Greg Puciato Releases New Album Early Due To Unauthorised Leak

Despite gearing up for an October 23 release date for his debut solo album Child Soldier: Creator Of God, Greg Puciato has been forced to unveil the record three weeks early.

As well as being out now via Bandcamp, the 15-song LP will also now be debuted in full on all other streaming services this Friday, October 9, following an unauthorised leak that quickly spread online.

"I can't believe this is a thing someone thought would be cool to do to an independent artist in 2020, but some dipshit 'reviewer' (we know who it was) leaked my record," explains the musician.

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"Younger me would've put his name out there for everyone to see… but we’re going to use this as a chance to highlight the importance of being adaptable, flexible, and able to roll with the punches and call an audible. Shit happens and you need to be able to move quickly to adapt.

"Would I like everyone to go buy a digital copy now, or check it out on a streaming site next Friday? Yeah, that'd be cool. Vinyl will still be shipping around the original release date of October 23. We still have some copies of the European variant and the Australian variant remaining… Feel free to check 'em out here and here, along with various other pieces of merch.

"We're also cooking up something cool and related… I can't really spill the beans on that yet… but will do so very, very soon."

On top of releasing new track Down When I'm Not in the meantime, Greg continues: "So to recap: fuck piracy, fuck that dude that leaked my record, here's a song, support independent arts and culture – more now than ever – the album's out now via Bandcamp and next Friday via streaming sites, some other shit is gonna be announced shortly afterwards, hope you're all staying sane and safe, keep your wits about you and have some empathy and tolerance for one another, and stay intolerant of being turned against each other."

A longer note from Greg regarding the whole situation reads:

"I just wanna take a minute to talk directly to y'all. You might think I'm bummed over this leak, but honestly, it's a relief to get this thing out into the world, and I'm happy to be in a position where we can pivot so quickly to make sure that the people who have paid for it are getting the highest quality version of the album right away. Really one of the perks of running your own thing, is that you can move and adapt quickly. Nothing would make me freak out harder than if this would have happened and left me stuck waiting for October 23 to come, with some shitty stream rip of my record being all over the place for three weeks beforehand. So we spent one day trying to get a handle on the leak, and then the next day I woke up, and before I even got out of bed I was able to say 'fuck it' and hit 'release' on our Bandcamp. And it felt great. I'm always game for an unforeseen challenge.

"This time is a critical time for supporting independent arts and culture. Besides the effects of COVID-19, the entire industry is being bought up top to bottom by people who have, and never will be, artists themselves. Very few artists, or independent artistic or cultural ventures, are able to survive without making deals with 'the man' in some way. Sometimes here's a way to play ball with them, to get what you need out of them, to help get to where you want to go, without losing yourself completely to them. But you have to dig your heels in. Whether you're an independent artist, promoter, venue owner, label owner, booking agent, or manager, this year is going to accelerate the artistic third-world economy. It is, has been, and always will be, a struggle to maintain independence without concession, but it's a struggle that gives you purpose, and it comes from, and also feeds, a feeling of 'fuck you' that, if you're a certain type of person, never leaves the cells of the blood in your veins. That feeling gets me the fuck up in the morning.

"My record leaking only made me feel more of this feeling. It didn't make me feel powerless. It made me feel even more driven. Our ability to intercept it and counter it quickly, with no regard for 'plans', or any 'making sure all of our first week sales are coordinated' nonsense, felt correct, and powerful, free without template, and reinforced how I've always felt inside.

"So to everyone who has thrown ten bucks at this record on the Bandcamp, a record that I've spent the last 18 months working on and readying, you are appreciated. Money isn't easy for anyone to come by, especially in these times, but I promise you that money spent supporting honest, risk-taking, independent art and expression is worth it, and I mean whenever you can, whenever I can, I'm not talking about my record, I'm talking about in general. All of us refusing to let truth die. It's one of the only ways that we can resist being dumbed down into the ground as a society.

"Also, the album is a difficult record, and I know 65 minutes is a long time, but it is an album, and it is made to be listened to from front to back, at least once. Then… go ahead and do whatever the fuck you want, listen to whatever songs you want, but for me, at least once, just give it a front to back listen.

"I love all of you, don't buy into all the manipulative division happening in the world right now. It's sickening. We are human family, all of us. It would be cool if we didn't fuck that up."

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