Wild release: Making albums for audiences in a short-form economy

The importance of making full length albums has been questioned in light of recent changes in the music industry, and there have been a variety of responses on the part of artists and labels. Many of these responses have been highly specific, and may not lend themselves to being scaled up effectively or to innovative ways of rethinking the relationship between artists and fans. Here I make the case that responses thus far are lacking, and point to the need for more broadly applicable and sustainable response techniques. Using a practice-led research project, I seek out such response techniques. I explore three modes of practice: creating a release and distribution experiment; creating a set of aesthetic musical rules; and creating a character for performance. I detail new operational knowledge in the form of narrative tools each mode of practice has uncovered, demonstrating the potency of using narrative tools in order to (re)engage audiences with the album as a musical form.