Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week: The Yardbirds, Michael McDonald, and Marc Cohn
Chris Griffy
Posted On August 6, 2017
If you keep up with music news at all, you know that album sales have been in the tank for several years now. One consequence of this is that many classic artists have given up on recording new material entirely. Why spend two weeks in the studio recording an album few people will buy when those same two weeks could be spent doing 6-8 shows in a shed, peddling your hits from the ’70s or ’80s, and making money? But some classic artists still feel the call to write and record new material. This week’s edition of Crowdfunding Campaigns of the Week focuses on three popular legacy acts, including two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, who are currently offering pre-orders of their new studio albums on PledgeMusic.
The Yardbirds- Untitled New Album
There is arguably no rock and roll band in history that has served as a better incubator for guitar gods than The Yardbirds. Not only is the band itself in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but three of its former members (Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck), are in more than once. Now founding member Jim McCarty and his current lineup of Yardbirds, which includes Kenny Aaronson, John Idan, Myke Scavone, and Johnny A, are headed into the studio to add another chapter to the band’s long history. Teaming up with The Yardbirds for the new album is producer Jack Douglas, who has worked with everyone from Aerosmith to Alice Cooper. Backer rewards include signed copies of the album on CD and vinyl, a chance to perform onstage with the band, and an opportunity to attend a soundcheck and have dinner with the band.
It would be easier to list the people Michael McDonald hasn’t worked with than those who had. A former member of The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, McDonald has collaborated with everyone from Kenny Loggins to Thundercat on his own solo work. McDonald’s new album, Wide Open, has already seen the release of its first single, “Find It in Your Heart.” The new album is available for pre-order from PledgeMusic. Backer rewards include signed copies of the album on CD and vinyl, a set of Michael McDonald doodle postcards, and a signed lyric print of “Takin’ It to the Streets.”
Marc Cohn scored a surprising hit in 1991 with his single “Walking in Memphis.” While he hasn’t reached those chart heights since, he has steadily recorded a series of albums since and retained a strong following with his soulful take on light rock. Marc Cohn’s new album is coming in 2018 and, to raise capital, he has taken to PledgeMusic with not only that album on offer but a pair of other releases on offer as well. The first is Careful What You Dream: Lost Songs and Rarities, a collection of demos recorded more than 25 years ago, before his commercial success. The second is Evolution of a Record, which features early demos of “Walking in Memphis” and “True Companion.” Other backer rewards include shirts, tote bags, a handwritten lyric sheet, and, if you happen to have $25,000 to spare, a chance to have Cohn perform “True Companion” at your wedding.
