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Update #5: Reminder: CD Release party this Saturday!
Just a reminder that the CD party/concert is this Saturday night (February 25)! Please bring as many guests as you like. The more the merrier. Email me at rachel.w.kiel@gmail.com if you have any questions. Really excited to see you all, play music, and eat delicious food!
Update #4: CD Release Party!
I appreciate your patience as I have been slowly sending out all the Kickstarter rewards. By now, MOST of you should have received your rewards---I know there are some exceptions, especially with those who are entitled to custom songs, mix CDs, etc, which will take more time to create. If you have not received CDs or other rewards yet, please email me just in case I'm forgetting something.
The main reason for this update is to let you know that I'll be having a Television Waltz CD Release party on Saturday, February 25th! The party will be hosted by Margy and Ed Campion at their home, 101 Zapata Lane. Zapata Lane is in Chapel Hill off of Old Lystra Road, which is off of Mt. Carmel Church Road.
It'll be a house concert, and I'll be playing with my friends and bandmates Patrick Dyer Wolf (guitar), Jeremy Smith (bass), and Paul Drake (drums). There will be food, drinks, music, and, of course, fun! There will be CDs for purchase (for those that don't already have them or want more copies). A $10 donation is suggested for food/drinks/musicians.
We'll gather at 7 PM to mingle, and the music will start at 8.
Parking will be available along the left side of Zapata Lane. If you are having trouble on the evening of the party with directions or parking, please call Mary Campion (daughter of Margy and Ed) on her cell phone at 919-619-8554.
Please RSVP if you are interested in attending so we can get a sense of numbers for food and drink amounts---you are welcome to bring anyone you'd like, just let me know your approximate number by emailing me at rachel.w.kiel@gmail.com. You can also email with any questions!
Hope to see you there--
Love, Rachel
Update #3: Album is complete!
Hi friends and family,
My album, titled Television Waltz, is finally complete and I'm holding it now in my hand (well, not right now, since I need both hands for typing). It looks and sounds good and is ready for listening!
I'll be making a plan to get everyone's rewards to them, most likely after the holidays. I'll be in touch about that soon. Until then, I just wanted you to know that the album is done. I couldn't have done it without your help and, in addition to feeling very proud and excited, I'm also feeling very grateful to all of you for helping me do this project. It's been a wonderful experience, and seeing the finished product is such a thrill. The boxes of CDs were delivered by UPS ground at around 3 PM yesterday and I still keep picking up copies and tearing off the plastic to remind myself that they're real!
Thanks again for all your help. Happy Holidays! I look forward to seeing you in the new year.
Love,
Rachel
Update #2: Music Complete, Artwork in Progress!
It's time for another album project update. Some of you are maybe wondering, "What is going on with that album thing?" I wanted to check in to let you know that I am still not spending your money on cat food, pottery, car repairs, or dog sweaters (although the weather's getting cold! Those dogs need sweaters!). In my last message, I hoped that everything would be finished by the end of the summer. Well, it's now early fall, so (as with any artistic or building project) things are running slightly behind schedule. Mixing is HARD. But now the music part is totally complete, which is very exciting! I'm now fully into the artwork/packaging part of the process, which is a whole world in itself. I had forgotten from the last time how many small parts there are to put together.
Currently I am working with excellent local photographers, artists, and designers to get everything ready for production. These folks have been incredibly generous in offering their time and help. Things are really coming together. I'm hoping to get the artwork done in the next month and then send it all over to Discmakers, who will turn it into a real CD! After that, you should expect rewards coming your way. I'm hoping to have the album finished by the end of the calendar year, which means that I will try to be sending you your stuff in the early new year, if not before. Thanks so much for your patience!
Once again, I want to send out a BIG thank you to all of you for making everything possible. It has been (and continues to be) such a wonderful experience, and I am growing a lot as an artist and person through this process.
Love,
Rachel
Update #1: Album progress update!
Hi friends and backers,
It occurred to me recently that as soon as my project was funded, I went into a sort of "recording cave" mode and focused totally on getting things started. I forgot to update you to let you know how it was going, and also to assure you that I was not spending your pledged funds on cat food and expensive pottery! Sorry for the delay, friends, and here is a little bit about how things have progressed since you last heard from me.
