On the future of deep cuts

After a year of publishing two articles a week on this Substack, I’ve come to a simple conclusion: I can no longer keep up the pace.

Over the past decade, deep cuts has been an outlet of music criticism, opinions and conversation. Often I’ve followed ideas and research that require a great deal of time and effort, and it only works if there’s enough space for me to be a little excessive (and more than a little obsessive).

Maintaining that standard has meant early morning writing sessions before work, evenings spent at the laptop, and too many weekends writing instead of being with family and friends.

Next month I’m starting a new job, and the reality is that I won’t be able to keep making those trade-offs indefinitely. That leaves me with a choice about what deep cuts can realistically be going forward.

I’m infinitely grateful for the hundreds of you who became paying subscribers over the past year. The community we’ve built together has been incredible and I’ve loved our discussions, chats and Listening Sessions. But if I can’t publish at the level I promised, I don’t think it’s right to keep charging for it.

That’s why, from today, I’ve paused paid subscriptions.

I'll still be publishing my planned anniversary content throughout June, but once that's complete I'll formally wind down the paid subscription programme – you will all received prorated refunds for the time left on your subscription.

But I want to be crystal clear about this: deep cuts isn’t going anywhere. I’ll continue publishing articles and videos, but at a far slower pace – and only when I have the time and space to do it justice.

After ten years, I still love making this stuff too much to stop entirely. This Substack and the YouTube channel will remain home to the occasional essay, review, feature, and video whenever inspiration strikes and life allows.

This isn’t remotely the last time you’ll be hearing from me this month, either. Coming up in June as part of the 10 year anniversary celebration of deep cuts, I’ll be publishing:

• Part II of my indie rock feature

• My 50 Favourite Records of All Time (video and article)

I’m enormously grateful for the support you’ve shown deep cuts over the past year on Substack, and the past decade more broadly. Thank you for reading, supporting, commenting, arguing, listening, and helping build this community – it’s meant more to me than I can possibly express.

If you have any other questions, please do drop me a DM. In the meantime, I’ll be back on Tuesday with indie rock part II.

Much love x