CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Three Album Projects and L.A. Fire Suggestions

It would be remiss of me to write this month’s Crowdfunding Radar without acknowledging the greatest crowdfunding need going at this time: those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. There are a number of places where you can donate to relief efforts. For general aid, The American Red Cross is always a good place to start. If you’re looking to help musicians affected by the wildfires, MusiCares is taking donations for members of the music community. Many musicians have also set up GoFundMe campaigns on their own, so if one of your favorite independent artists lives in the Los Angeles area, check their social media to see if there’s a link. Now, with that said, I’ve got three great crowdfunding album projects to present to you this month, ranging from a Nashville veteran to an artist looking to make her debut album and another skipping the typical crowdfunding avenues to go her own way.

Phil Madeira —Falcon and Super Session (click here to view campaign)
Sometimes I’ll write that an artist is a “veteran crowdfunder.” This usually means they’ve got three or four campaigns under their belt. By that measure, we need a new title for Phil Madeira, who is currently running his 13^th Kickstarter campaign and it’s a big one. This time, Madeira’s not just funding one album but two. Falcon is a set of 10 new songs plus a recording of his hit “Maybe,” which was originally made famous by Alison Krauss. Super Session is a “live” in-studio recording featuring the rest of the Phil Madeira Trio, Bryan Owings and Chris Donohue. Backer perks abound on this $35,000 goal Kickstarter project. The albums are available in digital, CD, and vinyl formats. You can also get one of the “Broken Bird” paintings that have graced his Mercyland records, a backer exclusive film from the Super Session recording, a listening party for the record, and a chance to pitch him a song for the next Mercyland record.

Lucy Clearwater—Debut Album (click here to view campaign)
It only seems fitting to follow up a veteran like Phil Madeira with an artist looking to get her first work out into the world. The California native has a fairly extensive YouTube channel for a new artist and a listen through reveals a folksy, melodic vocal style, which in places reminds me of Amy Speace. To record her debut, Clearwater is working with Grammy-nominated producer Tyler Chester (Watkins Family Hour, Carsie Blanton) and is running a $12,000 Kickstarter campaign to get her across the finish line. The album is only available during the campaign in a vinyl option, limited to 100 copies. You can also get a hand-painted tote bag, a limited edition t-shirt, a private virtual concert, unreleased demos of all the album’s songs, and an album listening party.

Xanthe Alexis—New Album Fundraiser (click here to donate)
Some artists like the ease and ready-made e-commerce platform available on sites like Kickstarter and IndieGogo. Others prefer to take a more direct route, raising money through their own website and skipping the fees. One of the latter is Xanthe Alexis. Alexis garnered significant buzz for her 2020 album, The Offering, and for her live performances since then, including a No Depression Session at last year’s Folk Alliance. Alexis heads back into the studio in April and is raising funds for her new album in the simplest way possible, through a Venmo link on her website. She will also be holding an album fundraiser concert at a Cellotree Arts Presents event in Nashville. The album itself features some big-time guests including Jimbo Hart, Sarah Clanton, Andy Beckley, and Jeff King.