Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week: Lindsay Lou and Willie Nile
Chris Griffy
Posted On February 25, 2018
As I write this edition of Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week, it’s been raining almost constantly for a week. While it makes getting anything done outside a bit problematic, it does lend itself to some discovery of new music. Fortunately, things are on the uptick on the crowdfunding sites, with new campaigns from a number of artists.
Lindsay Lou and her band The Flatbellys hail from Michigan, but in the last few years her music has taken on a decidedly international flavor, as has her popularity. She has not only impressed with performances at major American festivals like Telluride, Americanafest, and Mountain Stage, where she was singled out by NPR in 2015 as one of the best, but has also impressed at European fests like Celtic Connection. In April, Lindsay Lou will release her newest album, Southland, and has a PledgeMusic campaign where fans can snag some extra merchandise in addition to pre-ordering the new album. The album will be available in all of the major current formats, including 180g vinyl, and other backer rewards include a signed poster, a variety of t-shirts, and a disposable camera with pictures from the road (assuming you can find somewhere that still develops film, a harder prospect by the day).
Willie Nile- Untitled New Album
Any new music from Willie Nile is cause for celebration. The rocker, who has shared stages with the likes of The Who and The E Street Band, spent last year supporting his excellent album of rocked up Bob Dylan covers Positively Bob, but what any fan really wants is original material from Nile’s pen. Fortunately, it looks like Nile is ready to hit the studio and give us just that. On the page for his new PledgeMusic campaign, Nile notes that he’s in rehearsals with his band now for an album of all new material. The album is untitled at this time, but it’s already over 40% funded in its first week up, so other fans’ enthusiasm is apparently as high as mine. Backer rewards include signed copies of the album on both major formats (fortunately not on cassette. No one needs to see that format revive), your names in the liner notes, a chance to introduce Nile to the stage at a show, and a sightseeing tour of Nile’s Greenwich Village neighborhood.
