Innocent Words magazine has announced they would be ceasing operations this month after 17 years of publising. The Danville-based magazine has been a source for independent music for nearly two decades, and made a statement on their website which sums up their feelings about calling it quits.
Read this interview with Michael from 2003 from openingbands.com.
Read the full statement below:
After 17 years, over 1,200 interviews, and roughly 4,500 reviews, Innocent Words Magazine is shutting down in its current format after the February issue.
During the two week break over the holidays, I took stock in what we’ve accomplished and where we’d like to go. Then it was time to get back at it on January 2, and I just couldn’t do it. My tank was empty after doing Innocent Words literally every day for nearly two decades. The funny thing is, I wasn’t even considering shutting it down at the end of 2018, I just felt tired and drained all year. I guess that should have been a sign, huh?
As most of you know, I have had health issues my whole life, and as I get older, it’s not getting any better. My vision is getting worse, my kidney isn’t working as well as it once was, and the diabetes is starting to have its effects. There are still things I’d like to do before it’s too late.
I am not leaving music; I would never do that. I am keeping Innocent Words active with a retooled name – Innocent Words by Troy Michael. We will be building a new site to use as a platform for my writing, my interviews, blogs, and future projects. One thing I will be working on is writing books about bands I love and working toward getting them published. So, I guess you could say I am going to be a full-time music author.
I’ve never looked back on Innocent Words; I always tried to focus on the future. So maybe I will realize what we did with this little DIY publication over the 17 years after it’s all said and done. I do know life and music is weird. Some of my music heroes have become my friends and I have met more wonderful people than I could ever dream of in this industry.
More importantly, Innocent Words Magazine wasn’t about me. It was about the people that helped make this happen. It was about the music and the people who love music. I couldn’t have done this without an amazing group of people over the 17 years including my right hand man John B. Moore; my talented graphic designer Brittany Bindrim; the editors who made us all look smart, the webmasters behind the scenes and the long list of writers who contributed. And to all those who read Innocent Words and shared our interviews or reviews, you are why we lasted 17 years. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This was a hard and scary decision, but I feel like the future gives me more options, and I am excited to see where things go from here. I hope you will all come along for the ride.
Sincerely,
Troy Michael“It’s time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing”
~ Tom PettyFOLLOW US
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Top photo from Innocent Words’ website
