The Kansas guitarist Rich Williams talked in an interview with Radio Artifact about the current state of the music business and said that there is no money anymore in making new albums. That’s why he musician said that an artist only makes a new record if he really want to, since it’s a lucrative business anymore.
The band’s most recent album “Absence of Presence” was released in 2020 and since then the group is touring across the United States and Canada to promote the record.
Kansas guitarist says records don’t give you money anymore
“Obviously, there’s no money in making records anymore. Hard product is not much of a market anymore. You have your audiophiles who like to collect the vinyl, but that’s not a major recoup, the money it costs just in making it.
“Mostly it’s all downloads, Spotify type of things. They have found a way of monetizing that to an extent, but it’s nothing like it was pre-internet.”
“I’d say, to make an album, you have to really want to do it, because there’s no payoff in doing it, other than, again, scratching the creative itch and remaining relevant to your fans, those are very important things.
“But you’re also taking yourself out of the market, and the fun part, which is being on the road and performing. That’s the joy of it all, that’s the payoff. The recording process is… sometimes it’s long, and painful, and boring, and all of that. Whereas, again, live is where it’s always been at.”
Next Kansas tour dates
September
- 6 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
- 8 – Seattle – The Paramount Theater
- 9 – Portland, Ore. – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
- 12 – Boise – Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
- 14 – San Francisco – Golden Gate Theatre
- 16 – Los Angeles – The Orpheum Theatre
- 17 – San Diego – Balboa Theatre
- 22 – Albuquerque – Kiva Auditorium
- 24 – El Paso, Texas – The Plaza Theatre
October
- 12 – Worcester, Mass. – The Hanover Theatre
- 13 – Brookville, N.Y. – Tilles Center for the Performing Arts
- 20 – San Antonio – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
- 21 – Sugar Land, Texas- Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
- 26 – Huntsville, Ala. – Von Braun Center – Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
- 27 – Memphis – Orpheum Theatre
November
- 3 – Charlotte – Ovens Auditorium
- 4 – Durham, N.C. – Durham Performing Arts Center
December
- 1 – Savannah – Johnny Mercer Theatre
- 2 – Atlanta – Fox Theatre