Will Dailey has never been one to conform to the norms of the music industry.
The eight-time Boston Music Award winner, who will be in Providence for an album release show at The Parlour on April 4, is releasing his new album Boys Talking in a somewhat unconventional method, at least by today’s norms.
Instead of releasing the album on streaming platforms all at once, Dailey is prioritizing live performances. At each show, fans will have the opportunity to hear new songs, while the album will be available for purchase in vinyl, CD, or direct download formats. Dailey believes this is his best work, and he wants to create a unique experience that allows him to celebrate and share the album over an extended period, rather than just for a day or a week.
“The album is out, you can get it on my website,” he explained in a recent phone call. “You can if you run into me on the street, I’m sure I have a copy on me somewhere. If you’re on a show, it’s on the merch table and vinyl, CD, cassette, and you can download it.”
The release features top Boston-area studio musicians including Dave Brophy, Fabiola Mendéz, Cody Nilsen, Juliana Hatfield, Jeremy Moses Curtis, Andrew Stern, Abbie Barrett, Kevin Barry, Alisa Amador, and James Rohr. “I got about a dozen people, heavy hitters in the Boston music community, into Q Division Studios in Summerville; everyone in the room 10 hours a day, 10 days straight.”
A critic of the direction the music industry has taken, Dailey has decided to re-focus on the art of creating and performing music live. “Really, what has transpired in this business over the past 20 years has informed me in so many different ways,” he continued. “It goes beyond what artists get paid online and what the payouts are. I kind of stepped away from that and decided to look at it as irrelevant because our main job is making connections to one another.”
“And when we are all saying, here’s this new piece of art that I made that we worked tirelessly on, and I care about it so much, I’m going to put it into this giant place where we all put all our thoughts, complaints. It’s on the same app as white noise to help you sleep,” lamented Daily.
Last year, Dailey launched the “$10 Song Tour,” where he offered fans an unreleased song, “Cover of Clouds,” that was only available at live shows via a Discman with headphones at the merch table. This approach allowed fans to engage more deeply with the music, and Dailey was pleased with the results. The success of the $10 Song experiment ultimately inspired his decision not to release “Boys Talking” on streaming platforms.
“It really comes down to what my job is, and my job is connectivity, said Dailey. “And by saying I want you to have this and prioritize you first, the person who might come to the show and grab the record or go to Bandcamp and download it. I want you to feel special, like you have it, and it’s not in this ubiquitous space that we know is making us all a little bit more unhealthy.”
“It’s a model that I’m hoping other indie artists can adopt to protect not just their livelihood and their incomes, but the music and our relationship to each other with it.”
The live experience is an ancient experience, it is intrinsic to being human,” said Dailey. “I think for too long, music became a measurement of needing more and more and more; more popularity, more record sales – you know, way back – to more followers to more play counts now.”
“When in reality the strength comes from how you feel about it right now in the moment, I mean you’ve heard a song months and didn’t think much of it, but then you’re at a party with some friends and you hear it again, and you danced or you were in a car with a friend or you had the windows down and you were listening. And the song finally connected with you.”
We concur! Click here for more information on the upcoming show at The Parlour. Mary McAvoy opens.
Click here to purchase Boys Talking directly from Will Dailey.
