Hello everyone,

You may have noticed recently that Little White Earbuds has been publishing less content on an irregular schedule. This is the shape of things to come here at LWE as we downshift from the hectic and increasingly unsustainable daily publication schedule we once kept. Publishing podcasts, reviews, and features when they’re ready as opposed to when they “need” to publish will help maintain LWE’s high standards for quality control that readers have come to expect. I want to be certain LWE’s reviews and features are the result of genuine enthusiasm rather than relentless PR and the vague “need” to have something to say every day.

As it is, we cannot compete with our larger, better funded peer publications on quantity of content or resources used to develop said content. LWE has always been wholly independent and entirely funded by advertising revenue, sales commissions from Juno Records, and my own money. No other reasonable alternative has arisen in the nine years I’ve run LWE, and I’ve considered many. It’s only through the generosity of LWE’s exceptional staff that we have stayed afloat this long. Their commitment to quality music journalism and criticism is a beautiful thing — it’s what makes us stand out from the crowd even at our relatively small stature — and I thank them for it from the bottom of my heart.

Still, it’s difficult to expect anyone to turn out top notch work on a regular basis for meager wages. Many of our writers and staff contribute elsewhere on top of having full time jobs; and I myself have run LWE without any pay while working full time. As some of you know, I also run two record labels, Argot and Tasteful Nudes, that require my close attention — increasingly so over the last year. So this downshift comes at the right time for all involved, as it leaves open the door to new reviews and features while embracing a pace that fits where we’re at.

Here’s how this downshift will play out in practical terms:

+ LWE Podcast 200 by Prosumer will be the last podcast in the regularly published series.
+ LWE will continue to publish mixes when we see fit to, whether accompanied by interviews or not.
+ Over the coming weeks we’ll bring back our podcasts from of the archives for download and streaming, starting with #001 by Terrence Dixon.
+ Most weeks there will be new content of some sort and we’ll keep you up to date with it via Twitter and Facebook.

Lastly but certainly not least, I wanted to thank all of you, our dedicated readership, for sticking by us for so long and spreading the word about this little hub of music discovery. It’s been an incredible and often very rewarding journey taking LWE from a WordPress curiosity into a full time music publication and seeing the response from readers, knowing we’ve helped introduce you to some great music and provoke you to think about lots of other music besides. I’m excited to continue along this path with you all. There’s still lots to be said about this fascinating musical world we’re living in and we’re glad to be the ones saying it.

Sincerely,

Steve Mizek, LWE Editor-in-chief

PS, I’ve never done this before because I’ve generally felt LWE should offer our perspectives for free, but now seems as good a time as any to ask: If you feel LWE has provided you with memorable stories and valuable criticism, and would like to give back in any amount, I’ve created a Paypal donation button below. All funds received will be allocated for paying our staff (some of whom are actually owed money due to the frankly woeful nature of our finances) and covering the expenses of running the site (hosting, the cost of maintaining our copyrights). We’re grateful for any support you can provide.