This December, Old Rookie will turn 10 years old. It’s a landmark I am proud of but the passing of time has weighed on me. Do I celebrate the occasion? Do I still have the passion and energy to keep it alive? It’s left me with more questions than answers. Like any good creative project, it has morphed over the years. Looking back on some of the first posts are a touch embarrassing, but all origin stories seem to start that way. It’s been DIY from the tip off and the the ethos remains unchanged.

The questions that weigh on me lately are what IS Old Rookie now? What do I WANT Old Rookie to be years from now? Perhaps faster than we all care to admit, times are a changin’.

Introducing a new monthly newsletter, The Old Rookie Times on Substack. The hope is that The Old Rookie Times will be a more dynamic and more communal representation of “Old Rookie” in the future and most importantly, the now. It will be a discussion of records old and new, live shows, interviews, guest essays, book recommendations, playlists and short features highlighting my favorite artists of the moment.

Never once did Old Rookie set out to compete with the Stereogums, Rolling Stones and Pitchforks of the world, but the truth is, the gap between them and Old Rookie is widening by the day. The artists I love find ways to reinvent themselves, leaning into the muse of the moment. They are not afraid to try new things. If it feels right, they keep pushing. If it doesn’t, they find somewhere else to push. 

Old Rookie the blog will remain active and continue to push out isolated features on artists, records and inverviews. The Substack Newsletter will be a monthly curation of all things Old Rookie. Anything goes. Anyone’s welcome.

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