Idlewild to deal directly with fans in 09

Xavi6

Just got an email from Idlewild with details of their 2009 plans -

Idlewild are pleased to announce plans for our forthcoming new studio album with an opportunity for our fans to be involved from an early stage.

We will be in the studio for the first few months of 2009 and plan a conventional album release in the summer, but for a limited time, we would like to offer our fans a chance to be involved from the beginning by pre-ordering directly from us a special edition album along with plenty of extras. This offer is available worldwide so that finally our fans overseas will have the chance to hear our music at the same time as everyone in the UK and before any general release.

Here's how it works:

By pre-ordering now for £15 (+ £1.50 standard postage costs) you will receive:

* A limited edition CD album (with free download version) in exclusive packaging and including at least one bonus track not available on the general release. This will be shipped to you within weeks of completion, hopefully April (although we cannot guarantee it), way before any general release.
* Your name will appear in a booklet with the album and on a roll-call on the website.
* You will be given access to download 15 free tracks of your choosing from live recordings at the King Tuts "album by album" shows in December '08.
* You will also have access to a members only section of the website with album progress updates, exclusive photo and video content from the recording and pre production process, diaries/blogs by individual band members, and lots more good stuff....


Why are we doing this?

After 11 years of recording and releasing records within the constraints of the record industry we now feel that the time is right and the technology exists for us to deal more quickly and directly with you without the need for a traditional record company. It also allows us total control of our music and will ultimately mean that should you choose to get involved you will hear our music as soon as it is available.

Although the album will have a more conventional release some time later in 2009 we hope you will support us in our efforts to try something new and choose to pre-order the album now.

Really like the idea of my name appearing with the album. Good to see them taking out the middle man and dealing with fans directly. Can't wait for it now!

orestes

Sounds good to me!

And am I the only one who would kill someone to be at that album by album gig?! That would be absolutely amazing!

ShawnRaven

Neat concept, Marillion were doing it for years too, the preorder, name in credits, etc

Just as long as they don't make the same mistake and leak it on purpose, slapping everyone who preordered it right in the face.

I'm in like Flynt anyway!

11811

sounds like a good idea, I just hope the album is much better than the two previous ones....

Placid_Casual

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

sounds like a good idea, I just hope the album is much better than the two previous ones....

Am I the only person who thinks Make Another World is as good as any of their other albums?

Anyway, reckon i'll be signing up for this. Any indication of how the album might sound? Mention of touring plans for '09?

11811

Placid_Casual wrote: »

Am I the only person who thinks Make Another World is as good as any of their other albums?

Anyway, reckon i'll be signing up for this. Any indication of how the album might sound? Mention of touring plans for '09?

Its not a bad album, but it and Warnings/Promises were a bit of a disappointment for me to be honest. not quite up to the standard of the first three albums.

Xavi6

I loved the last two albums. Songs like 'El Capitan', 'Love Steels Us From Lonliness', 'No Emotion', 'Ghost In The Arcade' and 'In Competition For The Worst Time' are absolutely superb and as good as anything on the first three records.

Hopefully the trend of consistently great albums continues.

Creamy Goodness

meh they are another band that suffer from weezer-itis (a band that i once loved but have become a shadow of a shadow of their former selfs (and yes that isn't a typo))

Placid_Casual

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

Its not a bad album, but it and Warnings/Promises were a bit of a disappointment for me to be honest. not quite up to the standard of the first three albums.

Hope Is Important is easily my least favourite Idlewild album. To me it just sounds like a band who haven't found their voice yet - literally in Roddy's case. I can't stand that whiney pseudo-American accent he uses on half the songs on that album. I thought Warnings/Promises was weak but i'd still much prefer to that.
I know a lot of Idlewild fans love that album but that's just my opinion.

11811

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

meh they are another band that suffer from weezer-itis (a band that i once loved but have become a shadow of a shadow of their former selfs (and yes that isn't a typo))

quite true...:(
tis a pity

PaulBrewer

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Just as long as they don't make the same mistake and leak it on purpose,

Very good point ..

Dont be at yourself

£16.50? That's sticking the arm in, isn't it? If they're so fan-oriented, you'd think they'd pass on the savings they're making by dealing directly with their fans.

But anyway, it's Idlewild. A band who completely slipped off my radar about 5 years ago.

ShawnRaven

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

£16.50? That's sticking the arm in, isn't it? If they're so fan-oriented, you'd think they'd pass on the savings they're making by dealing directly with their fans.

But anyway, it's Idlewild. A band who completely slipped off my radar about 5 years ago.

€19.44, and probably still cheaper than getting it out of HMV!

Dont be at yourself

€19.44, and probably still cheaper than getting it out of HMV!

New release albums (including Chinese Democracy, and the Killers' latest) are going for £8.99 on HMV.co.uk. Being asked to fork over almost twice as much, while listening to them boast about cutting out the middle-man for your benefit, is a little bit rich.

Consumers have been sending the message that music if over-priced since the days of Napster. Artists have always been quick to point the finger at the record companies, at the retailers and so on. And now, with the record-companies and retailers out of the picture, there aren't so many excuses for high prices.

