{"product_id":"the-hours-are-long-but-the-pay-is-low-a-curious-life-in-independent-music-9780252088964","title":"The Hours Are Long, But the Pay Is Low: A Curious Life in Independent Music","description":"\"The music business is not a meritocracy: it is a crapshoot taking place in a septic tank balanced on the prow of the Titanic, a venal snake pit where innovation, creativity, and honest business practices are actively discouraged.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRob Miller arrived in Chicago wanting to escape the music industry. In short order, he co-founded a trailblazing record label revered for its artist-first approach and punk take on country, roots, and so much else. Miller's gonzo memoir follows a music fan's odyssey through a singular account of Bloodshot Records, the Chicago scene, and thirty years as part of a community sustaining independent artists and businesses. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHilarious and hundred-proof, The Hours Are Long, But the Pay Is Low delivers a warm-hearted yet clear-eyed account of loving and living music on the edge, in the trenches, and without apologies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e 3 Fields Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780252088964\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs","brand":"Rob Miller","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51817749643445,"sku":"9780252088964","price":21.21,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_109d6184-e951-4177-a32e-deee1cea382a.jpg?v=1759241536","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-hours-are-long-but-the-pay-is-low-a-curious-life-in-independent-music-9780252088964","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}