City Cat Collective

Submitting one's music to blogs is tedious. Especially when starting out. Music submissions via email seem to be sent into a void in the cosmos where no response escapes. Thank goodness we now have Submithub and Musosoup to assist us. Eventually, we start to get a feel for the terrain and begin to develop a list of blogs who are receptive (or friendly) to our outreach efforts. 

Somewhere along the way, I came across thoughtswordsaction.com. As I began to follow them, I loved how they represented punk rock but also review other genres / subgenres. Much like small venues across the world that give artists a place to showcase their talents. I consider thoughtswordsaction.com equally as important by providing a place for new and veteran artists to spread the word. 

We reached out to thoughtswordsaction.com for an interview and they kindly accepted!!! 

1. When did you decide you wanted to officially start Thoughts Words Action and why did you choose that name? 

Hello Izzy! First of all, thanks for having me on your blog. Thoughts Words Action started operating in November 2018 and has been active since then. It's the name of the Satanic Surfers' song, taken from their album "Unconsciously Confined." I had a couple of names on my mind, but somehow, this one resonated with me the most. The song talks about taking a stand against oppressors, and since I firmly believe punk rock should be the catalyst for social changes, I thought it was quite a good fit for the blog name. 

2. What led up to that point? How did you get there? 

It seemed like a natural progression. I have been active as a musician and music critic since the early 2000s, performing and attending gigs, collecting and writing about records for so many local and international punk rock zines. Besides writing for printed zines, I started writing for Helly Cherry webzine around 2007 and established The Anarchist Blog later on. After that, I published a couple of issues of Herbivore, a printed zine dedicated to animal rights, veganism, environmentalism, etc. As my music taste expanded over the decades, I felt the urge to initiate a music blog focused on punk rock but with a definitive extension towards other music genres. 

3. Your music blog is very active. How do you manage the time and filter through all your submissions? 

It's all about properly organizing and scheduling posts. I tend to keep things organized as much as possible, but there are times when all the hell breaks loose. Thankfully, my profession (graphic designer) holds me tied to my PC regularly, so I always have time to filter submissions, features, news, etc. 

4. Do you have any "do's and don'ts" tips for those of us who submit music? 

Just a polite approach is more than enough to spark fruitful collaboration. For example, I prefer physical releases (vinyl especially) over digital releases, so artists/bands willing to send their music that way will always be my top priority. Of course, that doesn't mean bands should feel discouraged. They can contact me anytime, and we'll figure something out. 

5. Are there any days you take a break from the blog? 

I usually take breaks during the weekends when I prefer long walks, cooking vegan meals, listening to records, or reading books. It's a "me" time (laughs).

6. Do you have a music project you are working on? 

I'm working on several music projects, but nothing worth mentioning right now. I am currently interested in many music genres. Who knows, maybe I will do some mash-up in the near future. 

7. What band has come across your desk that you enthusiastically enjoy sharing with others? 

Tearjerker, Green/Blue, Marathon, First Flame, Kiper, From Within, Reflection, Dead Dog Summer, Urlik, Girls In Synthesis, The Atlantic Union Project, Don't Sleep, Ponor, Scowl, Koalra, Shortwave, and Lifeguard are just some of the bands that I can currently think of, but there are always more. 

8. What's next for thoughtswordsaction.com?