If the success of Melbourne prog-metal band Twelve Foot Ninja’s music video campaign, smashing the previous record set by Eskimo Joe in February this year, has taught us anything – it’s that crowdfunding is here to stay.
Whether it’s as simple as a band recording a new album, raising funds for musicians to head overseas to tour, or simply a great music-related initiative, the likes of Kickstarter, Pozible, and IndieGoGo are realising the previously lofty goals of artists the world over.
Get Saskwatch To Glastonbury
Melbourne soul-certified nine-piece Saskwatch are crowdfunding finances to head overseas to play UK’s iconic Glastonbury festival. Being such a large group, their costs are much more extensive that your average rock four-piece due to more equipment and more bodies in transit. The group are looking to raise AU$ 20,000 by the 1st June to help them get to Glastonbury as well as a handful of shows across Europe and an appearance at Spanish music festival, BlackisBack.
Rewards for donating to the campaign include signed merch, music downloads, personalised mixtapes, and even one of frontman Nkechi Anele’s unique stage dresses. The campaign follows Saskwatch’s latest 7” release, the Mikey Young-produced, ‘I Get Lonely‘, which gained support from Triple J, ABC Radio, and community radio. Saskwatch also play two ‘farewell’ shows before heading jetting to Glastonbury, at the John Curtin Bandroom on June 1st and the Daylesford Town Hall on 8th June (full details at http://saskwatch.com.au/).
Campaign: Get Saskwatch To Glastonbury
Target: AU$ 20,000
Barbariön Documentary
As previously reported, Melbourne metallers Barbariön have set an ambitious target of AU$ 60,000 to fund a film documentary of their European Tour, and one week from the project’s cut-off, 83 pledgers have provided a little over sixth of the required funds, a total of AU$ 10,760, to their Pozible project. If successful, Barbariön will become the single biggest music-related pledge project in the site’s history.
“The film will follow the trials and tribulations of the band as they play huge festivals and bikie bars in the middle of nowhere,” said creative director Dave Budge. “It will examine the culture of heavy metal music across Europe and it will explore the nature of storytelling and how people make their dreams a reality.” The band are also offering a range of goodies in exchange for a pledge. A $5 “Peasant” donation will earn a nod on social media, a $250 “Giant Eagle” pledge, and the band will create your own custom character in the animated portion of the documentary. There’s also the $5,000 “Thor” tier, which gets you a night out with the barbaric band.
Campaign: Barbariön: A Documentary… Mostly
Target: AU$ 60,000
Second Hand Heart Debut Album
After gaining exposure through radio and playing St Kilda, Anglesea, and Falls Festivals, Melbourne’s Second Hand Heart are seeking funds towards producing their debut album. Having started work on an EP at the tail-end of 2012, the band have been writing and building off the success of their recent single and video ‘Trouble’ and have enough material for a full-length release. Asking for AU$ 4,000 by 27th May, pledgers’ finances will go towards recording, mixing, mastering, pressing and printing, and more interestingly, a French version of the debut album.
Jess Carroll (vocals/guitar) and Lily Parker (vocals/keys/percussion) also delivered a French language version of their single ‘Trouble’ and funds will mean they are “able to take the album abroad on their trip to France later this year, with the intention of promoting and releasing the album in France and Europe in the near future,” they write on their project page. Rewards range from private tuition with the band, limited edition artwork, a year’s exclusive entry to Second Hand Heart shows, and a home meal cooked by the band along with an unplugged performance.
Campaign: Second Hand Heart – Debut Album
Target: AU$ 4,000
Drive To Launch Creative Hub On Rundle Street
Soundpound.net are looking to launch a creative music and media hub in Adelaide. The new site will combine an online TV & Radio station, a recording studio, an art gallery, a photography studio, co-working spaces, and pop-up stores in a prime location on Rundle Street mall in the South Australian capital. “Local social entrepreneurs” Adam Daze and Todd Skipper are responsible for the initiative, designed as a response to the State Government’s $1 million investment into HUB Adelaide at the former site of Fletcher Jones on the corner of Hindley and Peel Streets.After unsuccessfully approaching the State Government for support, Daze and Skipper’s plan is for a thriving creative hub in the heart of the Adelaide CBD for a fraction of the cost, seeking $15,000 for their project by June 13th. The Soundpond.net co-founders are rallying their 11,000 online social media follower to help cover the start-up costs of the new Rundle Mall site. “The hub will be completely self-sufficient once it is up-and-running and $15,000 is all we need to cover the outlay of moving into the building,” says Skipper. “Everyone has recognised the migration of young artists and entrepreneurs interstate as an issue, but we feel not enough is being done. We’ve watched many incredibly talented people leave for the East Coast, but we love this city and want to keep doing our bit to nurture young creativity here.”
Campaign: Help fund Soundpond.net’s Adelaide music and arts hub
Target: AU$ 15,000
