UPDATE: From March 31st to April 14th I'm reopening this fundraiser to help finish recording this album with the momentum it deserves. We've almost finished tracking all the instruments and just need to finalize some vocals. After that we'll master the album and begin promoting it for release. We need ~$900 to do that comfortably, anything you can contribute is welcome!

I'm Friendmaker, a songwriter based in Silverton, Oregon. I've been writing and recording music for 11 years. In May I released my most recent EP, Balms (available on streaming services).

My next project is called Eternal Howdies. It's a collection of songs influenced by Willie Nelson, Marty Robins, and some of the cowboy songs that have accompanied me over the years. This project began when I wrote a song inspired by a good friend's divorce and realized that I needed to write more songs to accompany this sad-sack country tune. The results of my efforts are songs about a garter snake, my favorite radio station, mental illness, love, the death of a dear friend, religious trauma, and the beauty of life. Instead of forcing songs to cohabitate as unwilling roommates like I usually do, I've written an album of songs meant to share thematic space with each other.

I've been able to record past projects by delving into my shallow pockets and relying on the generosity of the wonderful sound engineers I know. I recorded the six songs of Balms on a snug budget of ~$2,000. For Eternal Howdies I hope to record ten of the song's I've written. I'd also like to pay the friends who have been sharing their musical talents with me for years. That's why I'm asking you for your help.

I'd like to raise $4,000 for this project. The majority of that will go toward the recording, mixing, and mastering of the songs. The rest will go toward paying the musicians who agree to help me bring this modern western vision to life. A rough budget:

Recording/Mixing of each song: ~$250 ($2,500 total)

Mastering: $550

Paying Musicians: ~$750 (divided between 6-8 musicians)

Marketing/Merchandise/Extra Expenses: $200

With your help, I hope to have recorded, mastered and released Eternal Howdies by Summer 2025.

Thank you for your generosity and willingness to support my efforts and local music in our community.