Well, that was a long and unexpected break
Brady Gerber's '7 for Seven' newsletter is back ... with a new name and look
Well hello there.
This is Brady Gerber, and this is a much overdue email. How are you? How have you been?
If you’re reading this, then you’re a subscriber to my 7 For Seven newsletter, which I paused a few years ago after moving it across a few different platforms. The most recent version of this newsletter was on MailChimp, but I’ve once again moved my contact list over to Substack. (If you’ve unsubscribed since my last email and I accidentally added you back to my list, apologies! Feel free to unsubscribe again and Substack will catch it.)
I'm sorry for dropping off like that. I could have sent a quick "Hey, everyone, I need a break" note since my last email. There was just too much going on. (The TL;DR is that I went back to school, so for happy reasons.) It's dramatic to unplug so suddenly, I know. At the moment, it felt right. After this time, I can say that stepping away was the right move. I'm happy to report that life has calmed down a bit and now is a good time to reach back out to y'all. Better late than never, I hope.
So yes, 7 For Seven is coming back. I've made some tweaks too. The big change is the name of this newsletter.
Welcome to OPE!. For those not from the midwest: Ope is the sound of the midwest. OPE! is the name of this new version of the newsletter, and it’s the name of my new music blog. That’s right: I’m going back to my blogging roots. I’m still freelancing for my usual outlets — these days, mostly for New York Magazine (where I just knocked out a few thousand words about Bob Dylan’s bizarre history of bootlegs) and Pitchfork (I most recently reviewed the new album by White Reaper) — so this is an additional space for me to cover music I love but don’t have time to pitch for my publications, and flesh out some musical ideas I’ve been meaning to explore for some time.
My starting format for the OPE! newsletter will look something like this: Instead of Wednesday morning links, I’ll send this newsletter out Monday mornings to start the week on a high note, sharing my new OPE! post for the week and some of the best links I’ve found within the past seven days along with my usual music recommendations. I’ll also update y’all with my new writing features and updates. Down the road, I also want to bring back my interviews with other writers talking about their daily schedules and how they stay engaged with their work. More to come.
Another reason for coming back to Substack is the ease of earning some additional income. I still have my trusty PayPal coffee fund. Going forward, I’m also going to publish occasional longform features for paid subscribers. Asking for money directly from readers is a weird dance, but after talking to many of you IRL, I’ve realized that many would gladly and actively pay for some special posts now and then. I also code, which provides the financial stability and flexibility that allows me to keep writing; this newsletter will never turn into a place where I beg you for money, but I’m happy to offer some special features for those who sign up.
Some other housekeeping: my new email specific to this newsletter is bradywgerber@substack.com. If you could, please save this email in your contacts, or mark it as not spam.
I’m still working out some of the kinks with fleshing out this newsletter (Substack has added a lot more bells and whistles since I was last on it) so I’m aiming to send my first consistent Monday newsletter later next month. Watch this space for more.
For now, here’s my favorite song of 2023 so far.
I've said this many times and I'll say it again: It's been a blast watching my little blogs and newsletters grow over the years. My social media and influencer status is happily nonexistent (since my last newsletter, I deleted my Facebook and Instagram, and I still haven’t been on TikTok; I do still have my boring Twitter and my somewhat more active LinkedIn) so it's surreal how many notes and comments I’ve gotten on how much you all enjoy reading about stories that you might never see elsewhere.
Y'all are amazing. Thank you again.
With love and all the other good things,
-b
OPE! (the blog) | website | twitter | coffee fund | Candyfloss | find your local reps
OPE! logo by Claire Kuang