Paper Route Talks ‘The Peace of Wild Things’ & Dealing With The Music Industry
Paper Route released their album Absence in 2009. Since trying to record and release their second album, the band has been stuck in an industry libo. The band has just recently announced that their new album 'The Peace Of Wild Things' will be released September 11th. I asked singer JT Daly a few questions about the frustrating time they've had trying to get music out to their fans. Here's what he had to say about the process and music in general.
You guys released Absence with Universal in 2009, everything seemed good, you guys started making a new album 'The Peace Of Wild Things', what caused things to fall apart and leave the new album without a release date for 8+ months?
Well, the label we were on dissolved basically. Motown became just a label for the classics. they were no longer releasing any new material… and honestly, at that point, we were relieved because they essentially hadn't been releasing new material for years. Our last two releases with them both came out in the wrong genre, it was a nightmare. So to make a long story short, we found a new label and finished our album (i mean, i could talk about this for hours and you still wouldn't have the full story). In the end, we left them to form our own team. They were going to hire all of these people outside of the label (because that's how they do it now) and in turn we would have to be at the label's mercy. It was killing us so we bowed out ourselves and hired the team directly. Now, I'm sitting on a hotel bed in Boston typing this email to you. There my friend, is the last 8+months.
So you guys are doing the release of 'The Peace Of Wild Things' all on your own?
This is completely us. Us and our dream team of marketing, distribution, radio, etc.
You [JT Daly] released a solo album that you didn't really anticipate ever releasing, that release was independent. How has the process been? Would the results sway you either way to consider doing another solo album?
The response was overwhelming. I'm beyond words thankful and truth be told maybe that's because I had technically zero expectations. I don't believe I'll be making another. I'm always writing and if there's another window like there was this last year, maybe i'll consider. I (we) have never been a group of artists that are suffering through this because it's our job, or doing it for money, or doing it because someone might recognize me and buy me a whiskey and i'm super pumped…etc. I think our reward has always been setting the music free, getting it out of our system. It's such personal music that I think until it reaches that point, it just burns inside of us, it begins to haunt us. We move on personally/we move on artistically and it had been too long for me. I was not healthy. I had to release something.
Any thoughts on the current state of the music industry?
This business is a joke. I am 6ft2inches of a modern day miracle in the sense that I am not a completely bitter, jaded, blubbering idiot (with what i've been through).
You upcoming tour mates, Halfnoise have yet to release their debut album, how'd you decide to bring him along on tour?
He's a dear friend of ours, and it helps that he's really good.
How do you personally find bands/music to listen to?
Grimey's in Nashville, TN.
Check out Paper Route's new single "You and I" on Soundcloud.
Tyler Hayes is a regular contributor to Hypebot.com and founder of Liisten.com, an independent music discovery site.
