Damien Jurado has fully embraced the digital behemoth as a delivery method for his music. In an era when vinyl, t-shirts, and touring are said to be the economic engine for artists, Jurado has doubled down on the value of his own work. In recent years, Jurado, an acclaimed singer/songwriter with an impressive catalog that spans more than 25 years, has taken to releasing his work in a digital format via Bandcamp and then eventually, to streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music.
As a truly independent artist, this approach has allowed Jurado to work much more quickly and more efficiently as he releases his new work. By distributing solely in a digital format, Jurado doesn’t incur the hefty costs and lengthy wait times of vinyl production. And surprisingly, he has seen his fans invest more heavily in digital releases than they do in the releases that are also available on vinyl or CD.
As a music lover who has spent a life collecting vinyl records and glorifying physical media, I was fascinated by Jurado’s pragmatism and his results. We dove deep into the real costs, both economic and environmental, of making physical products like vinyl and Compact Discs. Jurado shares his path from hardcore to the life of an acoustic singer/songwriter, while even offering up a bit of advice to budding young songwriters.
Let’s get into it.
Cheers,
Matty C
