Brave or stupid? (big news!)
This might be very stupid.
In 7 days time I am going to cancel all 235 recurring payments attached to my subscription membership site, The Correspondent’s Club.
After 5 full years of working full-time as a maker of my own music and videos, I am going to voluntarily reduce my regular income to zero.
In a landscape where making a living on the internet is a dream for so many, why on earth would I do this to myself?
This is one of those moments in life where I am clinging to that equally terrifying and reassuring quote: “leap and the net will appear”.
On 29th March 2024, I’m moving my Correspondent’s Club to Patreon.
And as someone who values independent music – I hope you’ll come with me.
Tap here to register your interest – and read on for more!
WHAT YOU GET:
Since my club started in 2019, members have received 18 bundles of music, stories, photos and artwork, made up of:
• 101 audio files – a mix of songs, demos, rarities, live performances, podcast style voicemail recordings delivered on beautiful vinyl-effect CDs and download
• 18 zines packed with stories, photos and artwork (printed or PDF)
• plus postcards, bookmarks and stickers
I share my writing, photographs and artwork, plus song demos, rarities, exclusive live tracks and podcast stories, and over time these CD and zine bundles have become embedded in my album making process. It’s very satisfying to see this little stack growing!
You also receive: weekly Airmail messages, monthly Voicemail or Facemail recordings, previews of everything I make, first access to pre-orders and, depending on the tier you choose, complimentary downloads of all Penfriend releases, your name in the album credits, your name at the end of every YouTube video, bespoke merch, and money off in my shop.
And there will be more – all will be revealed on launch day, 29th March.
In return, Correspondents have supported the making of:
• 2 studio albums (“Exotic Monsters” and “One In A Thousand”)
• 233 YouTube videos, including 9 official music videos
• and 50 podcast episodes
…so far! That’s a lot of stuff. Thank you!
The music industry can be a pretty shady place, and without financial backing from labels it’s incredibly difficult to create music at a professional level, let alone make a living doing so. The Correspondent’s Club has freed me from any requirements to play any game other than my own – which is simply to make the most truthful music I can and share it directly with the people who might enjoy it.
No games, no bullshit, no way.
Remember when I changed my artist name from She Makes War to Penfriend in 2020, after 11 years of releasing music and touring? That felt scary too, but I’ve never regretted it. We have to act on what we think is right.
What else is there?
So, why the move to Patreon?
Because life is too short to reinvent the wheel.
For the past 4 years I’ve been running my membership using a WordPress plugin which comes with a surprising amount of extra admin, during which time Patreon have been consistently improving their platform.
I’m better off spending time writing music rather than wrangling extra spreadsheets, and as an enthusiastic subscriber to several other artist’s Patreon clubs, I’m a fan.
The Correspondent’s Club is an idea that reaches beyond me, and beyond whichever platform it currently lives on. It’s about people, connection, creativity and empathy.
The Correspondent’s Club has not only changed my life as an artist, but has become a joyful space for my members to connect with each other over their shared passions.
It’s really lovely!
I’ll admit, writing the sentence “In 7 days time I am going to cancel all 235 recurring payments attached to my monthly subscription club” makes me feel a little bit sick, but I know it’s the right thing to do.
I’d always rather regret the things I have done than the things I haven’t.
So…are you with me?
Click here to register your interest and you’ll get access to a special, limited edition joining offer. I’ll send you more info next week before the Patreon goes public.
Thanks for reading, and have an excellent day!
Love,
Laura xxx
Penfriend / She Makes War / Obey Robots
Este o decizie curajoasa si poate parea foarte nebuneasca, dar sunt convinsa ca ai o motivatie puternica pentru aceasta actiune. Este impresionant sa iti asumi riscul de a renunta la venitul tau regulat, mai ales intr-o lume in care multi isi doresc sa faca bani pe internet. Cred cu tarie in citatul “saritura si plasa va aparea” si sunt convinsa ca vei avea o experienta valoroasa prin aceasta schimbare. Este interesant sa observ cum ai evoluat de-a lungul anilor si cum ai reusit sa iti construiesti un loc in industria muzicala independenta. Este admirabil faptul ca ai avut curajul sa iti schimbi numele de artist si sa renunti la niste reguli impuse de industrie pentru a-ti urma propria viziune si a crea muzica autentica.
Thank you!