About this project
Like I said. And like THEY all said, if you've watched the video now. My name's Jake Ousley. I started playing music professionally almost 2 years ago with the release of my first EP called Times Like These. Since then, I've played over 200 shows all over the country.You've seen me in churches, bars, camps, and even your houses. I Love what I get to do.
Lately, However - wherever I go, people are saying the SAME thing.
"Jake, we love the music. THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH OF IT."
Yes, people are saying that they are tired of the same 6 songs after two years of hearing them. And even though I love those songs, frankly, I am getting there as well. :)
I've been writing NEW songs since I recorded my last project and am almost ready to share them with the world. However, a very expensive recording budget stands in my way. To get the right producer, studio, and players on a record it can be VERY expensive. Luckily for you and me, Kickstarter has made a way.
When you buy the packages that you see on the right side of this page, you partner with me and help me get one step closer to funding my new album.
The goal is a big one. $10,000. But I really think we can do it. I'm scheduled to start recording an album in January with a tentative release date of 1-2 months after that.
So many of you guys have encouraged me to go for this. And well...here we are. GOING FOR IT. This i not possible without YOU. YOU are the only reason i have continued to do this for a living. YOU buy the music. YOU come to shows. And I am forever grateful. I love more than anything that I get to do this WITH, and along side of YOU. I also, SERIOUSLY think we can reach the goal by the deadline. Thanks again for your support, and for taking the time to read this and watch the video. I'll see you out there and talk to you even sooner.
FAQ
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301
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$12,308
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on December 4.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
PACKAGE 1- PRE-ORDER A digital download of the album before the release date.
Pledge $15 or more Pledge $15 or more
PACKAGE 2 - GOODS + STICKER - Get a physical copy of the cd mailed to you before it releases with an exclusive " I kickstarted Jake Ousley " sticker. + package 1 (these are a one time only item…)
Pledge $30 or more Pledge $30 or more
PACKAGE 3 - GOODS 2.0 + An "I'm Jake Ousley" / KICKSTARTER T-Shirt. - Everything in packages 1 & 2 plus an exclusive "i'm Jake Ousley" / Kickstarter SHIRT available ONLY through this kickstarter campaign.
Pledge $60 or more Pledge $60 or more
PACKAGE 4 - FRIENDS TALK ON THE PHONE. - All previous packages + a phone call/video chat from me expressing my heart felt thanks for your support. We can talk about the weather - songwriting or the weather, wait I already said weather. I'll take the initiative and CALL YOU!
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
PACKAGE 5 - Get a JAKE OUSLEY PLAYS MUSIC T-SHIRT and have me write, and sing, a personal song for you at any show you attend. I will sing it unashamedly FOR YOU "Steve, you are my favooooooorrrrrriiiiitttttteeeeeeee….." (not actual song. : ) ) . + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
PACKAGE 6 - PHONE CALL + IN STUDIO FOOTAGE. Get exclusive "IN STUDIO" footage of me recording my album during the recording process. You'll see all the BEHIND THE SCENCES stuff as it happens. Just wanna chat or see how the recording process is going? Again, I'll Skype or call you from the studio so you can see exactly what's going on. you can even chat with my producer for a brief minute - Mr. Josh Robinson. . + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE
Pledge $125 or more Pledge $125 or more
PACKAGE 7 - PHONE SONG + LINER NOTES. DOUBLE UP on package 7 and I'll call anyone you want and sing them a song. PLUS get your name in the album liner notes. You have the option of it being you or a friend, and i'll either just make it up, or play any song you want. + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE.
Pledge $175 or more Pledge $175 or more
PACKAGE 8 - SEE THE WRITING PROCESS Listen to demos and see rough lyrical sketches of the songs. Get a tour of the songs as they were being created. I'll Skype you in right from my house and tell you exactly why I wrote a specific song. + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
PACKAGE 9 - ALL THE GOODS. Get a digital download of my christmas ep for the holiday season (you'll have it in time for christmas), a personal, signed, copy of my EP TIMES LIKE THESE to you, and dinner with me and a band mate at our choice of restaurant in the town that you come to see a show. (yes, the price of meal is included for a couple folks. :) we'll choose the place! ) + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE.
Pledge $350 or more Pledge $350 or more
PACKAGE 10 - SONG WRITING SESSION - Come to nashville and write a song with me. We'll get going around 10 am, break for lunch and then come back to finish it up. (Travel Expenses not included.) If you can't make it to nashville, we'll just write it over Skype or ichat. It can work, trust me. + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
PACKAGE 11 - IN STUDIO DAY + FULL TEAM DINNER Have you ever wondered what its like to be in a real studio with a real producer? Come sit in on the recording process. Then at night, we'll go out to dinner with the ENTIRE creative team. From the guy who designed the album cover all the way to the guy who played drums on the album. You can sit and ask them all kind of questions. The price of your dinner is included. just not all the other guys. :) (Also, this unfortunately, is subject to the schedule of other people. But we'll make it work!) + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
PACKAGE 14 - BREAKFAST AND A CONCERT - I'll come to your house and play a house concert. I'll even cook breakfast for dinner. That's kind of my specialty. So it'll be like dinner and a movie, except, breakfast and a concert…moving on…I'll sing the song i wrote for you and your friends, tell stories,and the like. It'll be unforgettable. (dates have to fit in with touring schedule and other scheduled events, but don't worry, we'll get you in! - also does not include travel expenses if more than 400 miles from nashville.) + EVERYTHING ELSE
Pledge $650 or more Pledge $650 or more
PACKAGE 12 - NASHVILLE TOUR. Come to Nashville for a day, and i'll take you on a tour to all my favorite places. Includes lunch at a surprise destination. (3 person max on the lunch. :) ) GO IN WITH YOUR FRIENDS on this one and let's make it a memorable day.
