So a few weeks ago I mentioned that Sam Phillips was launching her new digital project called The LP. The idea is to not only build a community of fans but to entice them into a yearlong subscription that gets the subscriber five digital EP's, plus a new full-length album (to be released roughly every other month). Subscribers will also receive access to various Sam-related media, all for only $52. Some of this material will ultimately end up on other digital outlets, but subscribers will get them early and with bonus tracks.
After an initial mid-September push, the site is now fully live, with the first EP available called Hypnotists In Paris, a collaboration with longtime cohorts The Section Quartet. I won't reveal the full tracklist here, but included are a couple of new songs, plus a couple of re-workings of older tunes.
The zip file includes not only 320 kbps MP3 files but lyric sheets and credits (hand-edited by Sam). It's really quite a cool little package, and this project promises to be something really special and a supreme treat for her fans. Very few artists have truly embraced the potential of the digital music world like this. Has Phillips hit on an innovative artistic and business model that can sustain a recording artist with her fanbase and sales? Time will tell, but by my count there have been over 60 subscribers that have signed up today -- you do the math.
I'm really enjoying the music. And what a great idea! I love that the music is being released in community. Without the record companies!
Posted by: Matt Nightingale | October 02, 2009 at 12:37 PM