We Run and a Gut Check

We Run, Reduction in Force’s Second Song — Out Now!

Streaming everywhere music streams. You’ll never outrun your dreams.

At the debut of my second single, it seems appropriate to take stock. Guess what? By all metrics, it’s working. The plays...The press...The DMs...The nodding glances in the room.

Oh — and 91X. I’m still wrapping my head around that one.

Number one takeaway: making music is an absolute blast.

There’s something so satisfying about taking a blank page and turning it into the wonderfulness of tones and rhythms emanating from vibrating speakers — which, and it gets better, once internalized, becomes human emotion.

I don’t think the process of creation will ever get old. There are infinite possibilities to be created and shared. But the sharing? That’s a bit of a conundrum.

Number two takeaway: I love living the process... except for the part where in order to be seen, I have to perform for an algorithm. Not you, code.

The feedback often comes back as “data.” Not even real data — proxy data. None of it is tied to individuals. Just representations of types of people — demographical avatars.

But then there’s the real data. The kind that happens in vignettes. Sidebars.  Anecdotes. A selfie video of someone’s daughter telling you how awesome your music is. A note from a long-lost friend reconnecting because they just heard What’s Next? I’ll take this kind of data all day — but it’s unpredictable. Tiny nuggets of found gold at the bottom of a pan.

As discussed, the music industry is built for scale, not depth. The platforms are supportive — but they make their money by controlling and selling access. So you don’t get to have a direct relationship with your audience. If you did, why would you need the intermediary?

So, you must perform.  Not for the audience on the other side — but for the algorithm itself, just to be granted the privilege of being seen by the people who asked to hear from you.  Who does that? Perform for a piece of code? Supplicate to an algorithm?

It’s dehumanizing.

I know — who doesn’t love the challenge of a good game from time to time? But first: it’s all the time. And second: I’m not sure the point of music is to be clever at a skill that has absolutely nothing to do with music. Or humanity. And if this whole thing blows up someday — not just for me, but for all of us trying to build something real — that will be why.

Music creation: good. Algorithmic supplication: bad.

That leads me to another cool experience — Per the picture above, I was just in New Jersey with Alex, working on my third song. We were in a full-blown studio — Sound on Sound. So much fun.

Go give We Run a listen and let me know what you think.