Hey Friends, Newski here. I’ve got a new album coming May 2 called ameriCONa Pt 1: Educate Freeloaders to Buy Art & this one’s different. It won’t be on Spotify. It won’t be on Apple Music. No streaming at all. Why? Those platforms don’t pay artists a livable wage. I’m done pretending they do.
If I put this record on streaming, it’ll make us about $250 in the first year, and that’s just abusive.
So instead, it’s going direct to you. No middlemen, corpo vampires, or overlords taking a cut. This record is for the people who actually believe music has value—more than just a fraction of a cent per play. If that’s you, I want you to hear ameriCONa the way it was meant to be heard: directly from my home analog studio to your dome. :)
Here’s how you can get it:
1. Classic Vinyl or CD – The real, hold-it-in-your-hands, smell-the-ink experience.
2. Direct Download – Pay what you want, and it’s yours forever. No subscriptions, no ads, no algorithm deciding if it gets heard.
3. Hand Painted vinyl art: only 30 copies. One-of-kind painted vinyl art with ameriCONa wax inside.
PRE-ORDER HERE
ameriCONa Pt 1 is my salute to real, non-robot music fans—the ones who show up, who believe art is not a free-for-all snatch n grab. I’d be honored for you to have a copy of this one. All pre-order include new stickers as well.
Much love, Brett
Artwork by Brett Newski
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
ALT-COUNTRY meets 90’s ALTERNATIVE
BRETT NEWSKI & the Bad Inventions
ANNOUNCE EP
NOT AVAIL ON STREAMING, EVER
“ameriCONa pt.1” - OUT May 2
PRE-ORDER (CD/Vinyl/Digital)
& SHARES Alt-Country TRACK
“JESUS FREAK"
OUT NOW on Bandcamp Only
+ US TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED below
BRETT NEWSKI Declares War on Music Streaming with new LP “ameriCONa Pt. 1: Educate Freeloaders to Buy Art”
*In a move that defies industry norms, DIY troubadour & indie mainstay Brett Newski will NOT release the album on streaming services.*
Fusing Alt-Country, Indie Rock, Power Pop, & satirical Folk Punk, ameriCONa Pt. 1: Educate Freeloaders to Buy Art (out 5/2) takes a stand against streaming exploitation - no Spotify, no Apple Music, no exploitative streaming services. Instead, the record will be available exclusively through vinyl, CD, live shows, digital download, and limited-edition formats. ameriCONa hits with raw urgency, showing flourishes of Highway 61-era Bob Dylan, Jonathan Richman, plus production in the vein of Velvet Underground.
Newski urges fans to purchase music directly—a step toward securing a living wage for artists in an era where streaming royalties have long failed to do so.
“For years, we’ve been told that music is free,” says Newski. “But if you don’t support art, the world gets sterile, sad, and everything starts to look like a Wal-Mart or Jimmy Johns. All bands have a very finite lifespan. If you like what they do, buy their records, because odds are they won’t be around next year.”
Fans can pre-order the album now at www.brettnewski.com/merch. The first 30 vinyls will be hand-painted, one-of-a-kind art.
"Showcases the unapologetically nature of 90s alt. rock perfectly." -American Songwriter
"I like the sound and the way he is forcing the world to contend with him." -Brian Ritchie, Violent Femmes
ABOUT BRETT NEWSKI & the Bad Inventions
Wisconsin’s indie rock mainstay BRETT NEWSKI & the Bad Inventions have been described as a blend of “Tom Petty meets 90’s Alternative”. Performing alongside bands like Pixies, Violent Femmes, Courtney Barnett, Gin Blossoms, Manchester Orchestra, Better than Ezra, Barenaked Ladies, Guster, Toad the Wet Sprocket & Nada Surf, Newski heads back on the road with Steve “Mr Bicep” Vorass on drums & Sean “Bad Man” Anderson on bass.
His new book Piss in the Wind, tells tales of his weirdest shows across Vietnam, Thailand, and Hong Kong before moving to Saigon, Vietnam for two years. A must-read for fans of Hunter S Thompson, Chuck Klosterman, or Henry Rollins.
Newski also authored humor-meets-mental-health book Its Hard to be a Person; Defeating Anxiety, Surviving the World, & Having More Fun, receiving international acclaim & landing on CBS, NBC, NPR, American Songwriter, SiriusXM, & Billboard.
Newski’s podcast Dirt from the Road, dives into musicians lowest moments on the road, featuring guests like Dashboard Confessional, The Lumineers, Butch Vig, Nada Surf, Guster, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Verve Pipe, Frank Turner, Heartless Bastards, Charlie Berens, Cloud Nothings, Barenaked Ladies, & All American Rejects.
For press inquiries, interviews, or promotional copies, contact:
Kat Bernstein
kat@nomadunionmusic.com
Official: www.brettnewski.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brettnewski
#EducateFreeloaders
BRETT NEWSKI & the Bad Inventions on Tour - RD 1
2/26 - ATHENS, GA - Nowhere Bar (solo)
2/27 - GAINESVILLE, FL - The Bull (solo)
2/28 - ORLANDO, FL - Stardust (solo)
3/1- CLEARWATER, FL - Wiley House
3/5 - PALM CITY, FL - Secret Show
3/6 - TAMPA, FL - New World Brewing
3/7 - ST AUGUSTINE, FL - Dog Rose Brewing
3/12 - HOLCOMBE, WI - Pine Drive Bar (solo)
4/11 - LEXINGTON, KY - Al’s Bar*
4/12 - CINCINNATI, OH - Southgate House*
4/13 - LOUISVILLE, KY - Zanzibar*
4/24 - YPSILANTI, MI - Ziggys
4/25 - FORT WAYNE, IN - Brass Rail w/ Middle Names
5/2 - MILWAUKEE, WI - Falcon Bowl*
5/3 - ROCKFORD, IL - The Music Box*
5/4 - SPRING GREEN, WI - Slowpoke Lounge
5/9 - MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Zhora Darling
6/12 - OSHKOSH, WI - Waterfest (6pm early)
6/20 - CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Newbo City Market
6/21 - HOLLAND, MI - Park Theatre
6/27 - GREEN BAY, WI - Badger State Brewing
6/28 - APPLETON, WI - Fox River House
7/4 - MADISON, WI - UW Madison Terrace^
7/5 - BARABOO, WI - Tumbled Rock
7/15 - TWIN FORKS, ND - North Dakota Museum of Art
*w/ Dreaded Laramie
^w/ Sean Michael Dargen trio
*w/ Dreaded Laramie
MPLS w/ Cold Casuals, Make & the Makeouts
Spring Green with Violet Palms
Ft Wayne w/ Middle Names
Ypsilanti w/ Advance Base
“ameriCONa Pt. 1: Educate Freeloaders to Buy Art” tracklist:
1. Jesus Freak
2. Bad Invention
3. Bitter End of the Beginning
4. Narrow Escapes
5. Annie, You’re Going places
6. Who Will Save Your Soul? (Jewel Cover)
7. Force the World to Contend With you
8. Cliche Folk Song
—-
All songs by Brett Newski
Mixed, engineered and performed by Brett Newski
Except “Who Will Save Your Soul” (Jewel)
“Bitter End of the Beginning” by Newski & Ian Fisher
Pedal Steel: Leroy Duester
Piano on “Narrow Escapes” by Spatola
Mastering: Justin Perkins
