Hindsight is a beautiful thing. What I once thought was important, thankfully, never was. Realizing I’ve accomplished what I set out to do with this site while gaining more than I expected is the cherry on top.
After recent news of major music publications being shut down, it got me thinking about the secret ingredient to staying power.
Besides the obvious of having full independent ownership, fun is the secret sauce.
That is literally it.
The whole reason why I started TDL was because I found most music journalists to be insufferable and I wanted to champion artists I believed in that didn’t involve cutting down someone’s work for attention. I don’t believe my opinions are facts. I also don’t believe they’re superior and should be shoved down readers throats. I wanted this to be a place where the listener gets to decide for themselves, free of snark and cynicism. There’s enough of that in the world.
I was straight up sick of the typical journalist elitism and keyboard warriors fighting over whose asshole can fart the loudest. It’s one thing to have an opinion, but it’s another when you’re unnecessarily cruel about it to artists who pour their hearts out into their work. You don’t have to understand it to respect it.
TDL is a middle finger to the typical music critic and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve realized that most of the nastiness is the culture. We’ve never fit into that and for that I’m proud. When you care more about upholding a toxic mindset in the name of preserving the culture, that’s where you lose the plot completely.
The people upset with these shut downs are missing something crucial though.
I keep seeing posts about how we need more independently owned music sites by the same people who complain when their little indie blogs get bought by major corporations. Finding a music site is just like finding new music if you’re keen on searching for them. We’re out there. We’ve been here. If you’re only consuming what is fed to you and who makes the most noise, don’t be surprised when all of it disappears one day due to the decisions of others who probably don’t have music’s best interests in mind.
There are a ton of small, independent publications who have been here from the get-go. We were just being overlooked and discarded because someone decided to sell their pride and joy for profit and that somehow made them the better pitch for PR because they had the numbers. The following. The influence. Tale as old as time. You can bitch all day about what happened to these sites or you can realize that many of us never sold our souls to major corporations. You’re basically worshipping and mourning the same exact shit you claim to hate so much.
However, this isn’t a black and white issue. I see it from both sides. I understand why these sites would sell. Would I personally do it? Absolutely not, but I get it 100%. I’ve seen what happens when independent sites gain traction and decide to sell. They lose control over everything and when shit hits the fan, they not only lost something they built from the ground up but they question their priorities while grieving the little passion project they wish they held onto. I’ve seen many echo the same sentiment of, “If it had to end, I wish I could have been the one to decide.” It all boils down to the choices of the original owner. If you want full control, keep it indie. It may not pull in the revenue you had your sights on, but it ensures your work’s safety and integrity over profit.
If Good Charlotte are automatically sell outs now that they’re a part of these massive cuts, what exactly are these sites that are now gutted considered? The ones who had small, independent beginnings?
It’s easy to point the finger at the higher ups, but it had to land in their hands first somehow.
The more I reflect on these situations, the more I start to see things that have happened with TDL over the past 11 years become abundantly clear.
1. The ‘why’ has always remained
My ‘why’ was to showcase artists big and small that I believed in. I continue to do just that. I used to get upset that we didn’t have the following I wanted us to have, but now I see how much time I wasted on stuff like that when I know that we’ve helped tons of artists find their footing in an uncertain (and unkind) industry. That right there is everything. Most people just think their opinions should be heard. I believe the music should be.
2. My intuition was always right.
Whenever I had a bad or good feeling about someone or something, I was always right. I discredited myself a lot and allowed a lot of people to take advantage of me. I don’t play like that anymore. Snakes are snakes and I see it all so clearly now and I will boldly call it out on behalf of myself and others. I also wish I would have burned more bridges!
3. All of the hate is just projection.
All of the people who have thrown hate our way have been nothing but crusty, angry hipsters bitching about something we were doing right that probably went against the norm. I’m glad we pissed them off. I hope we continue to do so.
4. We’re still here!
That has to count for something, right? I may have moved on from trying to make music writing my career, but I’ve reached a point where I’m finally having fun with it again. The ‘why’ just keeps on becoming more visible now more than ever.
5. I got what I needed.
Enough said. 😉
