Tune in for a potential trainwreck

Oct 24, 2018

Hello Love,

Do you ever get a hankering to watch something half-baked that could derail at any second? No, I'm not talking about your FaceBook feed. I'm talking about the weirdest promotional idea my record label has ever had.

Charlie Demers will host. He's going to interview my mom. Her name is Louise and she's a very nice lady. He will also interview Grant Lawrence. There will be a game show called MOOOOOORRREEE OOOOORRRR LEEESSSSS! There will be comedians. There will be a person eating an entire head of raw broccoli. I will play some songs. There will be roller skates. It will all be live. It will be on INSTAGRAM LIVE - which you can watch if you follow me on an app I just discovered called INSTAGRAM. I might have invented it, I'm not sure yet. The internet is confusing.

OCTOBER 28th // 1200 PST - 1500 EST - 1900 GMT // Instagram Live

The audience will be able to vote "More" or "Less" to whatever they see on the screen. If enough people vote LESS - we have to scrap whatever's happening and move on. If you vote MORE, then we have to continue the bit until it's well beyond funny or entertaining. I'm really excited about this!! It's going to be wild and unpredictable, and it seriously could fall apart at any moment.

WOULD YOU LIKE A TEST PRESSING OF MORE OR LESS?

When you manufacture vinyl LPs, they send you a couple of these test pressings so you can listen on your own system and make sure there aren't any weird noises or glitches or issues with the end compression, etc. - they send a couple to the artist and a couple to the label. Once you sign off on a test pressing, they put it into production. The OG vinyl. I don't even know how many of these exist, but my hunch is it's about six. I have one that I'm going to give away with a little contest.

I made a silly little video above, but the gist is that I'm going to sign it and package it up with a bunch of merch - all of my previous CDs (also signed), three out-of-print tee shirts and a toque. In order to get your name in "the hat", simply following these detailed instructions:

Message me on FaceBook messenger at
m.me/danmanganmusic
Dream big
Win big

Annnd that's it. The draw will happen on November 21st. Easy right? I might message you from time to time on messenger if I'm releasing a new song or video or announcing a show near you or something like that. As always, I want to respect peoples' inboxes and won't spam you with garbage. Also, I try to keep up with messages there (and on Instagram) so feel free to reach out any time.

I know, I know. You're sick of hearing about my new album More or Less (*cough* available everywhere NOVEMBER 2ND). Pretty soon, I'll have less reason to write so frequently.

I often get asked online or at shows, "What is the best way to help artists that I want to support?". Music is so disposable in 2018, and people are bombarded with options - what streaming service pays artists the most? Is buying at a record store better than online? Does the artist even get paid regardless of what I choose?

I've come up with a handful of general rules when it comes to supporting artists you like.

The absolute best thing you can possibly do is just talk about the band - to your friends, your co-workers, via social media, etc. Play it for people when they are over for dinner. My heart swells EVERY TIME I see somebody post a screenshot of one of my songs from Spotify or Apple Music or what have you. Labels spend lots of money trying to sell you things, but nothing is as potent as genuine enthusiasm. This makes all the difference in the world.
Buying a physical copy of an album is GREAT. Record stores are great. Asking your local record shop to order in an LP (or CD) puts it on their radar. Maybe they'll go ahead and order a couple copies? Maybe they'll play it in the store? Buying through record shops also supports small businesses and generates activity at a local level.
Buying directly online from an indie label or artist is also great. It cuts out hands in the pie and puts a bit more money in artists' pockets. Buying digital tracks is also helpful - which you can do from most indie labels or from Apple / iTunes. Whichever way you choose to buy music - thank you thank you, thank you. It all helps, and really it comes down to what is easiest and most fun for you. Choosing a method of purchase is less important than you knowing that you are a really, really good person who deserves a bowl of sugary cereal at whatever time of day you like, regardless of social conventions.
ALGORITHMS. It pains me slightly to even mention the word, but the truth is that every streaming platform relies on user data to figure out what is generating activity. FOLLOW or FAVE artists you like (for instance, here's my Spotify page), and when they release new music, PRE-ORDER, FAVE or SAVE that material, and then add it to playlists that you've made. All of these things help to let editorial staff know that they ought to add that material to official playlists, and it also helps for this music to algorithmically get in front of other people who have similar tastes as you.
Of course, going to live concerts and buying LPs, posters or a tee shirt is the most direct way to support artists. They will literally use that money to buy gas the next morning.

I'm so happy to announce the support acts for the Canadian (and a wee bit of USA) tour in Jan-Feb. I'll be joined in Eastern Canada by Matt Holubowski, in Montreal by Aliocha, then in Chicago and Minneapolis by J.E. Sunde, and in Western Canada by my Arts & Crafts labelmate La Force.

ANNNDD I'm just about to head off to Europe (and then DC and NYC) for this exciting tour with the incredible Laura Gibson - with which I'll be sharing a band. Laura is such a fine songwriter. Her new album GONERS is superb. It's going to be a very unique and one-time traveling family band kind of thing.

SHOWS

EU/UK

Nov 7. Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 8. Hamburg, DE @ Mojo w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 10. Weissenhauser Strand, DE @ Rolling Stone Weekender Festival | TICKETS
Nov 11. Cologne, DE @ Gebaeude 9 w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 12. Brussels, BE @ Rotonde / Botanique w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 13. London, UK @ Queen Elizabeth Hall w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 15. Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord (Tuinzaal) w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 16. Paris, FR @ Petit Bain w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 17. Europa-Park Rust @ Rolling Stone Park Festival | TICKETS
Nov 20. Zurich, CH @ Bogen F w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 22. Vienna, AT @ Blue Bird Festival | TICKETS
Nov 23. Dornbirn, AT @ Conrad Sohm w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 24. Prague, CZ @ Meet Factory w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS

NORTH AMERICA
Nov 26. Washington, DC @ DC9 w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS
Nov 27. Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade w/ Laura Gibson | TICKETS

Jan 23. St John's, NL @ George Street United Church w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Jan 24. Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Ballroom w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Jan 25. Moncton, NB @ Tide & Boar Gastropub w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Jan 26. Fredericton, NB @ Shivering Songs Festival w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Jan 28. Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount w/ Aliocha | TICKETS
Jan 29. Ottawa, ON @ Algonquin Commons Theatre w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Jan 31. Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Feb 1. Hamilton, ON @ New Vision United Church w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Feb 2. Waterloo, ON @ Maxwell's w/ Matt Holubowski | TICKETS
Feb 4. Chicago, IL @ Schuba's w/ J. E. Sunde | TICKETS
Feb 5. Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry w/ J. E. Sunde | TICKETS
Feb 6. Winnipeg, MB @ The Garrick w/ La Force | TICKETS
Feb 7. Saskatoon, SK @ Broadway Theatre w/ La Force | TICKETS
Feb 8. Edmonton, AB @ Winspear Centre w/ La Force | TICKETS
Feb 9. Calgary, AB @ The Palace Theatre w/ La Force | TICKETS
Feb 12. Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theatre w/ La Force | SOLD OUT
Feb 13. Kelowna, BC @ Kelowna Community Theatre w/ La Force | TICKETS
Feb 14. Victoria, BC @ Alix Goolden Hall w/ La Force | TICKETS

Thanks, as always, for your ears and your eyes. Your support means the world.

Much love,

x
Dan

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