Howdy! Hope you’re doing well! I decided to play you a new song from the new record. Here you go:
I’ve had a very big week, with lots of worrying about whether I’ll be able to reach my crowd-funding target to get this new record out there. I’m SURE we can do it! But it’s very scary.
I really need your help.
If we don’t reach $8,000 by 27 May, then I receive ZERO dollars, and I won’t be able to afford to release the new record this year.
If you pledge, I have LOTS of gorgeous rewards for you.
- letting me know if you have ideas about other ways I can get the word out (e.g., maybe you have a favourite local radio station who you think would love to interview me about the project? Maybe you know a group of people who would like to learn more about crowd-funding, and I could come and talk to you about it?)
4. When the target is reached ($8,000), your payment will be processed and you will be asked for postal details (if your reward requires shipping)
5. I send you your reward and love you forever!
***IF THE TARGET IS NOT REACHED, NO PLEDGES WILL BE PROCESSED AND NO REWARDS WILL GO OUT AND I’LL HAVE TO DO A LOT OF EATING TERRIBLE QUALITY HOMEBRAND COOKING CHOCOLATE BY MYSELF, BECOME A COMPLETE HERMIT AND EVERYONE WILL BE SAD***
I’ve had a lot of people ask me what it’s like to be crowd-funding. How it feels, how much work it is, whether it’s worth the stress.
Timber and Steel have asked me to share my experience in a series of posts on their website, the first of which is published today:
Suddenly, there seem to be people everywhere crowd-funding. I’ve just become one of those people. But we’re all still learning about it. I’m half-way through a 30 day crowd-funding campaign for my new record, and even though they’ve helped multitudes of people raise over $10 million in crowd-funding, even the directors of Pozible, an Australian crowd-funding platform, can’t be sure whether my campaign will succeed.
I have every confidence in my project, and I hope that my campaign will succeed, but the reality is that no one knows for sure what it is that makes a crowd-funding campaign work. This is so much more stressful than I could have ever expected.
What was I thinking?
So, why am I doing this instead of raising funds another way? (I’m actually doing a bit of both – with a total project budget of $20,000 to record, release, promote and tour the new record, I’m only trying to crowd-fund $8,000).
I didn’t want to repeat the experience of putting out my last EP (Warm Chocolate Heart, 2010), where I ended up in massive debt and having to work full time in a job I didn’t want to be doing to pay for it.
This time round, I was thinking, “I don’t want to just put out another record. I want to give my fans opportunities to be creative, to have fun and to get to know me better. I want this to be about us, not just me and my songs.”
It’s my birthday, and I’m writing this from Alice Springs, where I’ve just finished day 3 in the recording studio for my new record!
Such a great way to spend a birthday - singing my heart out and getting creative with a really talented producer/singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist.
We’ve recorded 6 songs, and yesterday we also co-wrote a new one in our lunch break, sitting on the back of his ute in the shade outside (pictured)! We’re hoping to record that one too.
Phew. What a wild few days it’s been! Today was the first day of recording.
Driving out to the studio, we were surrounded by red and a huge blue sky:
We got three songs down, including one I only finished writing yesterday but felt so good we wanted to include it. It’s a lullaby for my kitten, about how I don’t want to leave her - which is very apt, considering she’s only been with me about two months and I’ve been away from home at least 4 times. It’s so terrible saying goodbye.
It’s been almost three years since I went into the studio to record “Warm Chocolate Heart”. I’m recording my second record THIS WEEK!!!!!!! (Excuse me for a second while I happy dance like an idiot.)
What I’ve been doing since my first record
Since my last record, I’ve been working hard to make my song-writing even better. I’ve been lucky enough to get coaching and feedback from people like Jen Cloher, Charles Jenkins, Mick Thomas (Weddings, Parties, Anything) and Angie Hart (Frente).
I’ve played lots of shows, including The Brisbane Powerhouse (pictured - with Dan Acfield and Kathryn McKee), house concerts, libraries, a long-stay hospital ward, and a wedding.
