Here are the answers to a list of some of the most common questions I get:
Q. Why are you calling yourself the Rarest Kind?
A. I like it.
Q. If you're the only actual member of the Rarest Kind, why don't you just call yourself "Tony Martino"?
A: Tony Martino sounds like a good name for a crooner (not that I have anything against crooners). But the real reason is that I write songs in a lot of different genres and I may eventually decide to again release music under my actual name (Tony Martino or Anthony Martino) that doesn't sound even remotely like the style of music that I will be releasing under The Rarest Kind. I like for things to be cohesive.
Q. Where did you disappear to after the Martino Conspiracy?
A: I had an injury that sidelined me for several years. I never stopped writing songs though.
Q. Why can't I find any of your music on Spotify or any of the other streaming sites?
A: I have nothing personal against Spotify or any other subscription-based music streaming service (or anybody that uses or likes music streaming), but for an artist like myself, the decision not to partake in offering streaming strictly boils down to economics and personal principals. If the economic situation of music streaming changes somewhere down the line, I might reconsider my decision.
Q. Have you considered that as an indie artist that you might not look very credible in not having your music available for streaming? It's not the 90's anymore, how are casual listeners supposed to discover you?
A: It doesn't take much for an artist to make their music available on a streaming service like Spotify. Anybody (literally) that has $30 to their name can pay a middle-man service like Tunecore who will promptly set up their account and get their music placed onto Spotify and many other streaming sites, and so the act of making music available for streaming in and of itself isn't exactly a good measure of credibility. If you're reading this, then you've already discovered me without music streaming.
Q. Where will I be able to find your music if not on streaming platforms?
A: Through traditional channels (download, physical formats, etc.).
Q. Since your music is not available for streaming, aren't you worried about piracy and that people might just steal it anyway for free?
A: No, not really. If I'm going to get ripped off by anybody, I'd rather it happen against my consent by some unknown music pirate than by voluntarily agreeing to getting ripped off by entering into the current economic state of affairs as it pertains to music streaming services.