A Polite Request From I Don't Hear A Single

 

This week has seen a real spate of multiple repeat emails and messages about reviews and single playlisting. Some have been a little too passive aggressive which doesn't make me move any faster, quite the reverse. A few have been emailing daily, another artist has been messaging every other day. This problem has been growing and growing over the past few months. So I wanted to explain what we do. I Don't Hear A Single is primarily an Album Review site and can usually review about 20 albums a month except for the two 31 in 31 months. I get in roughly 200 a month and at least 50 of those would normally qualify for a review because I like 'em. 

It is pointless pushing and pushing for an immediate review as I have to deal with all that comes in and some that have been embargoed. I can get albums up to three months before release and they have to be slotted in where possible, I am a real fan of certain artists back to the ASH days and I would obviously want to tell people about them. I only review what I really rate and even if I've covered you before, it doesn't mean that I can give you priority. IDHAS is primarily about opening doors for the new and unappreciated artists. If there is a choice between someone who has been covered and not, I am gonna give priority to the latter.

I realised there was a weakness with how we covered Single songs and it didn't make sense to review individual songs. So I started the Listening To This Week solely for submissions and that has been incredibly popular with the once a week post. But that is completely over subscribed. Around 200 submissions arrive a week and with just a maximum of 17 slots a week, some people are going to be disappointed.  The LTTW is largely for artists that haven't been covered before. The IDHAS 10 Song Mix is completely different, it is solely my choice and closely related to the albums I review. No first time artists are generally covered on that.

I Don't Hear A Single gets around 25,000 views a month and so there is also the related emails and social media channel messages to deal with from that. I have also recently joined two Indie Music Panels and do work for a couple of Record labels. So there is little time to deal with impatience, aggression or mithering. I don't get angry about it, I just ignore it. Nothing is forgotten, if I like am album or single, it is put in a folder that I review at least daily, on most days multiple times. I will help anyone and everyone I can. I deliberately took a step back from every day social media to do this. But there are only so many hours in the day and music isn't my main job.

So please give me time. If I haven't responded, a gentle reminder is fine, but at least give me a few days. The success of I Don't Hear A Single is amazing considering it covers such a narrow remit. That's why I get so frustrated when people say there is no great new music. There obviously is as IDHAS proves. But I ask that people are patient and understanding to give me the space to do what I do. I do not want people to stop getting in touch, quite the reverse. I just hope that people will be patient.

........................................