Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week: Justin Townes Earle, Willie Nelson, and Guy Clark

Thousands, maybe millions, of words have been written about the effect crowdfunding has had on young independent artists who no longer have to endure the often arbitrary grind of the label system and can release new music by appealing directly to fans. But an increasing share of the crowdfunding market is established artists who are looking to make up for revenue lost to the streaming generation by offering extra incentives to buy physical or digital downloads of their work. This week’s edition of Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week will focus on three artists who are nearly household names, at least among Americana fans.

Willie Nelson- God’s Problem Child

In the roots music world, there aren’t many names bigger than Willie Nelson. One of the foundational artists in the outlaw country movement, the 83 year old Nelson is continuing to make new music and has taken to PledgeMusic to promote his new album God’s Problem Child. Backer rewards include signed copies of the album on CD or vinyl, a God’s Problem Child t-shirt, and a Willie Nelson pennant. Backers at all levels will also receive exclusive backer-only updates, including videos.

Justin Townes Earle- Kids in the Street

Having a parent who is well-known in the music business can be both a blessing and a curse. But Justin Townes Earle, son of Steve Earle, has fully stepped out of his father’s shadow to establish himself as one of the smartest songwriters in Americana music today, as well as a popular producer and collaborator. Earle’s new album, Kids in the Street, is set to release in May. A pre-order sale is up on PledgeMusic now and additional backer rewards include a signed copy of the album in CD, vinyl, and even cassette, a signed baseball, and a signed acoustic guitar.

Guy Clark- Best of the Dualtone Years

If any artist in Americana can rival Willie Nelson for adoration, it’s Guy Clark. While Clark was never as big a mainstream country success as Nelson, he is rightly considered one of the best songwriters in the genre, having mentored a number of Americana’s biggest names and influenced virtually all of them. Now, a year after Clark’s death, Dualtone is releasing a compilation double album of his best work while signed to that label. Dualtone was Clark’s last home, so the compilation will feature some of the stellar work of his later career. It will also include several live cuts and three never before released demo tracks. Backer rewards include the album in both CD and vinyl, a Guy Clark t-shirt, and a limited edition guitar lithograph.