Earworm

A HILARIOUS SATIRE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

It took ten years to create the perfect song. Clive Bigg is the only man who can bring it to the masses, but his record label has built defences to keep fresh ideas out. Can Jonathan break in and convince Bigg to gamble on his track? The future of the music business is at stake.

In this entertaining techno-thriller, Sean McManus takes a slice through the music industry: from the boardroom to the stage; from the studio to the record fair. The story explores how fans relate to their favourite bands, how businesses can use technology to manipulate consumers, and what would happen if the music business disappeared overnight.

Sean McManus is a professional writer who has contributed to magazines including Musician, Making Music, Melody Maker, and Future Music. He has written more than ten non-fiction books about technology and business. This is his first novel.

Reviews

"A fun novel about the problems faced by musicians in making their mark on a music industry that's falling apart. A bitter satire that works its way up to a memorable finale."
"Metal Hammer magazine"

"Raising a number of surprisingly sophisticated issues, this book is enjoyably cynical about the seemingly cold-hearted and impenetrable nature of the record industry and peppered with a number of highly comical cameos from the cream of rock'n'roll, which ensures that it never feels like heavy going."
"Record Collector Magazine"

"The novel satirises the music industry and the cliched types that populate it, the lead character an affable fellow who you can't help but like - his meditations at his monitor screen, desperately trying to sort ideas, will be familiar to most of us who create music either for a living or for love. Amusing and well written."
"MusicTech Magazine""