In addition to the release of her record I Can Spin a Rainbow with Edward Ka-Spel, singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer released a ton of songs on her Patreon page, some of which were only accessible to her Patreon members. Palmer referred to each individual release as “Things,” and chronicled all 39 of these “Things” since 2015 on her Patreon page and official website. “I figured it’d be nice to wrap everything up in a this-year-retrospective,” she wrote, “especially for those who’ve only just joined and want to do some catch up.”
The first “Thing” of 2017 was released in January, called “Floating in a Cocktail Glass.” According to Palmer, the track is “a strange little out-take song i wrote inspired by an unknown long-dead woman’s poem (thanks jason webley), and a weird little underwater music video to go along with it.”
The second “Thing” of 2017 was a for-Patreon-members-only podcast episode in conversation with Missy Higgins, followed by an animated video for the track “The Clock at the Back of the Cage,” from I Can Spin a Rainbow with Edward Ka-Spel.
The album was released in May, featuring Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots and Patrick Q. Wright on violin, recorded at Imogen Heap’s house in Sussex, UK, with the live in London audio following a month later for Patreon members. “We hired a super-pro webcast team and the quality came out gorgeously” Palmer wrote. “I am incredibly proud of this album, which was written from scratch by me and my songwriting hero… I hope you love it as much as we loved creating it.” Peep the album artwork below:
Following the album release, the music video for “Grown Man Cry” was released in July 2017, that was “a super-new-wave-inspired video that” reminded Palmer of “lost 120-minutes/depeche mode MTV era.” “It also employed a ton of Australian actors and crew,” she added, “which made me happy.”
After the album rollout process, Amanda Palmer wrote “Drowned in the Sound,” a song she described as “one of the better songs I’ve written in ages,” with all proceeds going towards The Texas Diaper Bank for Hurricane Harvey Relief. “We raised $7k,” Palmer wrote, “which felt hugely poetic given the hurricane and the powerlessness in the face of it had been one of the main song ingredients.” It “was written as a two-day songwriting exercise on august 29th and 30th, 2017, using input/inspiration/comments from over 600 patrons,” She added. “It wound up being a response to the insanity of internet politics melded with the recent total eclipse and the devastation of hurricane harvey….and, y’know…other stuff.” “Drowned in the Sound” was followed by a flurry of other singles, with the release of “Small Hands, Small Heart,” “The Ride,” for Patreon members only, and “In Harm’s Way.” Listen to all three songs below:
Amanda Palmer then released a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Mother,” accompanied by a music video, with “10% of profits from this 7” record,” going “to a dutch NGO called Because We Carry.” She also recorded another Patreon-members-only live show with Jherek Bischoff live from the Union Chapel in London. Watch the video for “Mother” below:
Jherek returned to help Palmer with the last two “Things” released in December, the Patreon-members-only release of the songs “How Would You Like to Play God” and “Labyrinth.”
Will all of those “Things” and more, Amanda Palmer also promises more “Things” by the end of the year, to be released “when it’s ready.” “thank you from the bottom of my heart on behalf of all of us here at team AFP,” she concluded, “you are everything, and without you and your support – NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.” “Here’s to MANY MORE THINGS IN 2018, MY LOVES!!!!!! I’ve already got an art-list as long as my fuckin arm and then some. there is no stopping this bitch.”
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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