Album releases today can feel pretty unexciting compared to a couple decades ago. It used to be an event to bring a vinyl record or CD home, plop belly down on your bed, and play through track after track. Now, artists drop their latest single or collection of songs, announce it on Instagram, and the tunes begin to circulate amongst the masses.
But what if that could changeâwhat if a new album could feel like a memorable experience again?
Luckily, thereâs a band out there doing just that. The Lights Out made news back in 2016 with their album T.R.I.P. (short for The Reckonings in Pandimensionality). It was a unique journey combining packaging, digital, and social media, as well as music and beer. The band approached Aeronaut Brewing Co. in Somerville, Massachusetts with a crazy idea: take their upcoming album, make a beer for it, and release the album on the packaging of the resulting Imperial Session IPA. All consumers had to do was tweet the hashtag printed on the can to start the journey.
