Kickstarter

Dear Kickstarter backers,

Have I told you lately that I love you? After recording the first song for this album two years ago, beginning the recording process in earnest in February, launching this Kickstarter project in April and reaching my funding goal in May, I have finally received 13 boxes filled with copies of Leaky Boats and Paper Birds! In fact, I am holding a copy in my hand as I write (which may explain why it's been difficult to type this paragraph). I'm attaching a picture of the cover art to this update, for those of you who haven't seen it yet.

Those of you who requested copies of the album or other swag with your donation have either already received your reward or will receive it in the very near future. It was so much fun putting together all the packages! I've attached a picture of my living room assembly line. Please let me know (katie@katiedahlmusic.com) if any of you received the wrong reward or if something got damaged in shipping; I'll be happy to replace whatever!

Those of you who opted to forego a reward for your contribution have displayed a strain of self-abnegation I have never possessed in matters of music (or chocolate). Thank you. In case you are still interested in buying your own copy of "Leaky Boats," I've created a PayPal link on my website. The album is also available at a growing number of Door County retailers and will (I hope) be available on CDBaby and iTunes in a few weeks.

The album has already gotten one favorable review--from Wisconsin Public Radio's folk DJ, Stephanie Elkins--and I posted it at the bottom of the CD purchase page in case some of you would like to see the good results of your donations!

I'd like to say just one more time how floored I have been by your generosity throughout this entire process. Thank you so much for sealing the leaks, lifting the birds, and making this record real. I couldn't have done it without you.

Katie

To my dear Kickstarter backers:

I've been meaning for a while to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! My Kickstarter project officially closed two weeks ago at--if you include some donations I got from folks directly--over twice of my original goal of $3,000. With that help, I'll be able to print more CDs than I originally expected (which is more financially efficient), and I'm going to be able to print all the lyrics to the songs in my (environmentally friendly!) CD packaging. Wow!

The exciting news on the CD front is that last night I spent what I think is my last night in the studio. It's ready to go off to be mastered. (Now I think I know what my mom felt like when she took me off to college.)

What that means for all of you is that those of you who requested rewards with your donations will be getting an email from me in the next couple of days, asking for some more information about how to deliver your prizes. Though the CD won't officially be released till mid-July, I'm hoping to have it in your mailboxes a couple of weeks before that.

I can't wait for you to hear and see this project that we've created together.

Leakily yours,

Katie

Oh my goodness, everybody: the leaky boat is floating! I cannot believe how generous you’ve been in the two and a half days since I launched my Kickstarter campaign. The album is already 90% funded, and we've got another 18 days to make up the final 10%. Wow!

I really can’t tell you how much your donations mean to me. The money you've donated is so helpful--in fact, it's vital to getting the CD finished and out into the world in a timely manner. And on a less tangible level, I’m just so touched by your belief in this project. I don’t know who amazes me more, the friends and family who’ve signed up to help (as if you haven’t already helped so much over the years), or those of you I don’t even know who’ve kicked in toward the cause (unless by chance you’re all my mother, using different aliases every time). (Just kidding.) The bottom line is—you’re all fabulous.

Thanks to your support, I’m more inspired than ever to get this album ready to go out into the world! We’ve got just a few tracks left to record—a little bit of percussion tomorrow morning, and a few harmonies next week—and then we’ll move onto mixing and mastering and graphic design and printing. I’ll try not to overwhelm you with update emails via Kickstarter, but I’ll also occasionally touch base to keep you up to date on the album and how it’s coming along.

If and when my project is fully funded, Kickstarter will allow me to ask you for your email and mailing addresses to deliver the goodies you’ve signed up for (probably in late June or early July for physical products).

In the meantime, we’re really close to the goal, but we’re not there yet. Thanks so much to those of you who have shared the link on your Facebook page. Anything you can do to spread the word even further is hugely appreciated. Just copy and paste this link onto your Facebook status or into an email to a friend: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1385939851/katie-dahls-new-album-leaky-boats-and-paper-birds

A note: I will be completely satisfied--no, thrilled--if we reach the goal of $3,000. But if by chance we should exceed that goal, rest assured that all the money donated will go toward the album effort in some way. Two likely uses for any extra funding include (1) even more eco-friendly CD packaging (there’s a package you can get with 100% post-consumer recycled material, which costs about 10 cents extra per CD) and (2) extra-good distribution and publicity for the album so it has a chance to make a bit of a splash (it is a leaky boat, after all) in the folk music world.

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, there’s a feature on my Kickstarter page in today’s issue of Door County’s Peninsula Pulse. You can read it online here.

Thanks again, everyone! Leakily yours,

Katie