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Help Co-Produce an Album with Aaron Redner |
 Aaron Redner
Hello friends! Aaron Redner here, writing with exciting news. I'm announcing my plans to begin a recording project this winter, and I’d like to invite you to help co-produce it!
Most of you know me from the band Hot Buttered Rum; I'm the one picking the mandolin, sawing the fiddle, and singing my heart out. If you haven’t heard, the band is taking some much-needed time off from our road-warrior touring while we welcome into the world the first "Butter baby." Bryan and Willow Horne are expecting in early February, and everyone is thrilled. The band will resume touring in late spring, but I’m excited to have a little time at home to record a CD of original songs. Being in a band with three great songwriters means we always have a wealth of fantastic material, but, sadly, a lot of the music you write never gets to the stage or the recording studio.
My dream is to record a new album of my original tunes, and I’ve invited a huge swath of talented Bay Area musicians who will collaborate with me to bring this project to fruition. The Bay Area is such a hotbed of musical talent, and this project will truly be the coalescence of what has come to be called “The New Sound of San Francisco.” The project will be called City by the Bay, and it will extend the Bay Area’s rich musical heritage by combining the forces of ALO’s Steve Adams and Dave Brogan; Tea Leaf Green’s Trevor Garrod, Reed Mathis, and Josh Clark; New Monsoon’s Phil Ferlino and Jeff Miller; Mother Hips’ Tim Bluhm, my fellow Butter Boys, and others! I’m tremendously honored and humbled that these incredible players have agreed to participate. Such a large pool of top-rate and varied talent will allow me to record the album using whatever formation best suits the needs of each individual song. The possibilities are endless, and I expect that we will create some delicious collaborations.
“We” includes you, by the way. You are receiving this announcement because I'm turning to my friends for support. I've spent the past seven years on the road touring full-time with Hot Buttered Rum, playing music and living out my dreams. Unfortunately, that dream hasn’t proved as lucrative as you might expect, making it a challenge to fund the City by the Bay project on my own. That is why I’m following the model of other artists who have created “fan-funded” albums. I've never turned to others for financial support before, but I'm confident in my ability to see this idea through. If you are interested, I've set up a PayPal account that allows you to contribute whatever amount you feel comfortable to help manifest and be a part of this exciting project.
Let me be clear: I’m not looking for a handout. By contributing, you not only get to be a part of an exhilarating project, but, like any producer, you also get something back. For example:
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$15 will get you a digital download of the album.
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$30 will get you a signed hard-copy CD.
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$50 will get you CD signed by all the artists involved.
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$100 will get you a signed CD and admission to an Aaron Redner and Friends concert, including a meet and greet with the artists.
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$200 will get you the $100 package plus a private lesson with me (mandolin or violin), as well as a personal thank you on the CD liner.
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$500 gets you the $200 package plus an additional 4 lessons at your home.
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$1,000 gets you a concert for you and your friends.
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$1,000+. Let’s talk!
Of course the financial increments described above are not set in stone, and you should feel free to give more or less than what I've listed according to your comfort level. If these aren’t jumping out at you, let’s talk. I’m a good dishwasher and beloved babysitter (or so my many “adopted” nieces and nephews tell me!), and I can cook up a mean shrimp scampi. Seriously, though. Whether you might want classical music to score a dinner party, an outdoor backyard concert, or a day next to the engineer in the studio, I’m sure we can work something out.
My goal is to raise at least $12,000 dollars, which will cover all expenses and ensure that we can complete the project by April. Of course, the more I raise, the more we can invest in the project and in its promotion. A series of concerts will be planned to debut the CD and will include musicians from the project.
Although I had previously floated December 25th as a fundraising deadline, this date is flexible and the fundraising will continue into 2010. Contributions can be made using the button in the box in the upper-right corner of this page. If I don’t raise enough by "go-time," I will send each donor back their full contribution, along with my sincere gratitude. I simply refuse to do this project halfway! If the PayPal thing isn't for you, donations can be sent by mail. (You can reach me by this contact form to get my address or to inquire further.)
The musicians are cued up, the studio is available...feel like chipping in?
Thank you in advance for your time and for your belief in my vision and talent.
Your friend,
Aaron Redner
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