After nearly two years of gigging and songwriting, Monocle is set to record and release our debut CD of original "acoustic reverie."
Here we go!
We’ve been working our tails off for almost two years: writing songs, rehearsing the band, booking gigs, packing and unpacking our van all around Colorado, all while putting together the best band of acoustic musicians we could find. It’s time to make a CD! Our album will feature 11 or 12 of our original songs, produced by David G. Tiller, the man behind the amazing sounds of Elephant Revival, Taarka, and ThaMuseMeant. We're very proud of our songs and they're getting the royal treatment in David's hands. This has been a long time coming for us and we can’t wait to share our music with our friends, fans, community and the world. So here we go!
Who are we?
Monocle is a group of talented musicians from one of America’s hotbeds of acoustic music, Boulder, Colorado. Begun when vocalist and guitarist Monica Whittington started playing duo and writing songs with guitarist Bill Huston, we soon started gigging several nights each week. With Ben Blechman on violin, Eric Wiggs on upright bass, and Josh Moore on drums, we are now five and have developed a unique take on American acoustic music that we call “acoustic reverie”: brand new, original music rooted in the traditions of Telluride bluegrass, borrowing some of the sounds of Gillian Welch, John Hartford, and Steve Earle and guided by the spirit of the troubadour wanderings that led Townes Van Zandt through the San Juan Mountains on horseback.
Add producer David Tiller to the mix and we think we’ve hit on a truly inspired musical collaboration. David has recently produced the haunting acoustic sounds of Elephant Revival and his Distillery Studio is located in Lyons, Colorado, the bluegrass hub of the mountain west.
Here's an old track from a demo we made about a year and a half ago...we're ready to take this sound to a whole new level!
How’s it going?
We’re about half way through the recording process at the moment. We’ve been working hard in David’s studio since the end of the summer and have made great progress. We’ve already laid down basic tracks for most of the tunes and have begun adding vocals and musical spice. It’s time to make this album shine! We’ve got a lot of work left ahead of us and are enjoying every minute of it.
Why do we need your help?
Because we believe wholeheartedly in our music and mission and think there’s a chance that you might too.
We’ve put our heart and soul into making this original music. We’ve spent countless late nights crafting songs, felt the inimitable glow of our musical connections, slept on our friends busted couches more than we’d care to admit, banged our heads against the wall one too many times trying book great gigs, and left everything we’ve got on the stage night after night. But...we can’t do it alone. To date we’ve funded our CD entirely with our own money, poured meager gig funds back into the recording process, and scraped a little bit from our day jobs to hustle in the studio all night. With your help we’ll be able to bring this project to an amazing finish and get this music into the ears of many people who we think need to hear it. But, keep in mind that Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing proposition; we only get any funding if we’re able to raise all of our $10,000 goal. If we’re even a dollar short, we get nothing and we’re back on ramen and busking. And...of course there are many great rewards that you can receive if you’re able to help us out!
How will you use the money you raise?
All of the musicians involved are working for free for love of the music and won't receive any of the money we raise. All of our Kickstarter money will go directly to funding the CD, covering such costs as the following:
-Studio time and production costs
-mixing and mastering costs
-album artwork, graphic design, and photographs
-pressing (reproducing) the physical CD
-distribution costs (ie. getting the CD in retail stores and online outlets like iTunes and Spotify)
-promotion of the CD
-putting together our awesome rewards to give you for being generous enough to support us!
PS: our unofficial goal is to raise $13,000. If we're successful, we'll use all the money above $10K to:
-create a new website
-press our album on vinyl (tell us if you'd like a copy)
-market the heck out of our CD!
Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
To choose music as an artistic expression is a risk in and of itself, but one that reaps so many rewards. To express oneself on stage and on record is to expose one's innermost thoughts and fears and hope that someone else might connect with them. It's a leap of faith, but a necessary one and one that we think makes our lives richer. To be able to write down words from the heart, put them into song and then share it with the world is a gift. And to have all that energy and love given back through the people you share it with is an amazing experience. These experiences drive the musician to keep writing, to keep playing, and to keep sharing. The challenge is balancing the music, the love, the support, and the business and to keep it all moving in a progressive direction. Monocle is doing just that but we are in need of support! Our biggest challenge at this juncture is financing this album and getting the word out there that we are undertaking an amazing project and that we want to keep creating, writing and playing. We survive and thrive off of the constant support of our community and for that we say THANK YOU! Please help us realize our dream and let’s get this going!
