About this project

(Updated Monday, August 2nd):

It's the hottest week of the year here in Nashvegas and it also happens to be the last week you can pledge to our Kickstarter project! In honor of the heat (mostly because it makes us feel weak in the knees, leading us to make silly decisions) we're switching things up a bit - all for your benefit. Now EVERYONE who pledges $1 or more to the project will be given access to the exclusive "For Kickstarter Backers Only" online show at 7p(CST) via USTREAM on the night of fundraiser completion, Sunday, August 8th! We'll take requests, answer any questions you may have, and generally just chillax and have a good time.

Yes, we met our goal of $10,000 (currently at $11,166), but the actual cost of the record will be around $15,000, so your donations are still useful and appreciated. We've listed the donation tiers below. AND we've got a promo video of us talking about the record (we thought you MIGHT want to know where your big bucks are going!).

You are legendary, the top, scrumptrulescent, and the like. Hope to see you online this Sunday!

- Jenny & Tyler

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We reached our goal of $10,000 in just six days! Needless to say, we are feeling blessed and humbled.

Because we still have 26 days left, we're offering an added incentive: anyone who donates $1 or more to the project will receive an invite to a private "For Kickstarter Eyes Only" online show via USTREAM on the night of fundraiser completion, Sunday, August 8th! We'll use the extra funds to market the record and buy new live sound equipment, so that we won't have to use Tyler's dad's anymore :)

Finally, if you're outside of the US and want to donate via Paypal/any major credit card, we're accepting donations that way. Simply visit http://jennyandtylermusic.com/donate. If you pledge $35 or higher, please email us about where you'd like us to ship the record (jennyandtyler@gmail.com) If $60 or higher, include your t-shirt size. Also, the currency is in US dollars, so you may have to go here to convert.

Thank you for believing in us!

- Jenny & Tyler

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Hello there. We are Jenny & Tyler, a husband and wife folk-pop duo out of Nashville. We write songs, play stringed instruments, and sing. We've released a couple records before and now we're working on our third full-length album, entitled "Faint Not." This album is going to be the best yet, in terms of the songs and production, in our humble, yet biased opinion. However, this means it's going to cost a little more money, which is why you're here.

We're partnering with the lovely people at Kickstarter to try to raise funds for the project. Our goal is $10,000. We know this seems like a gigantic number, but as far as records go, this is actually really inexpensive. The songs are finished, mostly recorded, but we still need to pay the producer, mixer, mastering guy, artwork folks, and some of our talented players. If funds surpass $10,000, we'll probably put them into marketing and promotion, so that more than just our mailing list will know about this.

We have some really talented people working with us and we're so grateful for them. The record will be mixed by Shane D. Wilson (David Crowder, Caedmon's Call, Shane & Shane, Derek Webb and more) and mastered by Bob Boyd (Caedmon's Call, Shane & Shane, Mute Math, etc). We also have some exciting guest musicians. Watch the video to find out who.

You may be asking yourself, "What do I get out of helping you, Jenny & Tyler?" Thankfully, there are many answers! First and foremost there is the satisfaction that comes with knowing you're supporting a worthy cause (at least in our opinion). But let me speed ahead to where you get EXCLUSIVE FANCY TREATS in return for helping out!

These treats include but are not limited to: -Advance copies of the album
-Music available exclusively to Kickstarter donors
-Video available exclusively to Kickstarter donors
-Greeting Cards, Stickers, T-Shirts and more
-Tours of Nashville
-Private Living Room Concerts
-For those in the D/FW area, a barbecue with us, Jenny's parents, and Stewart (the one-eyed cat)
-Jenny's 1st Mandolin (made by her father, who is a luthier)
-A custom, handmade guitar made by Jenny's luthier father.

You can read the column on the right of the page for a full list of incentives! Every reward level includes all the incentives from the previous levels too! (with one exception: the $1500 tier doesn't include the $750 one)

If we reach our goal by the deadline, the project will be funded and you will get stuff. If we fail to reach our goal, however, we will get nothing, you will not be charged, and you will not receive your rewards. Jenny will surely cry.

Thanks so much for checking out our Kickstarter project. We hope you'll consider helping us out and spreading the word to those people in your life who love helping and/or getting stuff!!

Let's do this!

Jenny & Tyler

Project location: Nashville, TN

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To see Jenny and Tyler perform live is to be invited into their home and treated like an old friend. Audiences of all sizes are captivated instantly by the percussive guitar, soaring vocals, and harmonies to die for all wrapped up in a unique fusion sound a fan dubbed 'soulgrass'. But it is not the music alone that makes Jenny and Tyler so special; as they sing together, they manage to share deep parts of themselves in honest and engaging ways. This same intimacy translates onto both their debut and sophomore independent albums and has left many of their fans marveling at how they are able to express authentic personal emotion in such a public medium. The answer to this question is brought to light by the way Jenny and Tyler began making music together.

Born in Wilmington, DE in a home drenched in jazz and Barbra Streisand, Tyler was raised to the tune of his father's original compositions and his mother's voice crooning jazz standards. It wasn't long before Tyler picked up a guitar and began writing music of his own. One might say Jenny grew up steeped in old-timey tradition. Bluegrass and Southern Gospel formed the soundtrack of her early years, and she too began to find a home for self-expression in the art of songwriting.

In the fall of 2004 Jenny and Tyler met on a bus taking them from the University of Delaware to church. Almost immediately they began writing songs together. "It seemed natural for music to be part of our relationship, as it was such a big part of who we were individually," muses Tyler. They didn't form a duo right away; instead they helped each other with songs and backed each other up at shows. Tyler formed a band with his roommate, and Jenny continued to write and perform as a solo act. Before long Jenny and Tyler began dating and in the summer of 2006 they began work on an album together. "Really up until we started recording A Prelude we weren't a band," Jenny says. "Before that I wrote songs as a kind of therapy, almost because I had to. I never thought I would become a professional musician," she laughs. "But after that first record, everything changed."

In between the production and release of Jenny & Tyler's first record, A Prelude, the couple married, and in December 2007, the record dropped. The pair spent the next year touring the mid-Atlantic states and in August 2008 decided to move to Nashville to focus more on music. In April 2009 Jenny & Tyler released their second self-produced, independent record, This Isn't A Dream. "We really believe in this record," Tyler says, "it speaks to where our hearts are today. There is so much pain in our world and people are looking for something real to hold onto, often in all the wrong places." "But don't worry, it's not all serious stuff," Jenny interrupts, "There are some fun love songs too." " "Yes," Tyler nods. "We've really brought our bluegrass and jazz backgrounds together and produced something new with this one. It is us, but we have also tried to capture some of the emotion that comes through the different challenges and joys of the human experience and give them clarity and expression."

Jenny & Tyler toured extensively in support of their new record in the Spring and Fall of 2009. They are truly an independent band. "We operate as our own booking, management, store, publicity, we don't have anyone working for us," Tyler says. "It's overwhelming at times," Jenny adds, "But it's where we are for now and it really makes us appreciate what we have." It also makes for an interesting touring style. Jenny & Tyler take turns driving their Honda Element from city to city, staying with friends, family, and friends of friends along the way to cut costs. "We've met some really amazing people," Jenny says. "People are so kind to us and many times they open their homes to us without having met us before" "Yeah," adds Tyler, "It's a really incredible experience." Jenny & Tyler have sold over 5,000 records independently and plan on releasing their third record in the fall of 2010.

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