As the old philosophical question goes, “If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound?” That query feels newly relevant in the age of modern music-making.
We live in a world where anyone can hear virtually any song ever recorded, anytime, anywhere (provided there’s an internet connection). Today’s artist isn’t just competing with peers for attention, but with the entire history of recorded sound. The forest is so dense with trees that it becomes impossible to hear anything at all.
That context frames the central question Mike Richmond raises in the press notes for his first solo record: why bother making music? As the former Love Tractor guitarist puts it, “Why am I writing these songs? Is anyone going to care? I’m an old guy who played in a pretty…