be Bandcamp. Why? Well, it's quite simple, it's down to Bandcamp Friday.
What's Bandcamp Friday? Well, on the first Friday of each month, Bandcamp waives its fees on album and merch sales (on both physical media and downloads), meaning more money goes to the artists. This all kicked off in March as the world ground to a halt and with it, the music business.
OK, the waiving of these fees won't make up for the loss of earnings from not gigging, but y'know, every little bit helps.
Today, being the first Friday of the month, I did some shopping. I picked up a copy of the Sowing Acorns Limited Edition EP by Emma Langford on cassette. Yes, you read that right, on cassette. Look, don't ask why, just go with it!
I also picked up a copy of a copy of The Swedish Railway Orchestra LP by, well, The Swedish Railway Orchestra on vinyl. Yeah yeah, I know, look at him buying vinyl. Look, I like it, I like the fact it's tangible, I like the fact that it's big, I just like it! Anyway, you couldn't find two artists further apart in their styles if you tried, but hey, it's all good music!
So yeah, that's just a brief note on Bandcamp Friday and why I think it's a pretty cool thing. I've been using Bandcamp for a good few years now and I've no complaints about the service at all. You should check them out and maybe support your favourite independent artists through it.