John Cate (singer/songwriter)
What is your name and band/label/etc?
John Cate & the van Gogh Brothers / American Music Partners
What are your top five albums that were released in 2012? (In order 1-5)
As in 2011, I did not listen to many new artists this year. I listened to songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Janis Ian, Gordie Sampson and local Antje Duvekot
What band did you discover in 2012 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Janis Ian. Unbelievable melodic craftspeople and lyricists. Janis wrote the best song of 2012 in 2012, and perhaps one of the best contemporary songs ever written in my opinion, "I'm Still Standing"
How will you remember 2012? (In terms of music)
Songwriters rule, and it's ultimately all about the craft of songwriting.
What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
A completion of my EP, "Changeable Skies", into an LP, and hopefully lots more film and TV placements!
What records are you looking forward to most in 2013?
Changeable Skies- long play!
Fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have made a strong impact on the ability of artists to release music. Do you think this approach is a trend, or will it continue to shape how artists produce their material?
I think these sites are an unfortunate sign of the times which reflect the demise of the recorded music business. "New-school patronage" will continue until its determined how copyrights will be fairly administered on the internet.
