I feel your pain only too well. I have to try and figure out how much or little the artists is willing to put in, and then do the rest myself, without passing myself off as them. They often start off with great intentions, which fade fast. But then there’s the special ones (like Imogen Heap), who continue to produce great content (art in itself you could argue).

I can see why some artists want nothing to do with this crazy internet world, where everyone is telling everyone else everything, all of the time. But unfortunately this is the way of the world today, or at least the world a large proportion of the music buying demographic (horrible terms I know!) live in, so you can either join them, or ignore them at your (commercial) peril.

I think this is more important if you’re an emerging artist. Fans looking for ‘new’ music expect a certain level of interaction and access to artists nowadays, where as more established acts have their history/legacy to keep people content. Maybe they feel they’ve ‘given’ enough in the past whilst emerging themselves and once they’re a massive established act they don’t feel obliged to provide such a level of interaction/access? And maybe their fans feel that way too?

Like you, I probably spend too much time thinking about this.

In all seriousness, this is fucking shit.

I guess they’re removed said machines from the underground in case terrorists plant explosives mars bars in them?