Dev, how about the producing you were doing? you seem to be a highly sort after individual. does it make enough to cover the bills?
or is it too hard to do because of the lack of creative control? having to deal with and work with bands you dont musically agree with, would be quite hard, i would imagine.
I'm really hoping that addicted will open some more doors for you. strangely, through my observations with popular music, it seems to be the most simplistic music wins over all, because people dont have to use their brains in order to swallow it.

I hope things work out because your music is something special to a lot of us. having that creative spirit in our lives just adds a little more colour to everything

This is all well and good when you're not making music for a living. When you actually need to make a profit from your CD in order to pay the bills, then the joy of knowing that people are listening to your music doesn't quite cut it.
That said, the relationship between downloads and lost sales isn't as close as some people in the music industry would have you believe, something which is demonstrated on this forum. (I'm pretty sure the majority of people here that downloaded did so because they wanted to hear the album and couldn't wait, rather than because they didn't want to pay)

If you want to have a steady paycheck, don't be an independant musician. If you are relying on CD profits to pay the bills, you got some problems.
"Gee I don't feel like working today so I'm going to make some noise on a tape and hope someone makes me rich".

"Making some noise on a tape" isn't really a fair representation of the amount of work it takes to write and record an album though, is it? (Not to say it's not true of some people)
Similarly, it's ridiculous to expect people who are not interested in your music to buy it and make you rich, but it's not unreasonable to expect to get paid when people do get a copy of your work.

Devin!

Supplemental cash is just a web-venture away for an artist like yourself (probably!).

You've clearly got a reasonably sized established fan base who are willing to pay cash for your output so I'm sure you'd be able to earn some money from doing one or more of the following things:

- Releasing demos/unreleased tracks/noodlings/whatever for small fees either as individual downloads or in packs (i know pretty much everyone on this forum is dying to hear the rumoured newer version of Sit In The Mountain)
You can also use the net to release things for smaller prices that may not be appropriate for a traditional format release.
That could especially work for something like The Hummer. From what I gathered you weren't expecting a huge audience for it so you only pressed a smallish amount of copies. Offer it as a digital download for something like $10 and then you won't have any concerns about left-over stock, plus you'll never have fans getting annoyed because it's out of print. It's win win.

- Production video how-to's: You're a well respected producer and your records always sound full and lush plus you know how to do some funky things with synths etc. Why not start making little 10minute videos detailing how to achieve some of the things you do in your records? (as long as your comfortable giving away secrets) The videos may not be earth shattering to people who have worked as sound engineers, but if you take a look around this forum there's a plethora of budding musicians who would probably lay down a small fee to watch a video of you explaining how to do something relatively fancy and/or useful.

Okay, so I've only got 2 examples, I'm sure other people will think of more things.

My main point is: For little effort you can probably make some reasonable amounts cash.

Surely you've got a tonne of tracks sitting around you recorded but never got around to using - if you put some of these up at $1 a pop and 1000 people pay for it: easy money.

Please consider it, we as fans would be extremely grateful to have access to more devin material.


P.S. did anyone ever get to download the bonus Ki material? my torrent is still sitting there doing nothing.

vinyl vinyl vinyl vinyl vinyl vinyl vinyl vinyl vinyl vinyl

Seriously, if I can find something to supplement my income in this day and age, I'd do it and continue doing music as well...then I wouldn't have to worry about interviews, labels, and management etc.

Yeah, furniture made out of driftwood. (with super tech drawers)

Or flipping burgers? ...I'm qualified!

I know I have very little understanding of the "music industry" and it feels almost derogatory to call music an "industry" to begin with, but I know that if your music goes unrecognized by the masses, I don't want a fucking thing to do with the "industry" anyway. I can't possibly begin to understand the financial harships of promoting/selling/releasing an album, but I do know that the end result of your efforts have always been loved by many, and worshipped by all those on these forums who follow your words with the utmost respect and contemplation (myself very much included).

During the past year, my best friend and I have taken just about every weekend to record an album's worth of music in the closet of my 2 bedroom apartment. It has truly been the most satisfying experience of my life, and surpasses any imaginable financial award. I honestly don't care if 5 people like what we're doing or if 500 people dig it, if we are happy with the end result it will have been a success.

I understand that it is ridiculous to present the views an amateur and attempt to apply what I believe to your situation, but I had to chime in and say that your entire career has always been an inspiration and affirmed my belief in what music is all about. You've given so much of yourself to your music and your fans, and for that, I can't thank you enough. I anxiously await Ki, Addicted, Deconstruction, and the final chapter of your four album saga, as well as anything you release after you complete this epic undertaking. I wish you luck on the completion of Addicted, we'll always be here to listen!

Seriously, if I can find something to supplement my income in this day and age, I'd do it and continue doing music as well...then I wouldn't have to worry about interviews, labels, and management etc.

Yeah, furniture made out of driftwood. (with super tech drawers)

Or flipping burgers? ...I'm qualified!

So open a McTownsend and make a tour!

Maybe you could get a spokesperson/team, lol, some really fucked up, in your face, crazy M'F'er, a totally shameless promoter, then you could just make the music and let it speak for itself.

Driftwood furniture with hidey holes, and maybe little carved creatures hiding.

Would you ever consider maybe giving guitaring/singing lessons?

Because I would totally pay for singing lessons. I'd just have to get over to Canada first.

Might not be enough for a living, but you can earn quite a bit on the side to stash away.

Also - Someone mentioned you did doodles/drawings or something? If you did, deviantart.com enables you to sell prints of your work. You can do it on a free account, but you get about $2 of the overall price, but if you get a upgraded account, (which I don't think is expensive) You can claim upto 70% I think. I'm not tooo sure.

But you can get it into keyrings and stuff like that too, so you know, you can have fun drawing doodles on the side or something, and then see how much people are interested. If they follow you musically, peeps here may be interested in what you do visually too.

Jsut a silly idea though.

Would you ever consider maybe giving guitaring/singing lessons?

I've always wondered if something like this could happen. Guitar lessons and/or vocal instruction from the Dev would probably be pretty insightful, I think. And I'd love to be a student.

Just letting you know there's a market for it. Provided, at least part of that market is in Texas. Bummer.

Would you ever consider maybe giving guitaring/singing lessons?

I've always wondered if something like this could happen. Guitar lessons and/or vocal instruction from the Dev would probably be pretty insightful, I think. And I'd love to be a student.

Just letting you know there's a market for it. Provided, at least part of that market is in Texas. Bummer.

Yeah I think it would be too. On the wiki page, it says how his guitar teacher taught him how to play from his heart, rather than exact techicalities. I think Dev could work that into his advantage easily.

[The Dev]

I could see myself doing a clinic tour and answering questions etc...

?


Could be cool.

On the subject of money, Question, Dev:

Do you get a set amount pay for producing an album, are you paid on salary, or do you get a portion of all sales?

If you don't mind me asking.

I could see myself doing a clinic tour and answering questions etc...

?

Could be cool.

I'd pay for you to berate me!

I could see myself doing a clinic tour and answering questions etc...

?


Could be cool.

That would be awesome. Although you'll never stop getting questions about your tuning.

If I may sneak in a question, I know you used the EJ Strat and Bassman for most of the album's tones, but what did you use for the occasional heavy parts in songs like Disruptr and Heaven Send? Or any other equipment in general, that would be interesting, for I, a gear head.

A clinic tour would be awesome....

Just do it....half way during a live set just stop and begin a clinic thingy