First things first…I am Kickstartering my new EP and it is officially LAUNCHED! Let me take a moment to say: “AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

It feels good to get that out because I had a heck of a time wrapping my brain around it. Kickstarter is a wonderful resource for musicians. Basically, for an indie artist (i.e. not backed by major label money), the typical way of making a record is paying up front for everything, either out of pocket or putting things on lots of credit cards. The producer needs to get paid, the mixer, the mastering engineer, the graphic artist for the artwork, the company who prints the physical CDs…all of those people need to be paid. The artist would then hope and pray their sales after the release would make up for the cost and then some.

It’s a model that works but…it’s stressful. Along came Kickstarter and shifted the paradigm. Now artists can ask their community for support before the album is made, so that the expense is not so mind-blowing up front. There’s also the awesome component of bonuses for backers, so the artist can customize packages and offer really unique stuff as a thank you. Yay!

So I’ll say upfront, I was so nervous about making my own video talking about the project. I have made lots of funny and clever things in the past, many of them with Susan Gibson or Elizabeth Wills, or just because I was messing around. Whatever it was, the pressure of attaching it to a piece of art I was working on, or the fact that I grew up Midwestern and Midwesterners are sometimes (SOME OF US) bad about asking for help (but we will ALWAYS bring something to the potluck)…I was having a heck of a time with my video. I mulled it over for MONTHS. I did a draft and I sent it around to a few trusted people (THANK YOU Amy, Anna, Susan, and Heather!). The feedback came back…”Hey, you can do better.” AUGH.

At which point I reverted to 6th grader fist clenching defiance and yelled (to no one except my Lady Gaga poster) “I DON’T WANNA!” But I knew they were right. I could do better, and I needed help. (Thank you Heather…she’s done it before so she’s a Kickstarter pro and also tells me what’s what).

I went over to Susan’s house, mostly to whine and eat brownies, and Susan is awesome and offered to help (she also provided aforementioned brownies). We made a date to meet the next day and do the video. And we did, and it made such a difference to have a friend to help.

This is the A Team!
It made sense. It always makes a difference to have a buddy to help. Whether it’s making a video, making an album (I couldn’t do anything on the level of what this is going to sound like without Dan), or gathering a whole group of supporters to make this thing happen with joy and humor and good intentions. As stoic and self-reliant as I’d like to be, I’m no island…and it is absolutely okay to ask and receive help. That’s kind of what making it through life on this planet is about.

So here I am, asking that if you dig the music or the blog or the videos or all of it…pre-order this new album. It’s gonna rawk, and I want you to be in on it. I really appreciate it! Be a backer here!