Tea eater Nft Statement

The rise in popularity of podcasts gives me faith that our collective attention spans and hunger for nuanced conversation is intact. Podcasts and longer-form livestreams feel like the only digital mediums untouched by algorithms that modify your behavior for the benefit of advertisers.

When creators are constantly optimizing their art to perform well on social media/streaming platforms how much of its original artistic integrity is lost? How much does the grind of constant content creation to stay relevant stifle actual creativity? 

I’ve seen many of my friends in a perpetual state of brainstorming and non-creation as a defense mechanism to put off engaging in the machine that boils down their work into disposable soundbites.

With more direct fan-to-artist avenues opening up in web3, artists will be given back their power and create stronger communities who can grow and collaborate with each other rather than the current system of passive followers of socials and playlists promoted towards them by a robot for the benefit of tech billionaires. 

The track “I’m Starting a Podcast” is an anthem in response to these broad observations- a shameless scream into the void, an affirmation that artists are going to start something in a new space that values them and their supporters no matter how dependent and addicted we currently feel to the old technosphere.

Tarra Thiessen is not starting a podcast, but the multi-instrumentalist and multimedia artist of Brooklyn-based bands Gustaf, Sharkmuffin & MamajoeVramajoe has started a new project! Tea Eater is the new vehicle for Thiessen’s songwriting and the literal translation of her last name from German to English. 

“I’m Starting a Podcast” was originally written for a friend who has been starting a podcast for about 5 years. Through its shredding guitars, fuzzed out bass, and snarky vocals the song has grown to encapsulate the feeling of shamelessly screaming all your ideas into the void and seeing what sticks.  

This single will not be released on any traditional streaming platforms. It will be exclusively released as a utility-packed NFT in collaboration with URSA Live! The NFT gives you access to an exclusive discord, personal tarot card reading, secret demo airdrops, and, for Original Insiders only, a physical 7”postcard of the single (that you can play on a record player) sent to your mailbox.

Credits:

“I’m Starting a Podcast” was recorded February 2020 in LA at Station House Studio with Melissa Lucciola of @FrancieMoon & @Gustaf_nyc on drums/guitar  and Lyzi Wakefield (@server.cannot.be.found) of Gesserit & @televisionoverdose on bass. It was mixed and mastered by @VanessaSilbermanOfficial. @Dionna_West of @thelovenauts designed the artwork for the NFT and is releasing the first episode of her podcast "You've Been Spending Time" on the same day.