The times have been-a-changin' for awhile now in the music business.  It amazes me, actually, how much things have changed since I first started making music.  At 21 years old, I would have given my left arm for a major record deal (although I wouldn't have gotten it with a missing arm!).  At that point, I was independent only because I wasn't getting any bigger offers - and I was too stubborn to quit.  I just learned as I went along, making mistakes, getting out on the road, and just trying whatever I could think of to get my music heard.  All I had at times was that inner voice telling me that I had a purpose in life and it was to make music.  There was loads of rejection, hundreds unreturned phone calls, lots of bouts with depression and hopelessness, but I just kept getting up and doing what I had to do.  Sometimes, I would consider giving up, but I saw a miserable life without music.  I had to keep going.

Now, I understand that not getting that deal has worked out well for me.  Sure, it was a lot more work along the way, but that work has turned out to be well-worth the reward.  It made me work harder as a songwriter, dig deeper as a human being, and it forced me to learn just about every aspect of the business.  I have been a booking agent, a publicist, a marketing and salesperson, a manager, a fan-club president...and I still wear all those hats from time to time.  I had to make all my "connections" on my own, and as a result, I find myself surrounded by good people who I genuinely like and care about.  People I call friends....these are the people I work with.  It's more fun that way.

I am extremely grateful to own all of my own publishing and all of my master recordings, and have the creative control to go exactly wherever I want to go with my career.  Being independent has never felt so good...and yet there are so many options and possibilities now with how to get my music out there.  I am one of the most prolific writers I know.  I am always writing songs - and now, I am always recording new songs as well.  The standard until recently was that an artist puts out a 10-song record (give or take a few songs) every year or 2 years - and when there is a single, it's on that record.   I write and record so many songs that I want people to hear - and they can be stylistically so different, that they wouldn't BELONG on one record.  So I have been asking myself lately, how can I release all these songs and make them available to purchase as singles, and NOT create confusion over whether the song will be on my upcoming record? 

There are so many ways to release music these days - and independent artists are coming up with creative ways all the time.  I love the concept of full-length records (I still call them "records" :)) - and as most of you know, I have one coming out this summer - "Thirty-Nine".  Records are an art-form that I hope never dies - yet, this is a singles-driven society we live in.  And the artist must adapt.  As a working songwriter, content is king.  If I want to keep people interested in what I am doing - if I want to have a career - I need to be putting out new material all the time.   Which means I need to put out the songs I write (at least some of them) - pretty much as soon as I write them - to increase the chances of film/tv placements, to increase the chances of getting "cuts", and also - just because I WANT to keep things fresh and interesting, for me and for you.

I wanted to let my fans know the songs that will be on "Thirty-Nine", so that it will be absolutely clear to you what you are getting when you buy that project.  As for other new music, I do plan to post demos and other new recordings more regularly - and to make these "singles" available to purchase on Bandbox - at www.jenfoster.com in the "Shop" section.   I encourage you to set up an account at Bandbox to make it easy to get these songs - I won't be selling them through Itunes as singles, as it would be chaotic dealing with that process on such a regular basis :).  But "Thirty-Nine" will be on Itunes when it is released - and available lots of other ways, as well.  Come to a show this summer and I'll sign one for you :)..

Here are the songs that will be on "Thirty-Nine"...

1.  "Sunday Drive"  

2.  "Everything Rewinds Me" 

3.  "A Little Help"  

4.   "Last Call"  

5.   "Red-Handed"  

6.   "Venice Beach" 

7.   "Nobody Talks About Tuesday" 

8.   "Closer To Nowhere" 

9.   "You Wreck Me"  

10.  "Poet"  

Bonus Track:

     "Taking Bob Dylan (Revisited)"