As August gives way to September, change is in the air: students prepare to go back to school; t-shirts and shorts are replaced by sweaters and jeans; the grim spectre of responsibility, kept at bay by sunshine and patios, fixes its unforgiving grimace on us all once again. Here at The WholeNote, however, a new light has been lit to help you negotiate the coming months of darkness: The WholeNote EP Review.
“But what,” you might ask, “is The WholeNote EP Review?”
The WholeNote EP Review will be a new online series dedicated to the celebration of the EP, a release format that has seen an increased presence in the creative music community over the past few years. For myriad reasons – logistical, financial, artistic – EP production is booming, and we’d like to pay this welcome trend the attention it deserves.
“I’m confused,” you say. “I thought The WholeNote already did reviews, both in print and online. How is this different?”
You’re correct: The WholeNote publishes reviews of full-length albums, both in print and online. If you are releasing an album, please contact David Olds at DISCoveries (discoveries@thewholenote.com) and submit it for review. If you are releasing an EP, however, please submit it to me here, at epreview@thewholenote.com. Please note that your EP must be available online, in one form or another, for fans to purchase and/or stream.
“But,” you say, “My next project, while not a full-length album, is also not quite an EP. It may be a series of videos, or one long suite, which I have titled ‘Marigold.’ Also, what exactly does ‘creative music’ mean? It sounds deliberately vague.”
You’re correct again: the term “creative music” is deliberately vague, but only because we wish to cast a wide net. If you are releasing an EP or similar project featuring jazz, contemporary/classical, improvised music, new music, vocal, instrumental, electronic, or, really, anything that exists slightly left of the Billboard Hot 100, please send it in. All submissions will be considered, although not all will be selected.
“Excellent,” you say, beaming. “I will send in my project right away. What format do you prefer?”
Generally, we’d like to have a listen in advance of your release – though recently released EPs are also worth submitting! A private streaming playlist (on SoundCloud, for instance) works best; download links (on DropBox or other file-sharing services) can also work, although streaming is preferred. When in doubt, just contact us.
“Great,” you exclaim, smiling. “I’m excited, both as a musical artist and as a reader of The WholeNote.”
Glad to hear it! So are we.
Please send all submissions/questions/comments to epreview@thewholenote.com.
Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, on Instagram and on Twitter.
