Australian singer-songwriter Jen Cloher has announced a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for her new, as-yet untitled album to be produced on CD and vinyl. A third of the target has already been achieved within a mere three days of being set up, anticipating success for the ARIA award nominated artist.
Cloher who describes herself as ‘self managed’ is due to release her third studio album in May this year and has set the target at $15,000. Fans are being asked to donate an amount of money of their choice which will go towards the album being mixed and mastered, put onto vinyl and CD, released across Australia, and also toward the creation of a video clip.
Cloher began recording of her the follow up to 2009’s Hidden Hands in September last year at Melbourne’s Headgap Studios, with a band that includes Courtney Barnett on guitar, Bones Sloane on bass, and “long-time Endless Sea drummer” Jen Sholakis, with production from the “amazing Nick Huggins.”
In the press release, Cloher spoke of her supporting fans for allowing her to be an independent and self managed artist.“My success rests entirely upon the interest you have shown in my work, that support has enabled me to continue to create, release, and tour my music in Australia,” says Cloher.
The campaign is being run through Pozible, a crowdfunding platform which allows for creative innovators such as musicians, writers, and illustrators to showcase their work and pledge for monetary donations from the public to support their project.
For Cloher, she began the idea of crowd funding when she hosted a series of ‘I manage my music’ workshops in 2011, which toured through regional Australia with the backing and funding from the Federal Government’s Contemporary Music Touring Program scheme.
Still not convinced that you’d want to cough up your hard earned money? That’s why Cloher has put together a series of prizes and rewards for each donation to thank her fans for their support. Donate $5 and you’ll get the latest single from the upcoming album sent directly to you.“You’re helping to keep the tradition of independent, diverse, and original music making in Australia. And that contribution is priceless.” – Jen Cloher
If you’re feeling a little more generous, $85 will get you one of twenty signed Michael Christian photographs of Jen Cloher and signed copy of the new CD. For hardcore fans, Cloher is giving her fans the chance to be producers of the album. For those who donate $1,500 or more they’ll be given a production credit on the album, five signed album copies on vinyl, ten signed copies on CD as well as four tickets to a Cloher show with a chance for catch up drinks afterwards.
Cloher isn’t the first artist to use Pozible to fund her latest effort, Perth rockers Eskimo Joe earlier this year used Pozible to fund their latest album, and smashed their crowdfunding target of $40,000 raising a total of $60,763, marking their project as the highest crowdfunding project in Australia.
Meanwhile, as previously reported, SLAM (Save Live Australian Music) are hosting this Saturday’s National SLAM day event and have used crowd funding to raise funds in support of live music and to not be restricted by government funding.
Using crowdsourcing platform Pledge Music, many Australian artists stepped forward to contribute to the ever growing collection of unique experiences on offer. Fancy a dinner with Kate Miller-Heidke for a donation of $1,000? Or a guitar lesson with The Drone’s Gareth Liddiard for $250? These are just some of the many rewards offered to supporters of live music from SLAM.
Indie label Inertia have also caught onto the growing crowdfunding trend by partnering with Pledge Music. The two companies will work together to allow artists such as Chet Faker, Hermitude, and Dappled Cities to fund their artistic pursuits through crowdfunding.
Cloher has put together a video to speak out to fans and ask for their support to reach her target to fund the new album. In the video Cloher speaks of the importance of supporting music making in Australia. “The best part is that you’re helping to keep the tradition of independent, diverse, and original music making in Australia. And that contribution is priceless” says Cloher.
A total of $5,656 out of the target $15,000 has already been raised at the time of publication. Go here to donate money and have a squizz at the rewards up for grabs.
