To what level would you finance a Stina album?

[RobB]

The following link relates to singer-songwriter Jill Sobule's attempt at convincing her fans to finance her next album.
However,for the purpose of this thread,the question is:
To what level would you go to help finance a future Stina album?

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/03/jil ... e-goe.html

[alx5962]

nada. the way she cares about us the fans deserves no money at all.

[sound world]

It's a hypothetical question.
In the traditional relationship the artist doesn't 'expect' to be subbed by his/her fans,but in the long run that's what happens,through sales.So it's a change of perspective.
I know that I will buy Stina's next album no matter what (which is absolutely not the case with most artists for me),so I might be prepared to stump up something if it made the difference between the album being released or not.
Actually Stina,for my money,is an Artist,not just another pop singer,and as such ought to be subsidised by government funding in an ideal world,like many of us out here who are artists without pretensions to being famous or popular,just creative. Doing Theatre music and exhibitions is one way of getting it,which she's done.
And as for Alex's comment, well,Stina is under no obligation to pay her fans any attention.She is a creative artist and her only obligation is to her muse.However if she did interact with her fans more,I suppose it's likely that people might be more disposed to cough up something if she appealed for it.Which so far she isn't.

[RobB]

I know that I will buy Stina's next album no matter what (which is absolutely not the case with most artists for me),

Thats how I feel too......Stina's next album is the only album I'm waiting for where I'd go out of my way on the day of releases in order to purchase it. I certainly couldn't possibly wait until Tuesday.

so I might be prepared to stump up something if it made the difference between the album being released or not.

As you alluded to at the beginning of your reply,this topic is only a light-hearted 'hypothetical' topic. For that world tour Stina would need sponsorship from either businesses or her fanbase but for an album,I don't think she does. I would be just as happy to listen to an album that Stina had made alone in her appartment on a simple tape machine as I would had she spent six months using top session musicians in a professional recording studio. So long as the songs are of quality and they are performed with sincerity then thats all that matters to me.

Actually Stina,for my money,is an Artist,not just another pop singer,and as such ought to be subsidised by government funding in an ideal world,like many of us out here who are artists without pretensions to being famous or popular,just creative. Doing Theatre music and exhibitions is one way of getting it,which she's done.

I guess there are lots of examples but two who spring to mind are Laurie Anderson and Jocelyn Pook who have successfully married their music to visual interpretations. With Jocelyn I know that her 2001 'Speaking In Tunes' tour could not have happened had it not been for a East of England arts council grant.

And as for Alex's comment, well,Stina is under no obligation to pay her fans any attention.She is a creative artist and her only obligation is to her muse.

Yep,I think we all know (or should know) by now that Stina likes to keep her distance from the music industry and her fans. She was making that fairly clear 14 years ago and I can't see her changing her stance now.

However if she did interact with her fans more,I suppose it's likely that people might be more disposed to cough up something if she appealed for it.Which so far she isn't.

I'd like to think that Stina has sold enough albums in the past to be able to make any futrure albums free of financial restrictions.......within reason anyway.

[Crystallina]

Sounds like what Kristin Hersh is doing with CASH Music.

I'm subscribed on the $10/quarter plan there, and I'd definitely do the same for Stina. Possibly more.

[d.a.walker]

Her tremendous lapses into utter silence do not enthuse me with the confidence to invest in a project of hers. I'm all for the artistic process and whatever means they entail, but there's not much reward for the fans other than the albums when they eventuate. Of course investing funding would yield the reward of an album, but there would have to be a smidge of communication at some point.

It's been obvious for a long long time that mass success is not part of Stina's agenda, however, the reason for releasing an album to commercial sale is to reclaim the production costs at the very least. Little to no promotion, ie: no touring, no interviews, not making said album easily available, is going to make that difficult.

Stina's reclusive/uncompromising nature is admirable, but it is costing her art greatly. Over 16 years have passed since MOAC and she is still very much a well kept secret. The World Is Saved retails here for 99c at JBHIFI, an undignified end for a great piece of work that deserved much better.

[blue]

I'd happily contribute if she asked for help to get an album made, but I don't think she would. I don't think she's actually as badly off financially as some here assume, to be honest.

The real danger with fans contributing financially before the record is made is that it seriously muddies the waters of the artist/listener relationship, on a psychological level. Not everyone accepts that artists should be free to follow their muse, even if the results don't please the fanbase. The attitude that the artist somehow 'owes' something to the fans who support their work by buying it is already fairly prevalent - can you imagine how that would be exacerbated if people put up money to actually get the record made, then didn't like the results? And would it affect the artist herself, her choices in terms of production etc? I can see that getting very messy indeed. And I can see Stina running a mile from any such possibility. Quite rightly.

[RobB]

And would it affect the artist herself, her choices in terms of production etc? I can see that getting very messy indeed. And I can see Stina running a mile from any such possibility. Quite rightly.

Exactly so.
Effectively the fans (or investors) would be wanting a say in how (in this case) Stina's career was being managed. I can quite imagine us all sitting around a table in the boardroom with Stina at the head of the table,suggesting things like 'Isn't it about time you had a change of wig' and 'How about a pair of new white boots to enhance your career' etc etc.

[blue]

Well, obviously any investment in her records on my part would be conditional upon her giving me The Boots, so she'd need a new pair.

[Timothy]

interesting question.
Depends on context, I suppose -- I'd be happy to pay a $100 annual subscription fee for a guaranteed new EP per quarter of "work in progress"... and it would probably do her good as well, to have to deliver something to the public on a regular schedule, even if it's just musical doodles. Perhaps particularly if it's musical doodles -- I think she's a bit too concerned with producing complete & coherent works..

[kuhn]

interesting question.
Depends on context, I suppose -- I'd be happy to pay a $100 annual subscription fee for a guaranteed new EP per quarter of "work in progress"... and it would probably do her good as well, to have to deliver something to the public on a regular schedule, even if it's just musical doodles. Perhaps particularly if it's musical doodles -- I think she's a bit too concerned with producing complete & coherent works..

Signed, I desperately need a new Stina tune - not necessarily a complete album

[RobB]

I'd settle for just some news.

[barrett]

I'd settle for just some news.

Heres some news Rob

Stina Nordenstam will be releasing her new album "soon"
[rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling] [rolling]

or should that be so on & on & on & on & on & on [tup]

[RobB]

well,i meant new news not old news.Ok,so it was new news once but it was inaccurate new news and now that its old news its still inaccurate so i'm looking for new news......with a little more accuracy with regards to the release of the new album........like 'coming tomorrow'