No Depression To Cease Publication

David M Ross

Jed Hilly

No Depression magazine has announced it will cease print publication after its May-June issue currently in route to subscribers and stores. According to a press statement/letter from publishers Grant Alden, Peter Blackstock and Kyla Fairchild, the bimonthly publication which covered Americana music will end print publication with its 75th issue. “In the thirteen years since we began plotting and publishing No Depression, we have taken pride not only in the quality of the work we were able to offer our readers, but in the way we insisted upon doing business. We have never inflated our numbers; we have always paid our bills (and, especially, our freelancers) on time. And we have always tried our best to tell the truth.” The letter also informs subscribers, “We will be negotiating with a handful of magazines who may be interested in fulfilling your subscription. That is the best we can do under the circumstances. Advertising revenue in this issue is 64% of what it was for our March-April issue just two years ago.”

“It remains to be seen what will happen with No Depression in the coming months,” says Americana Music Association Executive Director Jed Hilly. “Clearly they are closing down the print part of their operation although they will continue online. It is a great loss for magazine lovers. Peter, Grant and Kyla are three incredibly passionate people who have used the magazine to shine a light on some voices that otherwise might not have ever been heard. For that they are due so much credit from our industry.” Hilly dispells thoughts that the ND closure speaks to a larger issue for the Americana genre. “ND was a niche marketing magazine which is a hard thing to do, but at the same time Americana music is moving into the mainstream,” he says. “That couldn’t be more typified than by its charts being included in Rolling Stone this week for the first time. But I have mixed feelings today. On the one hand Americana has been given credibility and acknowlegement from one of the great journalistic beacons of the music industry, and on the other hand lost a trusted, valued friend and soul.”