I don't like coffee, but it's a metaphor for the artistic struggle. NNWNF launches Buy Me a Coffee account.

NoNewWaveNoFun is an independent, alternative music blog reviewing new material, live shows and interviewing bands/artists from around the globe. Within this remit, I try to write more than the average blog, engaging with philosophy, politics, history and..well, trying to make myself and you laugh. It's a labour of love, but love it I do.

NNWNF was started by me, Stephen Birch, as a passion project to write about the music that I love and to share it with a wider audience. The ambition was never much more than that - it has remained a low-key project - writing around a full time job and building the blog with an emphasis on quality not quantity.

The blog was founded in 2020, when the world seemed to be on the brink of disaster from one month to the next. Fast forward a few years and normality has resumed - at least to a certain extent - and the blog has gone from strength to strength. In 2023, I lost my mind slightly and decided to also start a podcast - The Partisan Contingent was born - an audio accompaniment, aiming to add to NNWNF's arsenal.

I DON'T ACTUALLY LIKE COFFEE, BUT IT'S A METAPHOR FOR THE ARTISTIC STRUGGLE, SO I GUESS I'LL HAVE A FLAT WHITE

This summer has been the busiest the site has EVER been. It's on the brink of breaking the record for most views in a month for the third time this year. Whooopdy f***in' doo right? Well, in some ways, it feels quite validating to see the views stacking up, but in others it feels like that proverbial brick wall is getting nearer.

So why start a Buy Me A Coffee now Stephen, I hear you cry? (The Link is that silly sentence above in blue)

I tried an Adsense account briefly to see how that worked. It certainly showed signs of making some money, but it made me feel dirty and totally ruined the aesthetic of the blog; there's only so many Temu ads one can take. It had to go.

Quite simply, I want to try and expand operations. I want to try and use the platform to give more writers the opportunity to write about the music they love and maybe even pay them for it if some of you were willing to get involved. Also, I'd quite like to make a bit a spare change myself to be able to cover the myriad of hidden costs nobody ever tells you about. It's really that simple.

So if you've become a regular reader over the last three and a half years and have found NNWNF or The Partisan Contingent to your tastes, then I'd be absolutely stoked if you did something about it. Absolutely no pressure mind.

If you like using QR codes - and frankly, who doesn't? - it's above for your convenience. It's even got a little coffee cup in the middle...cute.

Thank you for your time and I wish you all the best with the coming apocalypse.