“This is not a pity party... it’s an alarm call.”
On stage in Denver last week, Shirley Manson of Garbage said something that should echo far beyond her own audience:
“You see all these big pop stars, and they’re making billions and billions and billions of dollars and they’re rich and they’re glamorous and they’re amazing. But the problem is that most of the music industry is not made of these big pop stars. They’re made of working musicians.”
And then this:
“This is not a pity party for us. This is an alarm call for all the young generations of musicians who are in our wake.”
It’s not a complaint… it’s a wake-up call.
We’re losing a generation of weirdos, risk-takers, and musical rebels to an industry that rewards algorithms over artistry.
Right now, the systems around music reward visibility over depth. Algorithms optimize for attention, not meaning. But connection… the real kind… takes time. It might not scale instantly, but it lasts.
At Sleeve, we believe the future belongs to artists who go direct… who build their own communities, cultivate real connection, and take back control of how their music lives in the world.
Product Update: Your new weekly digest
We built a new Sleeve Digest to give you a quick snapshot of your week… new fans, new subscribers, key activity.
Simple. Useful. A tool to help you focus on what’s actually working… not what the algorithm decides should.
Artists to Check Out on Sleeve
Ibrahim Electric
Copenhagen trio serving up 20 years of instrumental chaos and groove… surf rock meets Ethiopian jazz on caffeine. They’re going live on Sleeve with their Miniature Concert series, sharing raw sessions and stories from the road. Catch a snippet here and sign up for their next live session on October 28.
Hvidsø
Born on a remote farm in Skåne, their debut EP “Lidt endnu” (out Nov 1) blends Danish indie rock, warmth, and winter melancholy. Their Sleeve page features a beautiful live sessions shot on location… the perfect soundtrack for the darker season ahead.
Svanger
Their debut album “Mor Fødes” moves between composition and improvisation... trumpet, flugelhorn, and saxophone weaving reflections on womanhood. It’s delicate, daring, and deeply human… a deep breath in musical form.
→ Explore
What Shirley Manson calls an “alarm call” is, for us, an invitation...
to slow down,
to create on your own terms,
and to build something that lasts longer than the algorithmic moment.
Stay tuned,
Anna
