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Chris Griffy

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Support an Artist’s Work and Get a Custom-Written Song

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Support an Artist’s Work and Get a Custom-Written Song

Crowdfunding campaigns tend to be pretty similar. In addition to the album, common backer perks tend to be things like T-shirts, stickers, hats, and handwritten lyric sheets. But a perk I'm seeing more often recently is a custom written song. The backer is usually able to give an

ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Little Pieces’ Walks in Cidny Bullens’ Shoes

ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Little Pieces’ Walks in Cidny Bullens’ Shoes

Cidny Bullens has had a storied career, from songs on the famed Grease soundtrack to two Grammy awards to his tenure in the bands of Elton John and Rod Stewart. He's also blazed trails as a transgender man in roots music. While much of this history is detailed

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: House of Hamill, Amelia White, and Crow and Gazelle

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: House of Hamill, Amelia White, and Crow and Gazelle

One of the things I love about doing this column is introducing new artists releasing their debut albums. But I also enjoy revisiting artists who I've featured before. Some crowdfund their first album out of sheer necessity. Those who come back to the well a second or third

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Campaigns Supporting Roots Music and Related Creative Causes

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Campaigns Supporting Roots Music and Related Creative Causes

Music is a very small part of the crowdfunding landscape. For example, the high-water mark for funding for a music campaign on Kickstarter (Amanda Palmer) is just over $1 million. Just last year, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson raised $41 million for a series of four novels. Technology, games, television shows,

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: 3 New Projects as Summer Yields to Crowdfunding Season

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: 3 New Projects as Summer Yields to Crowdfunding Season

As the end of summer, and the summer outdoor touring season, heads toward its end, bands begin turning their thoughts toward their next album. As a result, there's an uptick in crowdfunding campaigns this time of year. This week, I’m highlighting projects from two roots music veterans

ALBUM REVIEW: Jill Andrews Writes Songs Across Time for ‘Modern Age’

ALBUM REVIEW: Jill Andrews Writes Songs Across Time for ‘Modern Age’

The sound of a cassette tape slipping into a boombox and the click of the record button begins Modern Age, the newest release by Jill Andrews. That throwback sets the tone for an album full of nostalgia for the simpler days of childhood, but also a rumination on the effects

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Campaigns from Wild Ponies, Rod Picott, and Kyshona

CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Campaigns from Wild Ponies, Rod Picott, and Kyshona

When I featured three smaller campaigns in last month's column, I hadn't intended to counterpoint it this month with three higher-profile (and higher-dollar) campaigns. It just happened that three artists who are well-known in the roots music scene, especially to attendees of AmericanaFest, launched campaigns at