Avoiding the Sophomore Slump

Hello Dear Friends,

It's lovely to see you. If you happen to be a fan of my music, you may have noticed that there hasn't been much in the way of music making around the Duke household as of late. I've taken an extended hiatus, some would say. Well, now I am ready to end that hiatus, and since I have decided that, I have been itching to create as much and as often as I can.

So. I would like to make a second album. I have the songs written and ready to go, I just need to get them performed, recorded, produced, mixed, mastered, and released. But here's the thing. Performers, recording, production, mixing, mastering, and releasing an album all cost money.  Money that I do not have. I would really like to share these songs with all of you, but I need help to pull it off.

Here is my plan. First, I need to use a real studio this time. I need to pay for studio time and an engineer, because I would like to get my band in there to play on a handful of these songs. My band worked so hard playing live shows all over town and in other towns, and they had a huge hand in making the songs what they are, so I would really like their talents to be showcased on my next album. Since recording can be a tedious process, and my band is stocked with serious, professional musicians, I would also like to actually PAY them for their time.

After all the tracks are laid down, I need to actually produce the record, which may require hired outside help. Then, getting the final product polished to perfection and masterfully mastered will also require outside, paid help. And finally, releasing the album costs money as well, not only for materials, but for costs that some people don't think of, such as updating my website, shipping costs for orders, and, should I be so lucky to collect enough funds for this: NEW MERCH.

So, my dear friends, should you be so inclined to help me on this mission, here is what you will be paying for, in a nutshell:
1. Studio Time
2. An engineer
3. Musicians
4. Production costs
5. Mastering
6. Album release (materials and shipping)
7. Website reconstruction
8. New merchandise.

Phew! That's a lot of stuff! See why I need help? So that is the "You scratch my back" part. Here is where I scratch yours: Every single donation, no matter how small or large, will receive a personal thank you from me. Every donation over $20 will receive a digital copy of a pre-album release song that I am already working on (Hint: It's NSFW). Any donation over $100 will receive a button and sticker pack, along with the song and personal thanks, and any donation over $200 will receive all of those things PLUS a credit on the album.

I am hoping to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later, so I will give this fundraising campaign 1 month to bear fruit. As donations roll in, I can start planning for things: booking studio time, offering payment to my band, maybe even designing some t-shirts.

I love each and every one of you for your constant support. Please know, no matter how small or large your donation may be, or even if you cannot donate at all, just the fact that I am in your thoughts means the world to me. I have immense, undying, unconditional love for each and everyone of you.

Love,
Natalie