2020, what happened? Grants controversy. Welcome to Ballsgrove was deadly. Here goes!...

How’s things? It’s nearly December! How fast did 2020 go?! We might think about the state of the attic before we look for the decorations. That might make us wait another week! 

I’ve had a lucky year so far. In my workplace during the Lockdown 1.0 the COVID situation split our production teams to a “week on week off” arrangement so the “team off” could be drafted in if somebody contracted the virus. It ended up giving me an abundance of time back in March and April. This time gave me a chance to take a good look at myself and realise I needed to work a little bit harder in every way!

You probably have noticed I had a tendency to rush songs / ideas / videos out during Lockdown 1.0 ? Not so much anymore! In late April I became a Daddy! And little twins Ava and Erin have gifted their Daddy with patience - something he never had. This has been a humbling, tough and gradual change which has benefited my life.

Then Welcome to Ballsgrove happened. It’s still happening! National airplay, UK airplay and loads of people getting in touch. And yes there was the usual stone walling from some of the trendier, tastemaker or wannabe tastemaker press people but overall an amazing few weeks where you all supported me 100% along with loads of new people. Thanks again for this it was sound. 

Next now is another single which I haven’t committed a release date to for a few reasons. One is I am depending on you folks to crowdfund the new album with some pre-orders on Bandcamp. And of course your support of the rescheduled launch show on 13th December. (see the link below).

The other reason for not confirming a single in 2021 is because a lot of full time (or wannabe full time!) Artists have been holding off recording projects in order to get a slice of the recent Irish Government funding for the Arts. All these funded projects will be releasing early next year. So it will be crowded! 

You might ask why didn’t I go for funding? I felt - for this new album Welcome to Ballsgrove - that although I could well have applied I would feel terrible if I got funding over an artist who is struggling to get on their feet because they can’t “gig up” the funds. In fact I would be disgusted at myself. 

Look I will fund this album early next year by hook or by crook. Thankfully I have another income. I can just have a lean Xmas for myself and look after everyone else! These are the prices I pay in order to bring music to you. Yes - I feel foolish  sometimes especially when people say “why are you spending money when you never get it back?!”. But staying the course has become more important than ever to me. It’s a labour of love. 

Thanks for reading, 

Seán Mathews  

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