I just saw a bulletin on Avian's myspace about why Mattias Noren had to stop doing CD cover art. I loved what Mattias did for the first Theocracy album. Always sad to see things like this happen to great artists and musicians these days.
Mattias' statement on www.progart.com -
Dear all!
I have been running my CD artwork business for a few years now. I guess it's every artist's dream to be able to make a living out of something you really love to do. Unfortunately the music business has really suffered from all illegal downloading. Until about a year ago it didn't really hurt my business, but lately I have struggled with labels and artists asking me to do jobs for them and then they haven't been able to pay me in time or pay at all. I have heard from other cover artists that they are having the same problems.
When I'm writing this there are 5 labels/artists that owe me money that don't even bother answering my mails anymore. I have a family to feed here this is simply not working anymore. I still love doing cover art and work with all those fantastic bands out there but the "business part" has sucked all energy out of me lately. So when a "real" job showed up I decided to take it with a start in January 2008.
I will finish all projects I'm working on at the moment, and while doing this I won't take on any new projects AT ALL. After that ProgArt Media will be something that I can only spend a limited couple of hours a week on.
The situation might change again in the future. I don't know. I just feel that this is what I want to do right now. I hope you can understand and respect my decision. I can tell you, it wasn't an easy one.
/Mattias
Mattias' statement on www.progart.com -
Dear all!
I have been running my CD artwork business for a few years now. I guess it's every artist's dream to be able to make a living out of something you really love to do. Unfortunately the music business has really suffered from all illegal downloading. Until about a year ago it didn't really hurt my business, but lately I have struggled with labels and artists asking me to do jobs for them and then they haven't been able to pay me in time or pay at all. I have heard from other cover artists that they are having the same problems.
When I'm writing this there are 5 labels/artists that owe me money that don't even bother answering my mails anymore. I have a family to feed here this is simply not working anymore. I still love doing cover art and work with all those fantastic bands out there but the "business part" has sucked all energy out of me lately. So when a "real" job showed up I decided to take it with a start in January 2008.
I will finish all projects I'm working on at the moment, and while doing this I won't take on any new projects AT ALL. After that ProgArt Media will be something that I can only spend a limited couple of hours a week on.
The situation might change again in the future. I don't know. I just feel that this is what I want to do right now. I hope you can understand and respect my decision. I can tell you, it wasn't an easy one.
/Mattias
