National  Album Day

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"The music landscape is ever changing. There has never been such a vast amount of music to listen to and such a large number of ways by which to consume it. In my opinion, the album format holds just as much relevance and significance (albeit a different kind of relevance) to singles and EPs. It’s an important step for artists to take in their careers. It allows them to expand and reach out beyond existing fan bases by offering a body of work that reflects their broader creativity. In February 2019, Elder Island will release their debut album following two previously released five track EPs and two singles. The record was written and produced for the optimum vinyl listening experience but will of course work digitally. The track listing will take the listener on a journey that simply would not be possible in an EP or run of singles. The record will be peppered with interludes and ideas that would only make sense in an album format. Elder Island’s 'The Omnitone Collection’ is a thing of beauty - to be heard and appreciated in its entirety."

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"I grew up on playlists and making my own compilation CDs, however the resurgence of vinyl has definitely helped me personally to connect with albums. Vinyl has definitely helped preserve the album and also spike the interest of an audience who were never anchored to albums initially. It goes without saying that the paradigm shift in music consumption over the past couple of decades has immensely impacted the album as a concept. There seems to be more desire for singles in today's climate and it has been argued that if albums contained more tracks that were targeted as singles then this could help rejuvenate album clout."

BELIEVE ITALY

Corrado Dierna

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"The uprising of streaming may be increasing our capability to access and discover new music and artists, but the concept of the album as a full body of work that communicates a narrative or an artist’s creative vision at a particular moment in time, remains as important and inspiring as ever."

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"We tend to release more and more LPs - which is great -  but there are not enough vinyl plants to cover this appetite for wax – which is problematic! So you really have to think twice: is the format really appropriate? If yes, how will production deadlines affect your campaign? I think it really helps putting a project into perspective. Some releases make sense on LPs as it’s part of the project aesthetic and storytelling. Some others are only made for the dematerialised world and immediate consumption."

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"The past two years have seen a great shift in the adoption of streaming. Now that it’s become generally accepted that a song is added to all DSPs simultaneously when its serviced to press and radio, I believe that it makes sense to release at least two singles before making the entire album available. In fact, with some new artists (and dependent on the type of music) it makes sense to me for an album to be made available in its entirety far later in the campaign. Possibly even at the end, i.e. release the whole album incrementally as individual tracks (as I am currently doing with Because Music on a new artist I manage called Mind Enterprises). The truth is though, that there is no "right or wrong" way to do it now. 

I think you have to really consider the method for each artist, and it may vary according to a number of factors - are they touring, are they a dance artist so getting club plays etc, do they already have an audience waiting for an album? But I would say that for any artist, the most important thing now is creating a campaign that maintains attention, and once a whole album is available on streaming services that is a great deal harder to do. So (with some exceptions), it's more now about individual 'tracks' and less about albums or traditional 'singles' and more about keeping people interested and focused upon an artist."

TAPE NOTES

Album therapy for artists and producers

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If you're looking for more insight into how much importance is placed on the art and craft of creating an album, look no further than the Tape Notes Podcast by In The Woods. Hosted by John Kennedy, each episode reunites an artist and producer to talk about the highlights of their collaboration in the studio. Their conversations lift the lid on every stage of the creative process, from kindling the first spark of a song idea, through decisions on style and instrumentation, to finessing the final product - and it's full of fascinating anecdotes and unique insights.