Hello
friends,
I'm very excited to report that plans for my next record are in the
works!!
The band and I will be heading down to North Carolina this summer to
record with brilliant sound wizard
Scott Solter (Mountain Goats, Spoon, John Vanderslice, Superchunk).
Scott mixed our last album 'Viewfinder' and made such an impression
on us that we've asked him to direct the recording process this time
so we have his keen ear and mind with us from the beginning. My longtime
musical partner, guitarist and soon-to-be husband Rich
Bennett will be producing the record, and once again, I will be
joined by the wonderful rhythm section of Dan Shuman on upright and
electric bass, and Russ Meissner on drums.
This album will feature even more ambient sounds, with
nuanced arrangements, and twangy sonic landscapes,
incorporating more percussion and layering to convey the stylistic
tone Rich and I have developed over the last two years performing as
a live duo. At least half of the songs on the album will be
tunes that were written on the tenor guitar I fell
in love with last summer. Having a new instrument around always opens
one up to new ideas and new sounds, so the album's texture and color
will reflect this new instrumentation. The album will be recorded in
summer, mixed and mastered in fall and should be out late winter/early
spring of next year.
Touring, which I love and which has connected me to so many
of you, is quite costly. As a result I do not all of the funds needed
to put towards producing my new album. Once upon a time artists
got big advances from their labels to use for recording expenses, but
the current state of the music industry makes this type of relationship
very rare indeed. And, as some of you from outside the U.S. may not
know, there is little to no grant money available to artists here. As
a result, musicians have been reaching out to our audiences for help
with funding major projects like albums. Essentially what I'm
offering you is the opportunity to throw your weight behind this project
BEFORE it's done, rather than after. Check out
how you can help. iTunes sales sure are nice, but if I could pre-sell
a bunch of albums now, I will have the funding I need to make an amazing
record. Effectively, members of my audience provide the advance, and
by way of the album being great, it attracts a larger audience. This
is exactly what happened last time with 'Viewfinder'...
I am so appreciative of the amazing generosity my fans showed in donating
to make 2011's release 'Viewfinder' possible. The album was
a big step forward in my career and got the attention of radio DJs,
promoters, and publications on both sides of the Atlantic. Roots Music
Report charted 'Viewfinder' at #65 of the top Roots/Country albums of
2011. During release month, the album also charted in the top 20 on
the Freeform Roots, Roots/Country, and EuroAmericana charts. Perhaps
most notably, Track 1 "Hard Times" was featured on NPR 'Song
of the Day' this spring! The album got rave reviews in all kinds of
publications from All Music Guide to No Depression to Blurt. I also
got noticed quite a bit overseas, scoring a distribution deal with Proper
Music in the UK and doing two successful tours of Great Britain, including
a performance at the fabulous Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow
this winter. Plus Viewfinder got 4 star reviews in Maverick Magazine,
Rock2Reel, and Americana Roots UK!
Please consider supporting the new record. There are
some pretty swell thank you gifts
for donations, from the most basic: an advanced copy of the
record, to whole lists of goodies including tickets to shows, a special
album of unreleased songs, even a live concert in your home.
The ultimate fundraising goal is $10,000. That may sound like
a lot of money, but it is actually quite low as far as this sort of
thing goes when you consider all the costs: recording, studio time,
mixing, mastering, travel, musician fees, artwork, etc. The total cost
will be closer to $15,000.
You can donate online here
using PayPal or you can also e-mail me directly: rebecca(at)rebeccapronsky.com
if you'd like to mail a donation. There are suggested gift levels with
accompanying thank you gifts, but your support at any level
is meaningful and appreciated.
HERE'S WHERE TO DONATE.
Thank you all so much for your support thus far. I'm so lucky I get
to sing and write and play music. This is going to be my best record
yet!
All the best,
Rebecca