What I’m doing now!
The songs are written, I’ll be recording in Alice Springs 1-6 May, releasing it in September, and touring in September/October!
I wanted to collect all the doors I saw in Tallinn (Estonia), the way that I collected sap from trees at lunch time at school as a six year old so I could look at the light shining through the pieces later, stored safely in my jewellery box.
These doors were so beautiful and mystical to stumble across. I imagined that each lead to a magical world not unlike Narnia and the chocolate factory in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I wasn’t able to squeeze pics of these doors into the taste of Tallinn I shared earlier… but here they are now…
What’s your favourite? What magical world would it take you to?
PS. My blog is a nominee in the Best Australian Blogs 2013 Competition. If you enjoy my blog, please take a moment to vote for it here! You’ll find mine listed as “Rose Wintergreen”, on page 4.
I’m on holidays, and last week I was in Tallinn (Estonia). These are some of the most sumptuous highlights. (Click on a thumbnail to display larger size, and to view details for where each was taken.)
A very beautiful place, with pastries to die for, and so many stunningly beautiful doors that I’ve had to save them up for a separate post (I’m not kidding). Magic.
It’s day 5 and I think I’ve kicked the jet lag. I’ve also kicked lots of ice and snow around. It’s everywhere. It still amazes me.
I’ve only seen snow perhaps 3 times before - it snowed for five minutes in Tasmania one time when I was visiting, it snowed once when I lived in Canberra for about twenty minutes (both laughable really - it melted before hitting the ground), and once at Jungfrau (which was incredible, there was so much of it - but it didn’t really seem connected to real life, because it was up in the alps with no urban landscape).
Seeing so much snow and regular people living their lives walking through it, over it and past it, with office buildings and trams, buses and cars is surreal.
Happy Easter long-weekend! I hope you’re having a fab time. I started the weekend playing a show at my fave library in Melbourne (and possibly Australia), the Melbourne City Library. I’ve spent many hours pouring over their books, discovering the Sookie Stakhouse series by Charlaine Harris, books on knitting, how to be your own boss, exciting stories about people who have found their career passion, and travel stories from all corners of the globe.
On our way there in the car (see first pic), the light kept changing with clouds moving fast overhead, from gloriously sunny and clear, to raining and grey. Melbourne is known for this weather - all four seasons in one day - and many complain - but I love it. The air and the blue of the sky never seem to be as crisp as in those final few minutes just before it turns overcast. I had one of those “I love Melbourne so much it hurts” moments. So nice to feel that way about the place you live. I feel very lucky.
After the show, a very thoughtful fan provided me with a sumptuous treat - Whittaker’s dark chocolate orange! I’d never tasted it before. I immediately cracked it open to share. Delish. You should try it.
I spent the rest of the weekend wearing my thinking cat (see pic - and yes, that’s my kitten on my head!), because I’ve been packing for a trip to Europe for a family wedding. I’m writing this sitting at the airport, looking over the tarmac.
I’m trepidatious… it’s going to be very cold (I’ll be in Finland, Estonia and Czech Republic, with temperatures ranging from -6 to 6 degrees Celsius while we’re there).
I have also left Martina (my guitar) at home. I want her with me, I want to play every day in the lead up to being in the studio, but I also don’t want to lose her or have her damaged. Yuki (my ukulele) is with me instead. She’s never been overseas. I think it will be good for her. In fact, we have a new song coming.
Who knows, maybe I’ll write more songs for the new record while I’m away…
Hope to update you while I’m away, but if not, I’ll be back home at the end of April. Be kind to your good self!
Oh, a little PS. My blog is a nominee in the Best Australian Blogs 2013 Competition. If you enjoy my blog, please take a moment to vote for it! Click the pic below and look for “Rose Wintergreen” on page 4.
I can hardly believe it’s been a week since I started compiling demos for my producer. I’ve had issues with technology and finding things (partly due to not being up to date on filing, partly because I’m still struggling to find things after moving house), and been away interstate for a few days…
