We have decided to give away our recordings.

After looking into ways of distributing our music more widely, we have come to the conclusion that this would be the most effective way to benefit both our fans and us as a band.

We feel that there is an urgent need for change in how the music-industry operates: to let true artists be in charge of their own destiny again. There is also a need for artists to develop a closer relationship with their fanbase. This is our way of doing our bit towards that ideal.

We firmly believe that most of the music the public listens to is acquired in ways (downloads, copying, etc.) that are, at this point, still considered piracy. So let's get that bit out of the way between our fans and us. Let's start seeing recordings as just another form of promotion - a way to let people know what we do and win their support. This has always been the attitude towards promotional material such as music-videos, posters, flyers etc., so we are just adding recorded music to that list. Modern technology has certainly made this very possible and affordable. This may be the first step in having our fans support us in the ways that matter most to the vast majority of musicians: live performances.

We will give our recordings away in the form of free MP3 downloads from www.joellis.co.za and www.myspace.com/joellismusic. You are welcome to listen to it and distribute it in ANY way you would like to - no strings attached - except for one condition:

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SELL THEM OR USE OUR MUSIC FOR YOUR OWN GAIN.

It was given to you for free, so we expect anyone who helps us distribute our recordings to share it in the same way. See it as our way of saying thank you for showing interest in our music, supporting us at live shows and helping to spread the word. We would appreciate it very much, though, that when you do decide to download our recordings, you also sign up for our newsletter so that we can keep in touch with you.

If you would like to use our recordings outside of the conditions stated above, please contact us at jo@joellis.co.za or +27 84 7172768 to discuss this. PLEASE NOTE: the copyright to the lyrics and the music to all songs still remain the property of the writer(s).

If you would like to contribute financially to what we do, you can also contact us at jo@joellis.co.za or +27 84 7172768. It costs a lot to produce quality recordings, so all contributions will be highly appreciated.

Because we realise that there are still people out there who would like to buy a copy of our recordings on CD, we will still have CD's on sale for a minimal price at gigs.

Enjoy, spread it around and let us know what you think. See you at our gigs!
The Jo Ellis Band