The first two days in the studio were set aside for recording drum and bass parts. I went through the songs with Rob Ladd, Robert Sledge, and my good friend/bandmate Pat Wolf, who was playing guitar to help show everyone the chord structures. It was really amazing for me to see these incredibly professional musicians come in and give my songs such a strong foundation. And I could tell right away that I had made the right decision in working with producer/engineer Jerry Brown. He's funny, relaxed, and great at what he does. He's able to bring everyone together and makes being in the studio feel like a party, but a party where things get done.
Since those first days, it has been a whirlwind of great musicians dropping in and out of the studio to record different parts. Everyone has been friendly and excited about the project---no one has been condescending or snobby to me in any way. It has been great to see that the musicians I've admired from afar are in fact talented, unpretentious, and fun.
Of course, the other side of recording is that it is hard work. One thing I've learned throughout this process is how many possibilities each song can hold---a billion ways you could choose to arrange one set of chords and lyrics. That's exciting, but it can also be terrifying! I also know that what I've been creating isn't the "hippest" piece of work: there are a lot of country, bluegrass, and old-time elements, and a lot of pop elements. When you put all of that together, you get something that maybe not everyone will like or think is cool----but what I hope is that everyone who listens to the finished product will find at least one thing (a song, a chorus, or even just one line) that they can connect to.
So, here's how things go from here: now we're in the mixing stage, which I am also learning is just as important as the initial recording. Once mixing and mastering is complete, I'll have to do all of the artwork/production/design stuff for the packaging. I am anticipating that it should be done by the end of the summer. Thanks for being patient about your rewards, backers! They will come to you, I promise.
OK, that's it for now! Sorry for the length of the update, and for how long it took me get back in touch with you. I continue to be intensely grateful for all of your help---being able to do this has meant so much to me and I am learning on a daily basis.
Love,
Rachel
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Steve Reznick on June 16, 2011
Rachel - One suggestion: Your Table Manners CD has a very artistic cover, but to balance art and entrepreneurialism, I strongly recommend putting your name and the title on the spine of the cover so that the new CD can be easily filed and found.
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Rachel Kiel on June 16, 2011
Hi Steve! Yes, my dad passed this suggestion along to me and I think it's a really good one. That is one thing I certainly hoped to do differently this time, so it is going to happen. Thanks for your ideas!
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Annemarie Gugelmann on June 21, 2011
I'm still amazed that you raised all those funds. And thanks for not spending my money on expensive pottery (even though you would have been supporting an artist which I can't be that unhappy about). Keep sending the updates! Reading this one made me kind of proud of myself. I was one of your first backers!
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170
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on April 15, 2011.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
A copy of my first album, "Table Manners," plus a copy of the new album when it is completed!
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
All of the above plus exclusive, never-before-released non-album tracks sent to you as mp3s or on a disc, whichever you would prefer.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
A copy of my first album, exclusive tracks, plus TEN copies of my new album to distribute among friends and family!
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
All of the above plus a unique, personalized mix CD! You give me a theme (being underwater, classic rock B-sides, dance party, etc) and I will make you a terrific mix AND create a one-of-a-kind piece of art for its cover.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
All of the above plus you pick ANY song and I will record a cover of it! It can be sent to you as an mp3 or on a CD through the mail, whichever you prefer.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
All of the above plus a CUSTOM SONG written just for you. You tell me what you want the song to be about, including as many details as you'd like, and I'll write it and record it and send it to you!
Pledge $5,000 or more Pledge $5,000 or more
All of the above (including the CDs, mixtape, custom song etc.) PLUS a private concert for you and your friends! My musicians and I will come to you (anywhere in the United States), and serenade you with a full concert. We will even make dinner for you. And possibly clean your house.
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Rachel Kiel grew up listening extensively to her parents' record collection in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. After developing an obsession with the songs of others, writing her own seemed like the next logical step. Rachel has played in a number of bands, including Stranger Spirits, Edensong, and Semi-Formal. Her debut album, "Table Manners," was released in 2008, and she currently performs locally with the Attic Orchestra.
