January 12, 2024 Crowdfunding Update #2

I am so pleased to say that we are over ⅔ of the way to the funding goal of $6000! To those who have contributed: knowing that you back my music is a source of energy for me every day. And it means that the costs of publicity for the UK and Europe are covered, plus a portion of the funding for Canada-based promotion. I now have a team of people working to get Keeping Time out there! Hot off the press… there will be a single released in February so keep an ear open for that.

If you haven't pre-ordered the album on Bandcamp or signed up for one of the fun perks below, please consider doing so now to get the campaign over the finish line!

Thanks!
Sue

December 9, 2023 Crowdfunding Update #1

Thank-you so much to those of you who have contributed to the launch of Keeping Time so far! We are about ⅓ of the way to the goal. Learn more about the campaign in the video and info below if you're new here :)

And there's good news/bad news to share. Alas, I did not receive the grant funding I had applied for, so I'm exploring new ways to make the most of funding for promotion. Your support means more than ever! 

The good news is that the digitial album pre-order is now available on my Bandcamp page. Check it out here. 

With gratitude, 
Sue

Greetings music lovers and supporters! Thank-you for landing here to learn more about my crowdfunding campaign to finance the March 2024 release and promotion of my new album Keeping Time. Over 4 of the hottest days of the year in Nashville, we recorded 7 new songs at Steve Dawson's Henhouse Studio. I can't wait to get these songs out! I'm hoping to raise $6000 to cover costs of mixing the songs, mastering, manufacturing CDs, and professional publicity for the UK and Europe. 

So, why do I need your help? Recording and releasing music has long been an expensive endeavour. The capacity for songwriters and artists to earn income from music has declined significantly due to a number of factors: effectively zero payment from streaming services, a long-standing decline in physical CD sales, and the impact of the pandemic and inflation on live music and touring. As many of you know, the numbers just don’t add up anymore. I have self-funded the cost of recording and travel to Nashville for this album. And I applied for a grant to cover some of the other launch expenses such as North American and streaming promotion, website upgrades, and video production. Fingers crossed on that front! 

So unfortunately there is no longer a business case for professional recording and promotion of music for most artits. But the human case is more compelling than ever. As a songwriter, my purpose is to tell stories—mine and other people’s. We all have a deep human need to be known and to belong and every person has a story. Most of my songs get their start witnessing a small moment that often holds within it the big arc of a lifetime. After we recorded a few songs, the musicians commented ‘boy, you’re not afraid to tackle big, hard things in your songs’. True, there are songs about the pandemic, the opioid crisis, and coping with dementia. I believe knowing we are not alone is a balm for difficult times. There are also some light-hearted ones, don’t get the idea that it’s a tearjerker start to finish!

There are many ways you can lend your support from a donation amount of your choice to pre-ordering the album and fun rewards at different levels outlined below. And, if you are not in a position to support financially, you can have a meaningful impact by following me and sharing my social media posts. Thank you for backing my music and helping to get Keeping Time into as many ears and hearts as possible!