Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week: Hymn for Her, 10,000 Maniacs, Hot Buttered Rum

Just as the music business has moved more toward streaming content from physical media, crowdfunding has also fundamentally changed the musical landscape. It has allowed artists the opportunity to take the cost of album production directly to their fans, skipping the traditional label system and allowing for more direct artist control. But with so many campaigns and so many sites, how to find which acts are worth backing? That’s where I come in. Each week, I will highlight three current roots music crowdfunding campaigns, as well as some of the more unique backer rewards available with each. Does your band have a crowdfunding campaign going? Send me an e-mail with a link to the campaign and a way to hear some of your music. I will pick my favorites to be highlighted here.

Hot Buttered Rum- 3 EP Project

San Francisco-based progressive bluegrass group Hot Buttered Rum is known for their collaborative nature, having played with everyone from Bela Fleck to Phil Lesh. So it comes as no surprise that they’ve lined up some heavy hitters to help out with their new project, three distinctly different EP highlighting acoustic folk, traditional bluegrass, and late night dance music. On board to produce are Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth, Sally Van Meter, and Kyle Hollingsworth of String Cheese Incident. Backer rewards include a postcard signed by all five band members and mailed from one of their tour stops, bass lessons with Bryan Horne, and a chance to have Hot Buttered Rum record a song of your choosing in their own style.

10,000 Maniacs- Playing Favorites

Since their debut album in 1983, 10,000 Maniacs has flowed between numerous musical genres, from pop to alternative rock to folk rock, but have always managed to sound like nobody but 10,000 Maniacs. Now the current incarnation of the band, which features Dennis Drew, Steve Gustafson, Jerry Augustyniak, Mary Ramsey, and Jeff Erickson, are Playing Favorites with a new live recording that spans the group’s long career. They have also dug into their physical archives for pieces of 10,000 Maniacs history to offer as backer rewards. These include a Blind Man’s Zoo adverted originally published in NME magazine, a 1985 show schedule from Musik Convoy, and an Unplugged Platinum record plaque.

Hymn for Her- New Album

If ever a band fit the crowdfunding model, it is Hymn for Her. The husband and wife duo of Lucy Tight and Wayne Waxing have always had a thoroughly DIY mindset to their music and a connection with their fanbase that goes far beyond the typical “meet, greet, and sign” band routines. They also never take themselves too seriously, as is evidenced by the fact that their current Kickstarter campaign starts with a plea to help them pay for a 500,000 mile oil change for their well-traveled van and then mentions, oh by the way, we’re also recording a new album. Backer rewards for the campgaign include a signed postcard from the road that will include “something unique about our band and our day”, a Skype concert, and a chance to ride along with the pair for five days on the road.