Typically, I'm unfamiliar with the artists I cover in this column until I run across a campaign that looks interesting and spend some time on YouTube. Considering many crowdfunders are regionally-known acts who are releasing their first or second album, this isn't surprising. But there are advantages to crowdfunding for more experienced, nationally-known, acts as well. Sometimes they're just a little too far from the mainstream to attract risk-averse record labels. Other times, the artists just want the creative freedom that comes with owning their work. This month, I was already familiar with all of my featured artists and I've seen two of them live.
Brandy Zdan- New Album (click here to view campaign)
“Women will save rock & roll,” says Brandy Zdan, the Nashville-based artist who is a bit of a musical nomad. Best known for her work with double Juno nominees Twilight Hotel and roots supergroup The Trishas, Zdan's solo work is roots-based guitar rock. Zdan is also a rare female producer, having worked with the likes of Wild Ponies, Heather Mae, and Emily Scott Robinson. So when she began looking for a producer for her new, as yet untitled album, she had only to look in the mirror to find the female producer she wanted. She's raising $32,000 through Kickstarter to fund the new album, which is available for pre-order in digital format only. But Zdan has a number of other perks, both digital and physical, to get her to her goal. You can get a limited-edition album-themed bandana; a Kickstarter exclusive “producer's tapes” audio companion to the new album, featuring demos, work-tapes, and behind the scenes commentary. There's also a physical version of this perk, featuring handwritten lyrics, producer notes, journal entries, and photos. Other perks include a one-on-one lesson with Zdan, a private virtual listening party, and the chance to collaborate on a song.
Kam Franklin- Land of the Neon Sun (click here to view campaign)
Kam Franklin might not be a name you're familiar with, but roots music fans likely know her band, The Suffers. The Suffers combine country, soul, funk, and jazz into a sound that is unique in the roots arena. Now Franklin is preparing to release her debut solo album, Land of the Neon Sun, and has enlisted her friend Margo Price as a co-producer. To fund the album, she's running a $20,000 Kickstarter campaign with a number of backer-only perks. You can pre-order the album in digital, CD, and vinyl formats (signed or unsigned in the case of the last two). You can also get a personal “thank you” e-mail from Franklin, a Kickstarter exclusive t-shirt, handwritten lyric sheets, a custom mixtape made by Franklin based on your input, and a house show, with or without full band.
Julia Nunes- is perfect (click here to view campaign)
Julia Nunes is best known for her work on YouTube, where her mostly ukulele-based covers of everyone from The Beach Boys to Destiny's Child have garnered millions of views. She's turned that online following into crowdfunding success, having successfully funded three previous albums, all of which broke the $70,000 mark. Nunes' brand of folk-pop has garnered her opening slots for the likes of Ben Folds and Ben Kweller. This time, she's set a $35,000 Kickstarter goal, which she's already surpassed and is into stretch funding territory, to produce her new album is perfect. She's been teasing collaborators for the album and reveals Lauren O'Connell and Sam Bottner in her campaign video. Backer perks for this one are as unique as Nunes herself. The album is available in digital, CD, or vinyl formats. But you can also get a “Morning Practice” Zoom meeting with “movement, meditation, and journaling,” an animal card (and a page explaining its meaning), a “sloppily engraved lighter sleeve,” a sample of her favorite chapstick, and a ukulele with custom drawings based on a conversation between you and Nunes.
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