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Muscadine Bloodline have announced their brand new album...kind of.
The much-loved Alabama duo have taken to Instagram to reveal that they'll be dropping their latest record tomorrow (Friday, October 10th) at 10am CT - but there's a catch.
They'll only be releasing the keenly awaited project on vinyl, with the duo - consisting of Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton - not even revealing the title or the artwork. When fans purchase the vinyl, they'll only find out what the album is called, what the cover looks like and what it sounds like when it arrives in the mail.
As they admit in their new Instagram video outlining their plans, it's a bold move, and could ultimately result in lower streaming figures and less widespread fanfare.
But we think this is a fantastic decision from the ‘10-90’ hitmakers. It puts fans first and allows their most loyal followers to enjoy an early listen to their latest body of work. Muscadine Bloodline have confirmed they'll only be making 3,000 copies of the vinyl - all of which will be signed - available via their online store tomorrow.
Ultimately, of course, Muscadine will be dropping their album on streaming platforms, with an announcement regarding this digital release date expected in the coming weeks.
But for the time being, the only way to listen to the band's forthcoming record, which marks their first album since April's ...And What Was Left Behind, will be by purchasing the vinyl. Muncaster and Stanton reassure fans that, if they don't have a record player, there will be a link in the vinyl that they can use to stream the full project online.
In the newly shared clip, Muscadine explain, “All right, everybody get excited. We're going to do something silly. So we have something reckless here. Our teams told us not to do it...which means we're probably going to do it. So what we got here is our next record. It's done, it's ready to be listened to, but we're going to do something a little crazy this time. So here we go. So on October 10th, we're going to release this bad boy on vinyl only. We're not going to tease any songs. We're not going to tease the tracklisting. We're not going to show you the album art. You're not even know what the record is called until you get it in the mail”.
They expand, “And like I said, I know it sounds silly, but we're basing this thing on three things - an element of trust, keeping you guys first, the fans, and the element of surprise”.
They go on, “Y'all trust in us that every time we make one of these things, we're bringing our best every time with the quality of the recording and the songs, and we're also bringing something different to the table than the last record we made. Keeping the fans first is something that's really important to us. Before we went down to the cabin in Mississippi to record this thing, we knew we didn't want to make a big deal out of teasing it, showing you guys little clips of every song or worrying about the chart positions. We just wanted to give it to you guys, which brings us to the coolest point, the element of surprise. Just imagine you purchase this record, right? It comes in the mail and you un-package a Muscadine Bloodline record full of songs that you haven't heard. You've never seen the album art. Hell, you don't even know the title until you open it”.
They joke, “Call it stupid, call it bad business, call it nostalgia, but it's just where our hearts are right now. We love to do things that are a little bit different from the norm, and we want you guys to be a part of release, but not just that, the announcement of the whole album. So y'all may have a few questions, and there's a disclaimer”.
The ‘Me On You’ singer-songwriters advise fans, “No. 1: What if you don't listen to vinyl? Cool. If you want to just buy one to support us and put a badass vinyl piece on the wall - great. There's also a link sticker that will come inside of every single one of these bad boys, and you'll be able to listen to the song in a playlist. But we're going to keep that between us and the people who purchase one. No. 2: How many copies are we making this time? Last time we did this with The Supply Drop, we did 1,000 copies. They were gone in like three minutes. We're upping the quantity this time to 3,000 copies. We want to make sure you guys have a little bit more time to grab them. Yes, they will all be signed and yes, they will be a special, one-of-a-kind color. Last thing is a disclaimer of transparency. Yes, this record will come out on all streaming platforms eventually. So if you want to wait until then to listen to it - cool. We just wanted to let our fans have first dibs. And if you wanted to get yourself one or one for a loved one before Christmas shopping time comes around, they'll be available”.
The duo conclude, “We're really excited and really nervous about how this is all going to shake out, but we're really confident in the quality that we put into this thing, and we wanted to wait until the Fall to give y'all this thing, because it is a hoodie, drink around the fire kind of record. But that's the only detail we're giving you...”
The new single, ‘My Meridian’, which dropped in mid-September, is expected to feature on the new record - but we'll have to wait until the vinyl arrives before we know for sure.
This move undoubtedly feels outlandish and risky in today's streaming- and first-week-sales-oriented world, but it consolidates what we already knew about the Muscadine boys - they're not afraid to go against the grain, and when there's a chance to give their fans something unique, you bet they're going to take it.
For more on Muscadine Bloodline, see below:
