What is an album, exactly?

We’re going to be spending a little time in August laying out the foundations for our next album. It’s been pretty long overdue, but we’ve definitely managed to hit our share of road bumps along the way. We’ve got a batch of new songs that we’re very excited about and we’re working on new ones every day.

Recording an album is my most favorite and least favorite thing to do in the world. When it comes down to brass tacks, though, there really is nothing like having a finished artifact of everybody’s hard work. 

However, a huge question mark arises when you pause to consider how people consume music these days. When we released DISASTERS in 2010, just barely over a year ago, most people still listened to CDs in their cars, homes, etc. We thought we did a good job putting the packaging together, we were able to sell a good handful, but then something happened. Over the course of the last year it’s become pretty clear that less and less people are buying CDs. Even the most optimistic news has sales of CDs down by 6.5%. 

So what is an album, exactly? The definition seems to shift from year to year now, so people outside on the fringes like us have to be constantly aware of what people are listening to, lest we find ourselves saddled with things people don’t want. I think the key now is a combination of releasing a very special physical product (like a deluxe 180-gram LP) and having it coincide with a digital release. Both have to hit hard on the very same day. This way you can still build up that all-important momentum to a release without the digital spoiling it. The obvious hurdle here is getting a release date from people like iTunes et al. 

What I’m trying to say, circuitously as I am, is look for Black Water to release their as-yet-untitled second album digitally in the first quarter of 2012. This will coincide with a corresponding vinyl release (either a single 12” or 2 x 10”) on the same day, complete with some hot packaging, a digital download card, and maybe a couple of sweet bonus items!