In today's music economy the path to success remains murky at best. One thing is fairly clear though - your relationship with your fans <strong>matters</strong>.

In today's hyper-connected speed of sound world of the interwebs information and rumors travel rapidly, opinions form and pretty soon you are no longer in control of your own message. 

Doesn't have to be that way. 

<img src="http://www.thisissomewhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/gracepotter1.jpg" alt="gracepotter1" width="500" height="250" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10812" />

If the "and the Nocturnals" portion of Grace Potter is finished, and all information we presently have says it is, I would hope that Grace would let fans know something about it. Personally, I'm not interested in critiquing artistic, musical or career choices for other people. Business is business and art is art. We can have opinions, enjoy or dislike things but if the art comes from a place of honesty then I always appreciate the maker.

What I <strong>am</strong> critiquing is the lack of attention paid to the relationships Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have built - over a decade. Relationships that are not being cared for.

Many folks I know have spent countless hours - countless - investing emotion, time and dollars in to GPN. Hey, we were rewarded for all that. <strong>No debts owed, paid in full.</strong>

But now  we find ourselves on the threshold of change - and the fans, those who spread the word, drove for hours, wrote reviews, told their friends and dragged them to shows, posted endless crap on blogs are, well - how to say it - it feels like they don't matter so much. I won't speak to the relationships between bandmates because it's neither any of my business nor is it something I know anything about. Speculation is for the reachers, the curious, it's all ignition and no fire. 

Maybe "The Nocturnals" will come back, maybe Grace needs to do the solo thing for awhile. Maybe "The Nocturnals" are all done, whatever. Go for it Grace! Totally go for it! As someone once said "Make it do what it do!" But maybe reach out a little bit, look outward. We're listening. No one in the public eye "owes" anyone an explanation, maybe the attention is not something anyone wants but here it is. It's real. What's next?

<blockquote>
I grow old … I grow old ...
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.	
 
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?	
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.	
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.	
 
I do not think that they will sing to me.
 
I have seen them riding seaward on the waves	
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back	
When the wind blows the water white and black.	
 
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea	
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
</blockquote>