Weird Al Yankovich has a new album out (it’s pretty epic) and he sat down to talk with Tim Siedell about technology and the future of music.
It’s nice to hear about Al’s creative process (“Back in the ‘80s when I was writing “I Want a New Duck” and “Living With a Hernia,” I had to go to the West Hollywood branch of the Los Angeles public library and check out books on ducks and hernias… because even with my stupidest songs, I do research.”) and what he thinks of YouTube:
The Internet has been a double-edged sword for people in the music business. In this post-Napster world, a new generation has grown up thinking that all music is free for the taking, which doesn’t exactly help artists’ sales numbers. But at the same time, the Internet is an incredible promotional tool—with a little marketing skill, you can make millions of people aware of your wonderful new album that they’re most likely just going to download for free anyway.