Pledge $800 or more Pledge $800 or more
PACKAGE 13 - SING ON MY ALBUM - That's right. Are you an aspiring vocalist? Come to the studio in nashville where i'll record my album and you can show us what you can do. Work with the producer to sing background vocals on an actual song of mine. Wanna go in with some friends and do a group vocal? LET'S DO IT. You'll also be featured in the "FEATURED" section in the back of the album (must actually be able to sing. sorry ryan. JUST KIDDING…) + EVERYTHING ELSE.
Pledge $1,500 or more Pledge $1,500 or more
"I'M JAKE OUSLEY" - Wonder what its' like to be a touring artist? Ever want to do that yourself? Come with me and band member to a show to see what " a day in the life looks like on the road…" Travel with me and pick the set list. + EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE. Go in with some friends on this one and you can drive another car. You can hang out with us all day. We'll make some fun stops and give you the high class treatment at the show of your choice. Sit in the green room. Eat the fruit, drink the water. We'll pamper you. promise. (Sorry, does not include House concert - package 14)
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
CAROLS & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - You'll have your name listed as EXECUTIVE PRODUCER on the album. I will also dress up like Santa and come sing Christmas songs to whoever you want. It could be in an office building, on a street corner, or your garage. Think of it like a sing-o-gram. I could even just sit in your living room and sing to your family while you open presents. I'll do it. Seriously. Go in with your friends on this one. It'll be BUCKETS of fun. + EVERYTHING ELSE. (carol session must be within 400 miles of nashville. Must fit within touring schedule, HOUSE CONCERT IS INCLUDED IN THIS, Just not the nashville tour. :) )
Pledge $3,000 or more Pledge $3,000 or more
PACKAGE 17 - YOU BE THE STAR - Come write a song with me and get it recorded! We'll spend all day in the studio recording your song and we'll send you home with your own version. (Does not include the house show. but does include the nashville tour if you want it & dinner with some of the guys who worked on the record! Like I said, go in with some friends, and we'll all get in there and have some fun. It'll be a full day of. (Sorry, also, doesn't include travel expenses for ya if further than 400 miles from Nashville. DOES NOT INCLUDE HOUSE CONCERT, OR PACKAGE 15.)
Project By
Connected as Eric Staples (916 friends)
Jake Ousley is a singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. And you are going to love him, if you don’t already. Sure, it’s his voice and songwriting that got you here. Because his songs pull at you like the feeling you get when you pull up to your house from being gone too long, or when you have a good night with great friends. That kind of sentiment in his songwriting is what got him here. But it’s also the talent and the time and the way he glides words up to music and makes them dance together.
Jake didn’t start out on the stage. He attended college at Belmont University and through a series of nice-to-meet-ya’s, Jake ended up meeting Dave Barnes and Matt Wertz, two local musicians. Dave and Matt headed out to tour and play shows across the country and they grabbed Jake by the collar and threw him in the van…
As a tour manager.
Out of his element, and admittedly out of his skill set, Jake worked hard, got the job done, and lived out on the road with those musicians. Performing wasn’t on Jake’s radar- he wasn’t out on the road as a step towards a career. He wrote songs every now and then, but never did he plan on following in the footsteps of the guys he was out on the road with.
When his touring season ended, Jake left Nashville and to some extent, left the idea of being a songwriter. Spending some time away from Nashville though, ended up being exactly what brought Jake back.
Jake moved to Michigan in 2008, taking a job in youth ministry. Out of the pressure of a songwriter-saturated town, Jake’s writing changed shape. It became a place of rest, a place of release. Jake wrote out of his heart, from what he knows, and the songs were good. People took notice. Young Life Camps began to bring Jake out for concerts. Spending the summer at Wilderness Ranch, he saw first hand how people responded positively to his music.
“Jake has been a dear friend for a long long time, so when he told me he had started to write and sing i didn’t know if he was joking or not. But it’s no joke, my friends. His songs get stuck in my head, as much, if not more than some of my favorite artists out there. He has the unique gift of having a voice that perfectly suits his songs, both of which I LOVE.”
- Dave Barnes
“Jake Ousley sings with an earnestness and longing that draw me in every time. His songs, like Jake, draw from a deep well that is instantly endearing and relatable- you’re gonna love him!”
– Matt Wertz
So here he is. Living in Nashville as a singer/songwriter. Making good music. Writing new songs. Spending hours at the piano or with his guitar. After the release of EP Times Like These in April of 2010, Jake has been traveling those songs for whoever will listen. And at the end of the day Jake has found success. Because to him, success is this. Right here. Today. Playing music for you.
And this is only the beginning.
