Before the internet, when the music business was much more lucrative since the album sales where were all the money was and the shows were only to promote the records, the bands used to release even two albums a year. Nowadays they take years or even decades to make new music since it costs a lot of money and usually the return isn’t good. The legendary Jethro Tull co-founder, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson talked about that in an interview with 100 FM The Pike (Transcribed by Blabbermouth) and reflected on how long he will keep touring and recording new music.
He is currently 76 and Tull released two new albums in the last tour years, their first ones in more than two decades.
Ian Anderson reflects on how long he will keep creating new music
“Back in the ’70s, we released a new album every year, which sounds like quite an industrious process. But in fact, I’m reminded of Stephen King, the novelist — he’s managed two books a year for pretty much all of his adult life.”
“And so I think those of us who are creative for a living, it’s hard to imagine a year going by and you haven’t come up with something new, even though in my case it may not be a new album release every year, but there’s lots of other creative things that I’ve been doing in the period of time; even if it’s not a new album release, there’s always other stuff going on. And so it’s part of what I do.”
“And I’m not sure how long it will go on. There has to be that point where you just recognize that you don’t have it in you anymore to do that stuff. But I can’t imagine what that would feel like. The idea that there’s nothing left; now I have to take up golf or go fishing or something — God help me. I would rather do somebody else’s laundry than take up golf.'” Ian Anderson said.