2013 proved a typically turbulent year for Jim Kroft. After releasing his first two records on independent labels, he was signed by EMI. Releasing his first record on a major label was a bittersweet experience for Jim. The album landed in the shops the day before the Universal takeover was finalized in the European Courts, becoming the last ever to be released on the historic EMI label. He also discovered the morning after the record was released that, along with every other domestic EMI newcomer, his album promotion was over.
Downtrodden and reaching something of a nadir Jim set about two tasks. First was the attempt to make life financially tenable. Having developed his film-making as a necessary tool as an independent artist, "Kroft Films" was established as both an income provider for Jim and an enabler for other musicians and artists. Gaining recognition in the business place, commissions came in from Reebok, Universal Music, Virgin Media and Laphroaig Whiskey. Second, deprived of the traditional support from a major label campaign, Jim set about a six month campaign to recover the rights to his music.
Having raised the funds both through his film making and a recently-signed worldwide publishing deal with "BMG Rights", 2014 finds Jim heartened at the unexpected possibility of finally releasing "Lunatic Lullabies" in his native UK. It is one part Lazarus story, one part a joyful kamikaze ride into the face of the modern music industry. With so little budget, Jim knows the likelihood of recoupment is next to nil. The release is at best a leap of faith, at worst sheer folly. But with a sense of belief in the relevance of music and the power of an idea, he feels it's a gamble worth taking.
Having interviewed the late author Colin Wilson (The Outsider, 1954) shortly before his death, Jim believes it is a time for the underdog as the industry fragments into a splintering system of fan driven ecosystems. In this way Jim is part of a growing society of independent guerillas, moving with mobility and the ability to seize random and unexpected opportunities.
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As one of twenty-five acts worldwide to be invited to play at the American music industry conference Musexpo in L.A., and with the single "Tell Me Where to Begin" licensed for release in the States, Jim continues his muddled career path with, if not a belief in a stable future, at least the firm knowledge that the journey is proving radiantly exciting. Complimenting his ethos and ideas through his written and film work, Jim believes that the current generation of independent artists have a duty to carry the torch while musicians find a way to once again make their career´s tenable.
"Through My Weakness" is a song based on the realisation that it is only through the consistent challenging of one's own weakness, that a true strength can be built. The video compiles together bits of archive footage from Kroft's self-exile from the UK in 2007 - cold buildings, raucous gigs in the Tacheles, random concert locations, b-movies, busking, videos and the eventual emergence into a wider recognition. It is a three minute documentary of a man's recent past.
The track is taken from the new album "Lunatic Lullabies", which is due for release on 14th April.
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