Kudos to them for embracing technology and liberating themselves and the consumer from the ills of record companies. It's just a shame they're coming in at such a high price, because it kind of defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it?

ShawnRaven

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

Kudos to them for embracing technology and liberating themselves and the consumer from the ills of record companies. It's just a shame they're coming in at such a high price, because it kind of defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it?

You're complaining about expense yet you're selling second hand cds a pop for €12 and €15 a pop on adverts?
No disrespect mate, but Eddie Hobbs, you aint!

It doesn't defeat the purpose btw, a lot of limited edition preorders go a little more expensive as they're trying to fund the production for the album.

Dont be at yourself

You're complaining about expense yet you're selling second hand cds a pop for €12 and €15 a pop on adverts?
No disrespect mate, but Eddie Hobbs, you aint!

Huh? I'm not selling anything on Adverts.ie...

It doesn't defeat the purpose btw, a lot of limited edition preorders go a little more expensive as they're trying to fund the production for the album.

I accept that. However, what benefit does that bring to the fan/consumer? The consumer is being made pick up the cheque for Idlewild's indulgences, and it's a shame that they're unwilling to pass on any of their presumed savings by cutting out all those nasty middlemen.

Xavi6

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

New release albums (including Chinese Democracy, and the Killers' latest) are going for £8.99 on HMV.co.uk. Being asked to fork over almost twice as much, while listening to them boast about cutting out the middle-man for your benefit, is a little bit rich.

Consumers have been sending the message that music if over-priced since the days of Napster. Artists have always been quick to point the finger at the record companies, at the retailers and so on. And now, with the record-companies and retailers out of the picture, there aren't so many excuses for high prices.

Kudos to them for embracing technology and liberating themselves and the consumer from the ills of record companies. It's just a shame they're coming in at such a high price, because it kind of defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it?

You will still be able to pick up the album the normal ways from normal outlets if this is such a big problem for you.

The offer is merely putting the fans first. The casual listener will get the record, just not as soon as us.

PaulBrewer

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

£16.50? That's sticking the arm in, isn't it? If they're so fan-oriented, you'd think they'd pass on the savings they're making by dealing directly with their fans.

What savings? It's very unlikely Idlewild ever made a recording profit. Most bands don't.

It appears one gets the new album plus a Live Album (that one can chose the tracks on) plus extras for £15.

Seems fair enough to me.

And it is 'Indie' in the truest sense ...

ShawnRaven

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

Huh? I'm not selling anything on Adverts.ie...

Accept my apologies please, i got you confused with someone else completely and i've no excuse. I retract my statement.

I accept that. However, what benefit does that bring to the fan/consumer? The consumer is being made pick up the cheque for Idlewild's indulgences, and it's a shame that they're unwilling to pass on any of their presumed savings by cutting out all those nasty middlemen.

Because there are no middlemen when it comes to self production, there's no record company giving them advances to go into a studio and record it. That's off their own back, so in order for them to do that, the preorder is gonna be a little more expensive. In return you're getting a deluxe limited edition of the album, exclusive packaging and your name in the credits.

I did this for Marillion's Marbles album for the preorder, which came with 2 cd's worth of music (the retail only came with one), and different packaging including a booklet of artwork. Nobody put a gun to my head to do so, i did it because 1) it was gonna be a collectors item and 2) it was me playing my part in covering the production costs of the album.

And when you can say you played a part, no matter how small in getting an album out on the shelves. The little bit of extra cash is worth it in my honest opinion.

But i'm just a music fan, what would i know?

rowlandbrowner

worth noting that idlewilds internet fan base hate them so much for "selling out" that they had to close their official forums for a couple of years.

They where always a constant during my teens, they played Ireland very often and played nice music with shouting and catchy melodies which suited me because I was angrier at perceived injustices in the world than the lads who played sports but far too timid and happy to be a rocker, but I wouldn't be too interested in them anymore.

I support removing the over inflated record labels from the 'recording stage to the fans ears' process but I don’t long for the day when the physical medium is gone. I am aware idlewild will be issuing the album on cd (and record?) but other bands following similar paths won’t. Soon all music will sound like listening to bees in a jar and the thrill that only a “mom and pop” record store can provide will be gone.

this is slightly off the topic of idlewilds move, but onto similar developments with other bands...

digital music is great for out of print music, music that is not financially viable to come out on any other form and pre-purchase sampling but historically underground bands where able to deal direct with fans without resorting to it entirely - it makes things easier but you sacrifice too much.

Xavi6

Tracks from their first 3 albums were made available to download as part of the live 15 songs thing. I went for -

1. You Held The World In Your Arms
2. Roseability
3. Mistake Pageant
4. These Wooden Ideas
5. When I Argue I See Shapes
6. I'm A Message
7. I'm Happy To Be Here Tonight
8. Live In A Hiding Place
9. The Bronze Medal
10.Actually It's Darkness
11.The Quiet Crown
12.American English
13.Let Me Sleep
14.Idea Track
15.The Remote Part

Have to say it's absolutely brilliant and well worth every penny I paid for it, even without the fact that I'll be getting the new album in advance as well sometime in April.

A quite fantastic offer from the band so cheers to them!