US songsmith Derek Webb makes latest 'Mockingbird' album available for free download
AMERICAN singer/songwriter Derek Webb, whose controversial
'Mockingbird' album was released recently in the UK through
Integrity-Provident, has taken the radical step of making his album
available online completely free. Said Webb, "I love music. I have
grown up with music as a close confidant. And I believe in the power
of music to move people. There's something remarkable about the way a
melody can soften someone to a new idea. As an artist (and often an
agitator), this is something I am keenly aware of. My most recent
record 'Mockingbird' deals with many sensitive issues including
poverty, war, and the basic ethics by which we live and deal with
others. But I found that music has been an exceptional means by which
to get this potentially difficult conversation going. And this is
certainly an important moment for dialogue amongst people who disagree
about how to best love and take care of people, to get into the
nuances of the issues. One of the things that excites me most about
the future of our business is how easy it is becoming to deliver music
to people who want to hear it. I heard a story once about Keith Green
caring so much that people were able to hear and engage with his music
that he gave it away for free, which was a very difficult and
expensive thing to do at that time. It's actually never been as simple
as it is today to connect music with music fans. And I want people to
have a chance to listen to mockingbird and engage in the conversation.
So this is why, on September 1st, we're launching freederekwebb.com, a
place where anyone can go online and not just hear but actually
download, keep, and share 'Mockingbird' completely for free."