David Mead recently announced his first new solo album in eight years, entitled COBRA PUMPS (all caps). Along with the announcement, he provided a little insight into the hardships he encountered in trying to figure out how to release it. Here’s a snip:
When it came time to figure how to release COBRA PUMPS, I needed money and, out of habit, approached a few different music business people for help. After a few slightly bizarre meetings in which algorithmically-induced metrics and social media compliance were discussed with a ferocity once reserved for killer hooks and Led Zeppelin, I deduced that I simply don’t fit into the industry anymore, if I ever did. It now requires very different skill sets than the ones I have spent my life attempting to master. And that is OK with me…
Along with that insight is an announcement that he’s releasing the album for free, track-by-track, starting tomorrow. If you want to get in on it, you can simply sign his mailing list on his website and you’ll receive them via email.
But here’s the thing. The first released track, “Bedtime Story“, is not some oddball outlier. It’s a full-on rock track with a pleasant hook carried by Mead’s distinct voice, making it a memorable offering. I’m not sure what level of berating he has undergone to perceive his music as being a bad fit for music listeners but this track simply doesn’t fit that narrative.
Time will tell what the rest of the album holds – which we’ll discuss here once it’s released – but I’m actually more intrigued now than I may have been otherwise.
1 Comment
I find it a complete outrage that Mr. Mead is in this situation considering he’s one of the best singer songwriters on the planet.
Sat January 26, 2019 at 2:38 pmI’m more than sure that all of his fans would be more than willing to purchase his new release.