Pre-Release

Like most people my age, twenty+ years ago I bought most, if not all the music I listened to by wandering around record stores flipping through the bins. Ah, disposable income! These days, that’s a rarer experience, but perhaps I appreciate it more now when such opportunities do arise.

Speaking for myself, special editions and signed copies have proven to be an easy win to convince me to part with a few hard-earned dollars to do a good thing and support my favorite artists properly. Like Kathleen Edwards, Wilco, or Hannah Georgas, all of whom I’ve picked up special editions or signed copies from.

Although I miss some of the serendipity of physically digging around in a store, picking up an album direct from the artist feels like a little bit of a magical experience. One I feel good about — so maybe it’s a fair trade.