It’s no secret that the pandemic has had adverse effects on our favorite musicians and artists alike; this has led to many artists speaking out against how the music industry and streaming services make a profit while the artists themselves struggle to keep up. In an industry where live performance is necessary to keep the lights on–but has been near impossible for over a year—it’s understandable to begin to wonder how such a system was ever allowed. For Ian Janes, this was a challenge to meet head-on.
Episode 5 is the latest album from the singer-songwriter—and you might be surprised to not find it on any streaming services. This full-length release is available only on his Bandcamp. The digital album can be bought and downloaded for $10, for $30 you can buy Episode 5 with its’ accompanying 32-page book that includes the lyrics for each track, photos, and even origin stories for how tracks came to be.
“You’ve likely seen many articles about artists pushing for better compensation for our recorded music, and our reliance on live shows to generate income… This project is my response to that challenge. I sought to create something special and valuable that I could sell, that would also be a more feasible way for me to be able to continue to create and share music with all of you,” writes Janes in an Instagram post about the project’s release.
That being said, Episode 5 could certainly hold its own as an album all by itself. Janes describes the project as “a collection of pop songs that have been deeply influenced by soul, R&B, and Jazz” and on this promise, Janes does certainly deliver. Any fans of artists like Vulfpeck and John Mayer are in for a treat. Each track offers a refreshing amount of variety while staying true to the influences and sound of the record.
Whether it’s the slow and atmospheric tracks like “Everything Right” and “Vital Signs,” to the ridiculously fun and catchy “Amnesia” and “Shouldn’t be Calling You,” this project checks all the boxes of a quintessential R&B record. With the possibility of a “one-shot” summer on the horizon (fingers crossed)—anyone looking for a new album of the summer should look no further than Episode 5.
Janes set out to address an issue within the music industry and did so by offering more than a great music experience. If this project comes to mean anything to you, it offers the opportunity to delve deeper into that project, while also giving additional support to the artist. Janes concludes the album’s announcement with a note on streaming services: “Just to give you an example of how much your purchase means to me… It would take 7500 streams to generate the $30 you pay for one book/album bundle.”