While I'm busy working on too many secret projects, I've got a couple fun notes to drop here...

My album featured on the Subvert.fm home page

I was sharing with someone that Subvert.fm hit 29k members (wow), and I discovered that our current home page grid now features my own album, The future isn't what it used to be., right there with Zoe Keating's recent soundtrack, and a ton of other incredible artists. Well that's quite fun.

I also noticed my fellow Portland, Maine local Alex Silver's experimental folk release on there. (It's the photo of the red-berry bush.)

As always, Subvert is the best place to support my music because there are no platform fees. And speaking of which...

I'll give you my album on Bandcamp when you buy it on Subvert.

Here's an idea to make supporting me on Subvert a win-win for everyone:

Until I run out of Bandcamp track/album codes, I'm giving one to anyone who 1) buys my album on Subvert and 2) sends me a request, so you can have my music in your library on both platforms. (I can only offer so many track/album codes for free, so that's the only reason for the limit.)

Thanks so much to syn.terra via nsigned.com for this thoughtful review.

Learning how songs and production are reflected through another's senses and mind is among the best parts of creating and sharing; and by never expecting it, I manage to be surprised and delighted anew each time.

From the review...​

"There’s a ragged vulnerability… a constant interplay of major and minor chords, which pulls the emotions like a boat on heavy seas… The musicianship is evident… refreshingly unusual chord patterns… You never know what feeling each song will create."​

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nsigned.com describes itself as "a music review site for small, DIY artists. The concept is that musicians can post their music, and other users can write up reviews that are published and displayed like an editorial site."

I love the concept so much that I paid it forward with my own review for another artist whose album I enjoyed quite a lot. If I write any more, you'll be able to see all of my reviews collected on my nsigned profile page.

I encourage you to get on the site and contribute to independent music culture!

After a nice break, I'm catching up with Round 5 of my responses to early listener questions about my debut album, The future isn't what it used to be.

This time I found myself addressing what is surely the most hilarious question I've received so far: If you listened to the record and wondered "did Tye have 'adult' thoughts on the mind when he wrote the lyrics for 'Lioness'?", well you're not alone, and this video contains your answer (which I will not spoil here).

Also in this video:

• A breakdown of the visual metaphors throughout the eleven release art covers (for the album and all ten singles)—especially fun for me, since visual design is another major pillar of my life.
• And finally, I only kind of answer a great question sent by my dad(!), instead going off on a tangent that I hope will still be a fun response in its own way.

In case you don't already know: I started this series by sharing the entire record early with friends and music enthusiasts I'm connected with, inviting their questions for me to answer to everyone. Now that the album is fully released, I'm still welcoming new questions from everyone else.

Please send me your own thoughts and followup questions!—in comments, DMs, email replies, etc.

I hope this continues to be a fun way to offer deeper insights about the record that I wouldn't have come up with on my own.

On August 27, 2024, I was beginning to seriously plan for the release of my recent debut solo effort, The future isn't what it used to be. Having always assumed that my primary digital storefront would be Bandcamp, I was wrestling with the lingering shock and disappointment that said music marketplace—once treasured stalwart of independent musicians worldwide—had been sold/acquired not once but twice within just two years, and shed well over 50% of its employees in the process. I wondered for the first time what viable alternatives to Bandcamp I might find if I tried.

The most compelling lead I encountered was an article discussing a nascent, artist/supporter-owned cooperative music platform called Subvert.fm. After exchanging a few emails, joining a video call with a handful of prospective cooperative members, and scrutinizing the propaganda, I soon found myself unwrapping a beautifully crafted, 134-page "zine/manifesto/business plan" outlining the "blueprint for a music marketplace owned and controlled by us all"—one resilient to the acquisitions of corporate greed that would seek to exploit and disenfranchise musicians and music fans, as they always have, through every iteration of the music industry.

(Later, during an early funding effort, Subvert's initial worker-member board would turn down $200,000 because a potential investor demanded a board seat—as compelling a commitment to its values as I could have wanted.)

A music marketplace owned by its community

Today, the Subvert.fm music marketplace finally, officially opened its doors to non-members—following roughly a year and a half of member-community forum engagement; healthy debate around features, policy and much more; our first all-member board election; and many months of alpha-platform testing and feedback.

