Just a regular week in crowdfunding (though we've stayed away from the sex stuff this week); help a band go on tour, help a dude make a record and help a jazz orcestra release a package of really ordinary iPhone photographs...
Name: Sleep Parade
Project: Tour support
Current Status: 74 pledges, 52.6% ($2,893) of $5,500 goal, 16 days remaining
It's been said in this column tens of times already, but touring in a band is expensive. It's particularly hard on the pocket when you're an independent band who has just released a new record with an esteemed producer, but it's something that you have to do in order to give said record the push you feel it deserves.
Sleep Parade find themselves in this position, but it's particularly important for them to get on the road as they've been invited to be a part of the upcoming Dead Letter Circus album tour (you can stream that album here, if you're interested). So they're asking for $5,500 to cover the costs of their travel so they don't have to go into debt to make it all happen.
They're offering the usual stuff; albums ($10), Skype chats ($100), studio hangs ($250) or they'll give you production and songwriting or vocal/instrument lessons if you contribute $300.
NightWalk - Help me make my new album! from mattwaltersmusic on Vimeo.
Name: Matt Walters
Project: New album
Current Status: 73 pledges, 27% ($5,415) of $20,000 goal achieved. 22 days remaining.
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Singer-songwriter Matt Walters has left Universal Music, has been on a big overseas adventure and has spent the past two years writing material for a new record. Now he wants to make that record, but needs $20,000 in order to make it happen. His first LP had plenty of interest, his I Would Die For You track has been viewed literally millions of times on YouTube and there have been a whole bunch of covers recorded over the years.
A whole bunch of CD packages are available for different amounts of money or you can get your name in the liner notes for $100. If you're willing to spend a little more you can get a 20 minute Skype concert (you choose the songs) for $200 or a one hour show in your house for $500 if you live in Melbourne or $1,000 if you're in another Aussie city. International fans can get the same perk for $5,000 if they so wish.
Name: Mace Francis
Project: Music For Average Photography
Current Status: 31 pledges, 47.7% ($1,911) of $4,000 goal achieved. 54 days remaining.
Mace Francis puts his concept simply; he wants to produce “a new album of original music composed for the Mace Francis Orchestra to accompany a series of pretty crap photographs”.
This jazz muso and his 14-piece orchestra have been at it for years now and they're pretty damn good, but as a photographer, well… Francis is a pretty great musician. Rather than collaborate with a professional photographer he has decided to take pictures on his phone, chuck a filter on them and let these stark, real images help tell a story alongside the compositions.
The project needs $4,000 to come to life and, if you're willing to help, you can earn yourself copies of the record, a calendar ($60) and PDF scores of all the compositions ($120).
Also in crowdfunding this week:
Donald Trump's relatively recently launched crowdfunding platform FundAnything hasn't exactly set the world alight over the past couple of months, but they have just had a massive success through comedian (and legendary podcaster) Adam Carolla. Carolla has raised over a million bucks for his Road Hard movie, making him the most successful comedian crowdfunder.
The Ubuntu Edge smartphone we previewed last week has had plenty of coverage and not all of it very good. A number of experts are predicting that the insanely ambitious campaign is destined for failure, which reveals some interesting stats about crowdfunding in general – in particular the plateau (or flat line, as it may be) that projects suffer from. It appears as if Ubuntu has suffered more than most…
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