CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Nefesh Mountain, Laura Mock, and Gloria Anderson

A major challenge of crowdfunding is that you’re selling something that doesn’t exist yet. You’re selling the idea of an album or a movie or a book in hopes of raising the money to make that idea a reality. But where there is a challenge, there is also opportunity for the savvy crowdfunder. Raising money ahead of the creation of a project provides a chance to market a look at the making of the product as a backer perk or perks. Some of the most successful crowdfunders become that way by connecting with their backers, by providing a behind the curtain look at the process of creation. This week’s three projects all contain perks that include behind the scenes access.

We Sing Nonetheless: A Documentary Film Featuring Nefesh Mountain- (view project here)
In many ways, this is a project that’s very existence is a look behind the scenes. Nefesh Mountain is a progressive bluegrass and roots band whose latest album, Beacons, was recently released to favorable reviews. Now filmmakers Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip are producing a documentary about the band’s core members, husband and wife duo Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg. The film follows Zasloff and Lindberg’s struggles and successes as a married couple with a child managing life as a touring band, as well as how they navigate an increasingly fractured world as a band whose music is heavily influenced by Jewish culture and traditions. Among the backer perks included in the $118,000 Kickstarter project is the opportunity to have either the band or filmmakers carry a disposable camera with them for a few days to capture images of life behind the scenes. Other backer perks include streaming access to the film upon its completion, a copy of Nefesh Mountain’s new album Beacons in digital, CD, or vinyl formats, access to all of the films by the filmmakers’ Upstander Project library, your name in the credits of the film, and an autographed Nefesh Mountain setlist.

Laura Mock—Singles Release Project (click here to view campaign)
Laura Mock first burst onto the scene in 2024 with her EP Home//Body. The success of that project, garnered over 12,000 Spotify streams and reviews in many major publications, and led Mock, whose brand of folk-pop reminds me in some ways of latter-day Joan Osborne, to run a $6,000 Kickstarter project to release three new singles. Working with producer Jason Sill, Mock plans to release the singles in stages throughout 2025. This campaign truly embraces the behind the scenes access plan, with a $50 perk tier including periodic updates on the progress of the project and works in progress clips that won’t be released to the general public until after the singles go live. Other backer perks include stickers from her previous Home//Body album and a cover video of your choice.

Gloria Anderson— The Run of the Mill (click here to view campaign)
Texas-bred songwriter Gloria Anderson brings the best of both her home state and Nashville, where she attended artist breeding ground Belmont University, to her mix of classic country and Americana music. Along the way, she’s been featured on Spotify’s “Fresh Finds,” performed at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe, and been a finalist in the Kerrville New Folk competition. Now she’s working with producers Jeff King and Tammy Rogers King of The Steeldrivers to bring her new album, The Run of the Mill, to life. To anchor her $27,000 Kickstarter campaign, Anderson has a number of backer perks, including what she calls the “BTS Baddie” tier, offering backer-exclusive voice memo acoustic work tapes of the songs from the project, as well as a handwritten lyrics sheet. Other perks include early access to the album in CD format, merchandise such as an air freshener, t-shirt, and stickers, the opportunity to have Anderson write a personalized song for you, to sponsor a song with credits in the album’s liner notes, and a house concert.