Idlewild confirm new direct-to-fan release plans
Another band doing a Radiohead? Not quite.
Idlewild seem to have been inspired by Trent Reznor and co. who pioneered a new direct-to-fan release structure earlier this year. The Scottish indie-legends will be entering the studio early in 2009 and plan a conventional album release in the summer but, for a limited time, they would like to offer their fans a chance to be involved from the beginning.
Fans worldwide can pre-order a special edition album along with plenty of extras and you'll get it before any general release.
The press release explains how it works:
By going to idlewildmusic.com you will get details on how to pre-order and what you will receive.
These include a limited edition CD album (with free download version) in exclusive packaging & including at least one bonus track. This will be shipped within weeks of completion [of recording] & long before any standard release.
You can get your name to appear in the CD booklet with the album and on a roll-call on the web site.
Access to download 15 free tracks from live recordings at the King Tuts "album by album" shows In December '08 & access to a members only section of the web site with album progress updates, exclusive photo and video content from the recording and preproduction process with diaries/blogs by individual band members and lots more.
Signing up will also automatically enter you into draws for special prizes.
Why are Idlewild doing this? The band explains themselves via the following statement:
"After 11 years of recording and releasing records within the constraints of the record industry we now feel that the time is right and the technology exists for us to deal more quickly and directly with the fans. It also allows us total control of our music and will ultimately mean that should you choose to get involved you will hear our music as soon as it is available. Although the album will have a more traditional release some time later in 2009 we hope you will support us in our efforts to try something new and choose to pre-order the album now."
Coming up on DiS we have a special track-by-track, directors-commentary kinda thing from Roddy Woomble talking about their album Hope is Important ahead of the band's special run of shows at King Tuts.
DiScuss: excited? How long 'til all records are released like this? Have you ordered your copy already?
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Tweet This
Share on FacebookI am v excited about this
ordering on payday
YESSSS!!!!!
Looking forward to it
just about to order...
very excited - april feels like too far away!
I have that picture as a poster on my wall :)
I ordered this the second the email appeared in my inbox.
looking forward to the new album
although something doesn't quite sit right with me about this whole pre-ordering thing when the band haven't even entered the studio yet.
Good plan lads
It's nice that they're chucking in 15 free downloads and putting people's names in the inlay.
I reckon that the King Tuts download of Idea Track will be the closest I ever get to seeing them do it live...
what it means is that i can download, if they put the whole gigs online, a full
live version of 100 broken windows.
im all over this.
this structure will hold more weight
when bands that were big in the 90's but have since faded start doing it.
erm
I think Dodgy did it already :)
i really dislike this move towards "special editions"
i'm a huge fan of idlewiild - but in all honesty, how is charging £15 to be able to obtain their next record justifiable as a "gift" to their fans. i don't want any of the bog(n)us extras, I just want the record, but it sounds like I will have to wait "weeks" for this to happen after this initial release.
as much as i dislike the "stick it to the man" attitude, I really do just see this as a way of getting loyal fans to pay over the odds.
also
trent reznor gave fans to option to download the album for free, buy a decent priced normal cd or if you're a bit odd in the head, the super deluxe turbo edition of the album in a box set made from his own used underpants.
that is all
or you could stop whinging and just wait until the record is released and buy it in the shops
the £15 CD is for those who want to be part of the development of the record, then have something special at the end. If you are too tight to pay an extra £5 to get the CD earlier, I'm sure those extra few weeks won't kill you
I'm sure those extra few weeks won't kill you
unless you die of old age in those extra few weeks.
maybe
I'm just cynical but to me this just seems like, 'we cant afford to record our album, give us some money now and you can have these 'special' extras'
It probably is a case of necessity
but, is that a bad thing? It's about working directly with fans... those who really want to hear a new record will contribute money, those who don't wont.
Bitch all you want, but at least they're being proactive.
Trent Reznor and co.?
"and co." being Marillion who did this about 4 years before Reznor?
Looking forward to this album though.
I guess
its a good thing but they seem to be saying look how clever and nice we are doing this for you. If they'd said we need some money to record our album I think that would have been more interesting and news worthy. obviously im just speculating that thats why theyre doing it
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