Sarah Herrera is a figure synonymous with the raw energy and unapologetic attitude of the New York City punk scene. As the vocalist and bassist for the Bronx-based Tommy Lasorda Experience, Herrera has carved out a reputation for her commanding stage presence, satirical lyricism, and fierce dedication to the punk ethos.
She has always done things her way, no matter the personal cost. Her live album “I Never Make Mistakes Because I Never Do Anything”, recorded over the course of two nights in Philadelphia in February, will be on streaming services next week. 27 tracks of her blood, sweat and tears – recorded, mixed and mastered.
And then it’s coming down.
Herrera announced on her website last week that, with the full support of the members of her bands, her entire music catalog will in the coming months be pulled off of Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and any other services that require the listener to pay for it. 8 albums and 11 singles. Her life’s work. Yanked down.
“I have principles. I have core beliefs, and this is a statement of them”, Herrera said recently in an interview. “I can’t support a system that exploits artists, financially and creatively, paying them fractions of a penny per thousand streams or whatever. You can’t make a living this way. And I’m not going to go down the Gene Simmons route and start selling board games, Christmas ornaments and dildos with my bands’ logos on them. Right now, hard working musicians are getting fucked. These are bands I play with. Bands I’m friends with. Bands I used to be in. And they’re getting the shaft. Not much I can do about that. But I don’t have to be a part of it”.
Herrera plans to put her entire catalog only on services that are free to the public. “If that means Bandcamp and Soundcloud the way I did when I was 12 and singing songs about my dog into a cell phone, so fucking be it”
She has already pledged to refuse any royalty payments owed to her as a songwriter.“They can send me checks. I’ll write return to sender on them. I don’t want them. My artistic integrity is worth more than whatever peanuts they’re willing to throw my way.”
Herrera plans to surrender all copyrights on all of her music and put all of it in the public domain. Every CD sold will be sold at cost. Every t-shirt at a show will be sold at cost. Not one penny more. And her entire catalog will be available as a digital download. For free.“I didn’t get into this for the money. I got into this because I love what I do. I’ve been broke before, it didn’t kill me. I’ll go back to freelancing as a graphic designer. I’ll edit web content. Shit, I’ll drive an Uber if I can get my license back. And I’ll keep making music. We’ll keep playing gigs, as best we can. I’ll keep connecting with the fans. But I will not be exploited by the vestiges of predatory late-stage capitalism. Enough is enough.”
Has there ever been a more punk rock statement in the history of the genre? We don’t think so. You can listen to Sarah’s solo work and her music with The Tommy Lasorda Experience and Pancreatic Cancer on all major streaming services. Just don’t add it to your playlist. One morning, you’ll wake up to get your daily dose of Sarah, and she’ll be gone.
