Let's get excited about ... Kristin Hersh

Never heard of Kristin? Then you need to stop reading this very minute and go and listen to ‘Your Ghost’. I’ll still be here when you get back.

(3 minutes and 16 seconds later.) Sublime. Kristin is a sparkling gem of a musician who has been pioneering new ways to distribute her work online for the past few years. Instead of griping about the Interwebby connected world we live in, Kristin has embraced the potential of evolving technology to get her music out to a whole new audience.

Her band 50 Foot Wave launched their first EP as an online freebie about 5 years back – actively encouraging fans of her previous solo and Throwing Muses work to make copies and give them to friends. And most recently Kristin has been at the forefront of the CASH Music initiative – a non-profit organisation that offers expertise and open-source tools to musicians looking to harness digital distribution and promotion. Basically, it works as a great way for fans to directly support Kristin’s music through donations and word of mouth.

Through CASH Music, Kristin has been releasing a new song each month over the past two years – including cover art, lyrics, notes and works in progress. All content is free, though visitors can tip Kristin for each song, or pay an annual subscription to receive guest list passes, studio visits and a name-check on CD sleeves. Such is the feeling of connection this all inspires, that fans even came together to buy Kristin a new guitar when she most needed one. That’s the true potential of the Internet for those musicians who aren’t still stamping their feet and wishing it would all just go away.

Go have a listen to Kristin’s latest download from her new album ‘Crooked’ and tell me what you think.

Note: Photo by Dina Douglass.