Bobbyisms: Protest the Hero charting new waters with EP

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: CHRIS PREYSER
Protest the Hero has released an EP called Pacific Myth, where you get six songs over six months for a single payment of $12.

I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. I’ll be sad when 2015 draws to a close because it’s been a great year of celebrating the longevity of music I love as album after album has reached their 10th birthday.

The period from 2005 to 2007 is one I revisit a lot, a rich time that saw a major move away from pop music as artists across genres began to hit their creative stride and release career albums.

Good news if you’re feeling nostalgic for 2005, progressive–metal stalwarts Protest the Hero have entered the fold, taking their groundbreaking debut album Kezia on the road in honour of its milestone year.

Performing at the London Music Hall on Dec. 3 with Mandroid Echostar, the band is marking the anniversary with their original lineup, playing the album in its entirety.

While they’ll certainly have their hands full on the road, Protest the Hero have also chosen this as the perfect time to test the waters with brand new music and a game– changing business model that could change the way that artists produce music moving forward.

Submitted for your consideration, Protest the Hero have launched a new subscription series EP called Pacific Myth, six songs to be released over six months, delivered neatly on the 15th of each month from October to March.

Using Bandcamp’s newly unveiled subscription platform, the group has created an EP for special delivery directly to fans in exchange for a one–time fee.

“It’s just a breath of fresh air,” explained guitarist Tim MacMillar in a phone interview. “You need to break away from whatever you’ve done in the past; we felt a little stagnant just doing the same thing, so for us it’s new and exciting.”

So far, the project would appear to be a resounding success; the band includes MacMillar with vocalist Rody Walker and guitarist Luke Hoskin, and the rhythm section of Mike Ieradi and touring bassist Cam McLellan. They have already collected over 4,200 subscribers after the October single “Ragged Tooth” and November’s single “Tidal”.

Fans have shown in the past that they are as supportive as they are devoted. The band funded their most recent full–length album, 2013’s Volition, with a successful campaign on Indiegogo. Fan support pushed the band past its $125,000 goal in the first day, going on to raise over $340,000 for the project.

“When you’re going into something like [Pacific Myth], you really have no idea how it is going to be received,” MacMillar said. “To us, the most important thing is that the people that are a part of it feel like they’re valued and get something out of it.”

Pacific Myth represents a big shift in thinking when it comes to releasing music, and in particular is driving the conversation on two interesting points.

On one hand, the idea of a subscription series of music makes one realize how album–centric the industry can be. The EP will receive a more traditional release down the road, but will have to be grouped together as an album to observe traditional formats, or even to appear unified on streaming services like Rdio or Spotify.

On the other hand, the EP also adds new perspective to the value of music. When you break it down, Pacific Myth costs $2 per song/ month. For that cost, you receive both a final mastered version and an instrumental version of the song, in addition to unique cover art, a PDF package featuring lyrics and credits and even full sheet music for guitar and drums.

On the surface, $12 for six songs may seem like a lot, yet there is no question that the band offers up their intellectual property and then some; it feels like a real bargain.

“Musically, I feel like it represents the band here and now,” MacMillar said. “In other ways, I think it has been a success; it’s gotten people excited and talking, and it also encourages other artists to do something similar or at least to know of another avenue and method that they can release music.”

For more on Protest the Hero or their new EP Pacific Myth, visit protestthehero.ca or follow them on Twitter and Instagram. Tickets for the gig at London Music Hall are $21.50 but not expected to last, so get them in advance at ticketfly.com online or downtown at Grooves Records and the London Music Hall box office.

And for more of the latest music news, album streams and gigs coming to London, add @fsu_bobbyisms to your Twitter timeline. Not that you asked, but some other favourites from 2005 include Kanye West’s Late Registration, Fall Out Boy’s From Under The Cork Tree and The Decemberists’ Picaresque. Here’s hoping your favourites are timeless, too. I’m out of words.