Cryptic Convo: Harry Heart Discusses Crypto Tips, Misconceptions, and New Album ‘Cambistry’

The story of British-Australian artist Harry Heart is an interesting one. Working on his new album, Cambistry, the musician explored the idea, “What if fans could decide when an album is released?”

Cambistry came out on May 5th after initially selling all eleven album tracks as collectable music NFTs. The concept was simple: when a fan buys the music NFT, the song gets released on streaming services. With the entire NFT album now sold out, collectors and fans got to push the button on the official release of Cambristry, playing their part in the artist’s unusual story!

As the collaboration between NFTs and music is one still largely untapped but, as is proven by the success of Heart’s recent album, we sat down with the musician to find out more about his thoughts and experiences, not only while working on the album, but while exploring the choppy waters of Crypto. Find more info on Heart’s official website.

When did you start getting into Crypto?

Harry Heart: “A friend suggested I do some homework on utilising NFTs as an artist back in September 2021. I skipped Crypto 101 and jumped straight into NFT research out of excitement; I gradually worked backwards into blockchain fundamentals.”

What’s the biggest loss you’ve taken from Crypto?

“My timing was terrible. I first bought Bitcoin and Ethereum in November 2021. That happened to be the moment that I was finally confident enough in my understanding of what I was buying. Little did I know it was crypto’s peak (to date). I don’t doubt their value will get back to where it was and then some, but it was not a wise time to buy. That’s not a crypto-specific mistake; it applies to any currency.”

What’s the best source of information on all things Crypto?

“It’s important to soak in insights from different territories, different fields of expertise, rather than just one channel. I personally like to learn through podcasters, particularly Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Tim Ferriss, Kevin Rose, and a few others. People less susceptible to hype are good.”

Harry Heart ‘Cambistry’ Album Artwork

If you had to pick one NFT you wish you could have of any kind, which one would it be?

“I love London artist Dead Seagull’s work; they’re out of my price range, so I try not to look through the collection too often. https://superrare.com/dead_seagull_”

What’s the biggest misconception about Crypto you wish everyone would overcome?

“That the overwhelming number of pump and dump coins reflect the intentions of everyone in the space. In reality, owning cryptocurrency is a means to an end. Cryptocurrency itself is not the product. If you think the coin you’re buying is the product (not as a means of storing value or making purchases, but purely as a commodity to own), then you are probably being taken for a ride.”

What NFT projects do you dig the most and why?

“I like the simple collectable stuff that just carries on regardless of the market and the hype, with less of an elaborate utility focus. Serenade.co has made it pretty frictionless for music lovers to buy affordable digital collectables; I think (and hope) they’ll be around for a long time.”

What’s your NFT strategy: quick flips, hodl, floor sweeps when prices dip? Share some strategy.

“I don’t treat NFTs as investments. I buy music and visual art that excites me (within my price range). It’s too volatile a market for investing on a musician’s wage; I’d rather stick with index funds and keep buying NFTs for their intrinsic value.”

Got any solid NFT projects that deserve way more hype and activity than they’re currently getting?

“I really want more musicians to familiarise themselves with showtime.xyz. It’s the perfect onboarding platform for artists and fans. It’s free, fun, versatile, and leads to more listeners. A no-brainer.”

What are your thoughts on the Metaverse and its potential applications outside of gaming?

“Once we use the metaverse to make boring things fun, I think more of us will jump in. Like Crypto, it needs to be a means to an end, otherwise we’re all just “in the metaverse” and don’t know what we’re doing there. Let’s make work meetings, court hearings, school detentions, anything you don’t want to show up for, virtual. If I’ve got to show up to something boring, I may as well do it as an avatar.”

What is the best Bitcoin book and/or documentary you’ve ever consumed, and why?

“The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous is a must-read. Remember how I mentioned that my curiosity about NFTs forced me to work backwards and understand blockchain tech? Well, a curiosity about Bitcoin should force you to work backwards and understand money. The first half of this book explores the origins and evolution of bartering, currency and financial systems. It’s very eye-opening, and I’d recommend it even to those that aren’t interested in Bitcoin.”

For more information on Harry and this unusual story, visit his official website.