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Gunnar Erickson is a struggling, disillusioned musician in 1978. After the restaurant at which he works closes, he and his friend, Shep, decide to head from Nebraska to Los Angeles. Gunnar and Shep embrace the opportunity this change provides for them. After all, new experiences mean new songs. Before long, the two of them find themselves contributing significantly to the band Authentic Cadence. Fame and fortune deliver a wave of intense touring, dedicated groupies, and manipulative family members who want a share of Authentic Cadence’s fame. Touring and fame’s pressures take their toll on Gunnar and Shep’s relationship, making them question everything that they have gained. They wage intense battles with band members, their tough manager, and many others around them until a great loss engulfs their lives and puts things into perspective for them.
This novel dives headlong into one of the most interesting turning points in music history. As new genres emerged, older bands either reinvented themselves or disappeared completely. New artists rose to fame rapidly, often reshaping the music industry overnight. This book expertly explores all of these aspects. It highlights a musical era entirely different from today’s digitally driven, internet-marketed world. Most of all, this novel examines what it means to sell oneself entirely to one’s art and to an unforgiving industry that frequently strips away artists’ humanity. Its story resonates with many well-known headlines and the experiences of innumerable musicians who have only discovered themselves after losing themselves—and the people they care about most—entirely. Music lovers will definitely appreciate this stunning novel.