Nice of you to call! It’s been quite a while since the last time. No, I do understand: on your site were many shows in the North and the West. Great that they also book you in other states, really. Over in your town there are many clubs, but still….. We only see you very rarely that way and of course we do not travel that easily anymore. Besides: I wouldn’t dare to go out into the streets over with you at night. What you see about that on t.v., is it really that bad? It’s ashame that you don’t have fans over with us. Left the church choir, didn’t you?
What? You want to go back to the studio again? Record your third CD? Oh my child, what a great thing. Then you fínally have a record deal. Congratulations! You deserve it, you know: you’ve been slaving for such a long time already. I hope that you get a nice advance. That ís what it is called, an advance? You must have paid back the debt on your previous one by now. Great of Peter to help you with that. You don’t spend that much time with him anyway.
Oh……. He couldn’t stand that any longer? Strange, on the phone he was always very proud of you when you could get your band back together again for gigs. He seemed very fond of you. Didn’t fancy to keep you alive any more…. A whore a better investment still and less time-consuming? That is a bit straightforward for a lawyer. I’m lost for words. What will daddie say about that?
Another self-released album, in other words. This time famous musicians will join you, you say? So they play for free, I suppose? Yes, maybe they will indeed spin you on the radio this time, but who is still listening anyway? Wouldn’t it be an idea for you to do it on the side? You did not finish that fance degree for nothing way back then, did you? Lénd, from us? Again? Because you might make a year list in Hólland? Isn’t that a town in Michigan?
Published in Dutch roots music magazine Heaven no. 70, January-February 2011/no. 1
This column was heavily inspired by Kirsten Thien’s excellent recent album Delicious, but its contents is completely fictional. The only elements that are true are that Delicious is Kirsten Thien’s third album, that some reputed blues musicians play on it and that Thien has a degree in finance.
The column is meant as a tribute to all independent artists that keep on keeping on against all odds and honours their perseverance and determination.