The premise for this thing is simple enough: musicians have 28 days, from the beginning of February until the end, to write and recording a ten-song (or 35 minute) album. From there, they then mail in a copy to the RPM Headquarters, pat themselves on the back, grab a beer and tell all their friends about their exciting new project.
The challenge, which began in 2006, has seen over 5000 bands create over 16,000 songs since its inception. Trouble is, as of last year only five bands from Colorado entered albums. Come on now. We can do better than that, can't we, what with the mass of creativity to be found here. That's what we thought. So consider this a challenge:
Don't expect to win anything or be nominated for awards - there isn't a prize or a winner - just the satisfaction of writing, recording and distributing an album in 28 days. At the end of the month, the jukebox will be filled with thousands of tracks from a variety of artists from across the globe. In previous years songs have found homes on NPR's "Second Stage" and listening parties are thrown in cities across the US.
The concept isn't anything especially new, but that doesn't change the fact that musicians can benefit from a no-holds barred creative extravaganza such as this. When freed from the restraints of labels, expectations, live shows or the worry of marketing, we're anxious to see what Colorado's best and brightest can come up with for this. You've got 28 days to experiment with new sounds, and from the look of it, you'll have a welcoming and interested set of ears throughout the process.
Be sure to let us know what you come up with on March 1.