FAQ
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154
Backers
$12,285
pledged of $10,000 goal
0
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Funding period
Nov 26, 2012 -
Dec 26, 2012
(30 days)
- First created · 9 backed
- Bill Huston 752 friends
- Website: monocleband.com
Pledge $1 or more
1 backer
Every dollar helps...thank you! We'll send you a hand-written Monocle thank you note.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Pledge $10 or more
29 backers
A digital download of the new album and a sweet Monocle sticker with our brand-new logo. And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Ships within the US onlyPledge $20 or more
21 backers
Monocle sticker and a physical copy of the CD! And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Add $5 to ship outside the USPledge $30 or more
22 backers
Holiday blast off package! A physical copy of the CD, a sweet Monocle t-shirt, a sticker, and a hand-written thank you. Oh yeah!
Estimated delivery: Jun 2013Add $10 to ship outside the USPledge $30 or more
16 backers
Digital download of the album and a fashion-forward Monocle t-shirt. And a sticker! And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Add $5 to ship outside the USPledge $40 or more
18 backers
End of the world package! A signed copy of the new CD, a t-shirt, a sticker...and a hand-written thank you note.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2013Add $10 to ship outside the USPledge $40 or more
7 backers
A signed copy of the new Monocle CD! And a sticker of course... And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Add $5 to ship outside the USPledge $75 or more
9 backers
A signed copy of the new CD, a Monocle t-shirt and a sticker. And...a special request song for you! We'll learn a song of your choice and play it at a show for you. Or, if you're not in the Boulder area, we'll make a video of the tune and send it to you. And a hand-written thank you...of course.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Add $10 to ship outside the USPledge $100 or more
12 backers
Name your reward! Ask us for something (fairly reasonable) and we'll try to make it happen. We'll give you all of the stuff from the lower levels as well as honoring your special request!
Estimated delivery: May 2013Pledge $100 or more
1 backer
A private, one-hour music lesson (songwriting, voice, guitar, bass, drums, or violin) with a Monocle band member. In the Boulder area or via Skype. Plus a digital download of the album. And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Pledge $150 or more
0 backers
A private, one-hour music lesson (songwriting, voice, guitar, bass, drums, or violin) with a Monocle band member. In the Boulder area or via Skype. Plus a signed copy of the CD, a Monocle t-shirt, and a sticker. And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Add $10 to ship outside the USPledge $300 or more
3 backers
A signed copy of the CD, a Monocle t-shirt, a sticker, and a personal thank you note to you in our CD liner notes! And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Add $10 to ship outside the USPledge $500 or more
3 backers Limited (7 of 10 left)
Monica and Bill duo private concert! Monica and Bill will come to your house or private event to perform a two-hour, private concert! And we'll give you 5 signed copies of the CD. (Backer to provide food, lodging, and travel expenses for concerts further than 50 miles from Boulder, CO). And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Pledge $1,000 or more
0 backers Limited (10 of 10 left)
Monocle Trio house concert! Monocle will perform a three hour trio concert at your house or private party. And we'll give you 5 signed copies of the CD. (Backer to provide food, lodging, and travel expenses for concerts further than 50 miles from Boulder, CO). And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Pledge $1,500 or more
0 backers Limited (5 of 5 left)
Full band house concert! The full Monocle Quintet will perform a three hour concert at your house or private party. And we'll give you 5 signed copies of the CD. (Backer to provide food, lodging, and travel expenses for concerts further than 50 miles from Boulder, CO). And a hand-written thank you.
Estimated delivery: May 2013Pledge $5,000 or more
0 backers Limited (5 of 5 left)
Anything you want! A full concert anywhere in Colorado? A song of your choosing professionally recorded, mixed and mastered? An original song dedicated to you and about a topic of your choice? You tell us!
Estimated delivery: May 2013
