CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Justin Golden, David Johansen Cancer Fundraisers; New Albums from Mark Erelli, Jimmy Touzel, and Molly Thomas

As with last month’s column, I open this month not with a campaign for a new album (though those will come) but with crowdfunding campaigns of a more personal nature. The first is a GoFundMe campaign for country blues musician Justin Golden. Golden was diagnosed with Stage Four of a rare cancer in January and has been in the hospital fighting it since. Golden already has nearly 800 pledges since his campaign launched, but is still short of his $75,000 funding goal to pay for medical expenses and loss of income from missed shows.

The second campaign also deals with a musician with Stage Four cancer, this time a brain tumor. David Johansen was frontman for seminal glam rockers New York Dolls before branching out into solo projects exploring blues and folk. In addition to a brain tumor, Johansen broke his back in November and now requires around-the-clock nursing care. The Sweet Relief Musical Fund has organized a crowdfunding campaign for Johansen, and is as selling special t-shirt the proceeds from which will go to the fund.

Now, on to the more traditional campaigns:

Mark Erelli- Two Albums (click here to view campaign)
Mark Erelli is best known as an acclaimed producer and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with the likes of Lori McKenna, Paula Cole, and Josh Ritter. He’s also a prolific solo musician, having released thirteen records over his long career. Now he’s planning to add two more to that total and is running a $45,000 Kickstarter campaign to release not just a new studio album but also Live in Rockport, his first live album. You can get both albums, separately or together, in digital, CD, or vinyl formats, including a limited edition test pressing of Live in Rockport. Other backer perks include a thank you note, a hand-written lyrics sheet, a songwriting lesson, and a cover song of your choice.

Jimmy Touzel Bluegrass Explosion- Debut Album (click here to view campaign)
Jimmy Touzel is a classically trained bassist and a stalwart of the California Bay Area roots music scene for the last twenty years. During that time, he’s explored everything from blues to jazz to traditional old-time music. Now he’s ready to debut his newest project, the Jimmy Touzel Bluegrass Explosion. With the “high and lonesome” sound expected of any traditional bluegrass band, the Bluegrass Explosion features some of the best instrumentalist in the Bay Area. To reach his $10,000 Kickstarter funding goal, Touzel is offering a number of backer perks. You can get an early backer copy of the album in digital, cassette, CD, and vinyl formats. He is also offering his last album, Lonesome Lullabies, in all of these formats. Additionally, Touzel is offering a screen-printed t-shirt, a poster limited to just 38 copies, and a chance to have your name listed in the album credits.

Molly Thomas- Tumble Home (click here to view campaign)
In addition to her solo career, Molly Thomas is well-known as an in demand side musician, gracing the stage with the likes of Todd Snider, Will Kimbrough, Guster, Amelia White, and The White Buffalo. She is also an impressive crafting artist, a talent which shows in the rewards for her $15,000 Kickstarter campaign. You can get Tumble Home in digital, CD, or vinyl formats. You can also get a candle made from the clay around Thomas’ home in Mobile Bay, AL, earrings handcrafted by Thomas, a thank you note in the album credits, a chance to have Thomas play strings on your recording session, and a framed string score of your favorite song from the album.