If an album drops in the forest…

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This article was published 19/05/2020 (2268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg country singer David James put out an new six-song EP on March 13, but don’t fret if you missed out.

“You know, it’s a really great strategy to release a new album the day a pandemic is declared,” jokes the performer, who was named the 2019 male artist of the year by the Manitoba County Music Association.

“Everybody’s minds were elsewhere.”

James’s six-song EP, If I Were You, has given the Winnipeg artist a front-row seat to witness the world’s music industry take a COVID-19 nosedive. The publicity that comes with a new record has mostly been silenced by advice on handwashing, social distancing and curve-flattening.

As for concerts that help drum up record sales, well, forget about it. Even Bob Dylan’s so-called Neverending Tour is on hiatus.

James’s new record was, and may still one day be, his next step on the country music trail. But instead of building on the success of a 75-concert 2019 tour with Aaron Pritchett and his single All the Time — which has collected 1.3 million streams online and has a video that got airplay on CMT in the United States — he’s waiting out the pandemic in Bridgwater, wondering when he’ll perform before fans again.

“You know, it’s a really great strategy to release a new album the day a pandemic is declared.”
– David James

In some ways, his life is imitating the cover of If I Were You, which shows James looking into the distance from behind a chain-link fence.

“It’s a little deflating,” he says. “We’ve cancelled all the way to the end of the year. We’re looking ahead to 2021. Some festivals are already starting to work on their lineups.”

Grant Davidson, the man behind indie-roots band Slow Leaves, can sing a similar tune. His album, Shelf Life, came out April 3, but instead of going out on tour — which would have included an appearance at the now-cancelled 2020 Winnipeg Folk Festival — he’s building a deck at his home in St. Vital and looking out for his 10-year-old son.

“No question, releasing a record without tour dates, that’s the bread and butter of every release. Everything else gets piggybacked off that,” says Davidson, who saw concert dates across Canada for April and May wiped out by restrictions against public gatherings.

The advance of streaming services has shrunk record sales for most artists in the past several years. These days, a new album or a hot single helps promote concert tours, which have become the main revenue generator for artists and record labels.

The recording industry is a bit of a machine, says the Slow Leaves mastermind, and decisions on when a record is to be released are made months in advance for maximum effect. For those heading out on tour in the summer, putting out a record in the spring starts the momentum.

Despite bad timing, Davidson has to believe that Shelf Life will have a shelf life.

“A record release represents, to me, two years of writing, recording and mixing the songs the way I like them,” he says. “That’s the most heartbreaking part.”

That said, Davidson also sees the big picture. A recording career put on hold pales in comparison to the suffering that COVID-19 has caused, including a global death toll that has surpassed more than 319,000 people, he says.

“I’m definitely not alone,” he says. “The bigger context is everyone is affected. People are losing their jobs. I’m not trying to get undue sympathy.”

So what are these musicians doing with all their spare time?

“Besides brooding?” Davidson says with a chuckle, adding he’s tried out livestreaming songs to devoted followers online.

James has held off on livestreaming, for now.

“It was pretty saturated with all the people doing it,” he says. “But we’re looking at different things online, maybe even a full band (in the future).”

“I’m definitely not alone. The bigger context is everyone is affected. People are losing their jobs. I’m not trying to get undue sympathy.”
– Grant Davidson

Instead of spending his spare time in Nashville, James is in Winnipeg, and like so many other people during the pandemic, he has found spending time with family has come up roses.

“It’s much safer here,” he says. “My mom’s a florist and I got to chip in during Mother’s Day week. She was happy to see me home for a change.”

What’s next for the two artists remains a big question mark. Davidson has a European tour for October and November in his schedule, but he says the future of those shows is out of his hands.

‘It’s stressful, obviously. I try not to think about it too much,” he says. “I won’t be surprised if it gets cancelled, but I hope that it doesn’t… It basically comes down to the government policy at that point.”

Then there’s the biggest question mark of all: will fans come back and rub shoulders with each other at festivals, arenas or nightclubs to hear their favourite artists? James says country music fans are supportive, but he is unsure about live music’s future without a COVID-19 treatment or vaccine.

Davidson feels the same way.

“What will be the psychology of the people at that time?” he says.

alan.small@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter:@AlanDSmall