I am proud to be member 432 of (as I write this) nearly 23,000 co-owners, and I sincerely hope you will join us, either as a music artist, as a label, or as a supporter of the creators whose work you love.

Right now, co-op member benefits include:

• Reduced member pricing on music, as set by artists and labels on each release.
• The right to vote in board elections and on major proposals.
• Access to the member forum, where member voices help shape Subvert and build community.
• Your own physical copy of the zine ($15 for artists and labels, whose memberships are free).

...and we're likely to see member benefits expand as the Subvert cooperative matures.

A music marketplace open to everyone

It's not just for members, of course. Even if you do not decide to join Subvert as a cooperative member, here are my top reasons for you to directly support music artists on Subvert:

• ‍You keep the music forever. Unlike accessing music via streaming platforms, choosing to directly support artists on music marketplaces like Subvert and Bandcamp means you own the music.

• Music artists earn more from your direct support on Subvert, thanks to 0% platform fees! While Bandcamp has a tradition of waiving their fees on particular Fridays, Subvert does not charge a fee on any day. (You can optionally contribute to the Subvert cooperative at checkout, and I hope anyone who can afford to will.)

• It's not an exclusive commitment to a particular platform. Not only can you download and then import your music purchases into other libraries/apps, but there's absolutely nothing stopping you from continuing to use other music platforms—even to listen to the same artist(s) you've supported on Subvert. Although...

• You might discover a lot of music on Subvert that you wouldn't find elsewhere. Discovery on Subvert is pretty rudimentary to start—which, for some, might even be appealing—but you're sure to stumble on music there that your typical recommendation algorithm would never show you, partly because it can't, as independent music artists are increasingly exiting streaming platforms. (As of now, I am still in both worlds, for the record.)

I'll likely continue to come up with more reasons and update this list as I do. Feel free to share your own favorite reasons.

Support independent music on Subvert

You can find and purchase all of my releases on Subvert.fm now. I intend to promote Subvert as my preferred storefront, though my music is still available elsewhere, too.

Questions you have about Subvert are likely answered in the FAQ and other documentation.

If you have any questions specific to me, or if you just want to share in the excitement, you're welcome to reach out!

Sincerely Ours,
Tye Newton

Hello dear humans,

As most of you surely know, The future isn't what it used to be., my very own debut album is finally, 100%, entirely, completely, thoroughly, wholly, totally, comprehensively, unquestionably released for you all to hear, front to back.

Please help me share it with the world—may it find many friendly ears on the heads of wonderful humans like you!

Among my favorite things about sharing music and songs is the conversations we have about them. Please join my email newsletter and send me your reactions, curiosities, and whatever comes up for you.

Ways to support independent music

If you enjoy the record and would like to monetarily support my music, for now the best way is simply buying the album (so you own it forever—no subscription attached). UPDATE 6/15/26: While Bandcamp is still a great option for this, Subvert.fm^[1] is my new preferred music marketplace; there, artists earn more per purchase and members pay less for many releases, including mine.

What about physical media?

If you would like to own a physical object commemorating the album, please share your thoughts on some ideas I'm considering:

• I would love to some day produce a physical music format like a vinyl record,
• but it could be less costly to produce something less traditional, like an art object with liner notes and QR code to access/redownload the record.
• How much would you be willing to pay for particular options?
  

In order to produce anything physical, I first need to research and verify that the demand is there. Let me know.

What's after The future isn't what it used to be.

Now that the record is released...

• I still have some ideas for making it even more special, which will need time, but I hope to share more soon. (Let me know what you'd like to see from me.)
• I'll likely slow the pace a bit with my newsletters.
• I'll also take my time with the rest of the Q&A video series.
• I'm looking forward to getting back to work on my next wave of backlogged songs, too, but that won't be right away.​
  

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[1] Subvert.fm is our nascent music marketplace, collectively owned by our artist and supporter members, so no opportunistic private corporation will ever acquire and disenfranchise our community. Subvert opened publicly to non-members on May 12, 2026, so now anyone can preview and buy music, supporting artist members on the platform!