On Albums, EPs, Singles, and Rough Demos

Last month, I wanted to engineer a way to help me create/post more art and tell more stories. I love traipsing around in styles and themes; I find it difficult staying in one lane.

After working and practicing for five years, I realized I often circle back to different concepts. Over winter break, I decided that I would do a concept-a-month -- I would have the freedom to create anything, but I would focus and post ONLY that style or concept for the month. I even created the calendar. It was the perfect plan, until it wasn't. It was actually me just painting myself into a corner. And alas, if you look at January, you never did see any robots, did you?

Here's the thing though: I love music. I 🧡 the idea of concept albums. The Demberists's "Hazards of Love," Green Day's "American Idiot," and Anaïs Mitchell's "Hadestown" all come to mind. The obsession with Taylor Swift's "eras" is on point. Each album has a different sound, look and feel.

So, I thought...how could a non-musican visual artist, like myself, use the idea of albums, of LPs and EPs, of singles, remixes and rough demos? The past couple of weeks, I've been letting this idea spool in my mind -- tangle and untangle.

I asked myself: Why can't I create albums? Why can't I drop a new single? Why couldn't I create an LP of art, or do a bunch of remixes and call that an EP? If a polished piece of digital art has been through the studio, who's to say some pencil drawing can't be my rough demo?

Often, when I create, I hover over a style or subject for a while and then switch. I add those ideas and practices to my tool box and often revisit them later.

As an artist, I want to be more intentional with those pieces so they're honored. Like a musician, I, too, want to release albums. To drop a single. To remix tried-and-true pieces. To create album artwork and liner notes.

So, as I stand on this stage accepting my Grammy, I'm here to tell you that I've been working on my first album of 2024. It's almost done, and it will be titled "They Know Not What They Do."