With the band’s new single hitting download/streaming services today, the Grand Rapids alt-rockers don’t intend to release a new CD after all, but will ‘put out songs as we write them.’ Listen to the new song here.
Not a Fan of Waiting for a Full Album: Brian Vander Ark and The Verve Pipe on stage at The Intersection. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
SCROLL DOWN TO LISTEN TO ‘IF I COULD MAKE YOU FEEL’
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Rather than force fans – and the band itself – to wait for completion of a full-length new studio album, Grand Rapids alt-rock band The Verve Pipe has decided to “put out songs as we write them and record them,” starting today with the digital single, “If I Could Make You Feel.”
Brian Vander Ark (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Welcome to the new musical reality, a path many artists – including some West Michigan acts – have chosen to follow in recent years as CD sales continue to plummet.
“Albums are expensive to make and with the advent of streaming now, sales of all CDs are going to drop off dramatically I believe,” said singer, guitarist and band frontman Brian Vander Ark. “With that in mind, we decided to put out songs as we write them and record them, which I love.
“I was never a fan of spending months in the studio creating an album. I like to write a song and get it out there as soon as possible. This is an experiment and I’m anxious to see the outcome.”
The platinum-selling band has teased the approach this month on its Facebook page, listing today’s date for release of the first single and telling fans that “continuing into the fall, The Verve Pipe will be releasing a new single digitally every two weeks for download (iTunes, Amazon) or streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Pandora). Only available digitally, this new music will not be available on CD.”
STREAMING WILL ‘CHANGE EVERYTHING IN THE BUSINESS’
The singer said he’s been impressed by the new Apple Music streaming service, insisting that “when this catches on to the masses, it will change everything in the business. For a low monthly fee, you have at your fingertips just about every album you could ever want. It’s terrible for musicians, myself included. But it’s definitely happening.”
Hence, the impetus for The Verve Pipe’s new approach.
Of course, he conceded that that means there are fewer ways for bands to make money, including concerts, T-shirt, LP and CD sales at those live shows (enhanced by autograph-signings and meet-and-greets), and licensing music for for use in television and movies.
Fan Faves: Live shows and merch sales are key to a band’s income. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
“Streaming is going to ultimately take over,” he insisted. “We’re preparing for it by staying artistic: making packages for LPs ‘works of art’ that people want to purchase. Funny, now the value of an album is based on the artwork, not the music. That doesn’t bother us, but will hurt many bands who don’t adapt.”
Vander Ark said the first single from recent studio sessions at Joel Ferguson’s Planet Sunday Studios, “If I Could Make You Feel,” marks “a real return to form for The Verve Pipe” with “meaningful lyrics, heavy guitars and a rocking rhythm section” with Channing Lee of Channing & Quinn on backing vocals.
It’s the first new music from The Verve Pipe since the June 2014 release of “Overboard,” the band’s first full-fledged rock album in 13 years.
“We’re very proud of the song and it’s been going over huge at the shows,” said Vander Ark, noting that The Verve Pipe has been selling out some of its concerts and will once again be staging its annual Christmas show at The Intersection after Thanksgiving with Domestic Problems also on the bill.
“We are also releasing an animated video that is spectacular for our song, ‘Hit and Run’ (from ‘Overboard’),” he said. “Look for that in the next couple of weeks.”
THE VERVE PIPE, “If I Could Make You Feel”
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