Yesterday, Pitchfork posted a short interview with Marnie Stern -- the lovely lass from the Win a Date with Marnie Stern (but only if you live in New York and are not a stalker/creepo) contest -- in which she revealed that she's essentially broke and not making ends meet with her music ("I used to think I would be able to make a living off music, but I don't any more"), yet she remains undaunted. Resigning herself to the fact that these are just the realities that come with her chosen path, she vows to continue expressing herself and feels fortunate to even have the chance. If it became evident that you'd never make a living making music (or just doing what you love), that you'd always struggle and always have to keep a day job, would you continue pursuing your passion? We suspect we know the answer, but tell us anyway.
See also: - Day job archives, including fifteen coveted Colorado music industry jobs - Day Job: brikAbrak mixes biscuits and beats - Day Job: Martina Grbac's eyeLAB makes glasses affordable for everyone
"What's started to become scary to me is the state of the music business and the inundation of bands, the competition. I still don't have anyone releasing this record in Europe, Australia, or Japan. That's terrifying. I never think I'm going to stop making music, I just worry that I won't be able to release it. I'll send out a bunch of emails, not hear back, then feel paralyzed and want to hide under the covers. The logistics of getting the music out there seems really tenuous-- I don't know where it's all going, but every couple years, when I put out a new record, the whole landscape feels even more different than I thought it ever could."
Follow @Westword_Music