About this project
UPDATE #11 12/27: Almost there! Remember, we can always go OVER the goal too! Tee hee...Please enjoy this video from a recent show at the Rickshaw Stop in SF. THANK YOU!
UPDATE #10 12/20: Yes People! We are inches away from meeting our goal! Before Santa convinces your friends to buy that video game, give the gift of local, organic, sustainable live music! Only a few days left to join hundreds of awesome fans and philanthropists in the party!
Straight from the heart! Please call those extra music-lovers and ask for an extra hand to top off the kickstarter goal! Can we raise $4,000 in 4 days? Yessir.
AND.....please visit our tour page because we have posted our Winter Tour Schedule, including New York, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Oregon, Seattle,WA, Los Angeles, CA, San Luis Obispo, CA, Sebastopol, CA and some Bay Area too!
UPDATE #9 12/15: Awesome job everybody! Let's get this remaining $10,000 in the next 10 days! WE CAN DO THIS!! Thank you everyone for your new and increased pledges! Please enjoy this silly performance of "Hell Yes, Cheated". *Any questions about our project/band? Check out the FAQ below or email us directly cahoneydrops@gmail.com*
UPDATE #8 12/09(footnotes): From Street Busking to Polish TV! Through your support we have had an amazing journey of playing for you in the BART stations, to performing on national Polish television! Check out the documentary of the Drops playing in the Bart, with a cool interview from Lech. The update has a link to footage of us playing on Polish TV where Lech is speaking in his mother tongue! Thanks everybody!
UPDATE #7 12/07: A Video Song From Lech "Up Above My Head": "Here's a spiritual song I like to sing at the beginning of every time I perform. While gospel music has been the music that really inspired me to sing as well as what I listen to most, its not necessarily the right music for a party at a night club. This song is special because its message is not as much about religious belief as it is about the spiritual power of music, and a reminder that we are always in the presence of something greater than just ourselves. I believe, the word 'heaven' , is open to interpretation." - Lech
Since our humble beginnings as a street band in 2008 the California Honeydrops have recorded 2 acclaimed albums of original music. Soul Tub! earned us a "Best New Artist" nomination from the National Blues Foundation in Memphis and Spreadin' Honey won "Best Local Album of 2011" in the SF Bay Area. We have toured Europe 6 times and gone up and down the west and east coasts more times that we can count. This year we took home 5 honors from the Bay Area Press and completed our first east coast tour. What makes us most proud is that we have achieved all this without the help of a record label or a booking agent!
Our independence from outside influences has kept our art pure and from the heart. It has also been TONS of work. But its been a labor of love for us and that love has been reciprocated by thousands of devoted fans around the world that have kept our band alive and working for the past 4 years. Right now, with your support, we're hoping to take the Honeydrops to the next level. We want to record the best album we can and get as many people as possible to hear it. But making an album and getting a band's name out there costs A LOT of money that we don't have.
The lowest
amount a "Big Stage Band" will spend on one album with the PR to
support it is around $150,000. We think we can do pretty good with at
least $25,000 to start on the recording/production of a new album and to
hire professional help get our name ringing out throughout the land. So help make us a
little "Bigger" so we can can keep spreadin' the honey. Ya dig?
Any amount you give goes a long way! Thank you so much for your support!
~ All our Love, The California Honeydrops
Email: cahoneydrops@gmail.com with any Questions.
FAQ
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Money is not actually taken from anyone's bank account until the full $25,000 goal is reached or surpassed. If we do not get at least $25,000 pledged by Dec. 30th 2011, The California Honeydrops do not receive any of the pledged money and everyone keeps their cash, but consequently get less Honeydrops...ya dig? That's why spreading the word and getting the pledged right now is very important to the campaign. Thank You!
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If The Honeydrops do not raise the full $25k by Dec. 30th, therefore not receiving any money pledged, the next year of recording, touring, and basically functioning as a full-time band will come to a very detrimental halt. The band is on a roll with big plans, and if we have to drop out of the scene due to a lack of funds, the chances of bouncing back are slim. It takes a lot of money to do the things we are trying to do while keeping gig money to pay 5 musicians' bills and feed our households. Just sayin'.
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If you are having trouble donating money through the website, please email Ben at cahoneydrops@gmail.com. You can send checks directly to:
Tubtone Records P.O. Box 22562, Oakland, CA USA 94609
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Good question! Answer: NEW STUDIO ALBUM, PR, and TOUR SUPPORT.
You see, to record an album, rent studio time ($175/hr), pay an engineer for many hours of work ($250/hr), pay musicians for many hours of work ($150/hr), pay someone to mix the album (many hours of work) ($250/hr), pay someone to master the album ($1000) (not many hours, but expensive), produce the physical copies (atleast $2000), get the artwork together, and then hand them to our fans (priceless), well, for a decent, self-produced album, about $15,000 is needed. That's a modest budget considering the utmost lowest amount we've ever heard of a record label loaning a band to make a quality record was around $45,000. Just to make the album! And we are REALLY trying to make a great album for everyone. No low expectations for our people!
Then, to promote an album, you need to pay someone who knows people in the right places to hear the record and then talk about it. You need to provide that person with another 500-1000 albums to send across the country (or the world in our case) and then pay that person, a Publicist, for about 3-6 months of hard, constant work to "break" the album and get Dj's, clubs, magazines, and everyone to know about The Honeydrops band and what they are doing, where they are going, etc.. That's a lot of time and work, but we believe success is very possible because of the great reputation we have already built in the Bay and other places.
As for touring, we are providing work day in and day out for 5 musicians, some with families to feed. We want to be able to bring our sound, YOUR sound, all around the world, big stages, small stages, houses (you have heard about the parties we throw, no doubt) and just everywhere. But to break into these scenes from scratch, we take a big financial hit. SO the rest of the money will not only help provide the support we need as hard working, tireless, performers to keep pushing into new cities and venues, but it will also help pay to promote these shows, so people know that Honeydrops are coming and it will be easier to build our crowds and new fan bases. Don't you think every town deserves Honeydrop fans? They are the best, you know.
Any more clarifications please feel free to post here or email Cahoneydrops@gmail.com
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
456
Backers
$26,337
pledged of $25,000 goal
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on December 30.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
You are officially recognized as a supporter of our music and we THANK YOU!
Pledge $12 or more Pledge $12 or more
A full-length, pre-release Digital Download of our new studio album that you helped fund! We will also give you a button or sticker at a show!
Pledge $35 or more Pledge $35 or more
Sweet Signed Gift Package! A Pre-Released, Signed copy of our upcoming studio album you help fund! + a new Button or Sticker! Sweet! ***($45 U.S. dollar minimum donation for shipping outside U.S.A.)***
Pledge $65 or more Pledge $65 or more
Golden Honey Gift Package! Everything from the Sweet Signed Package + a brand new design, quality cotton T-Shirt (your choice size/sex)! ****($75 U.S. dollar minimum donation for shipping outside U.S.A.)***
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Everything from the Golden Honey Gift Package + our first 2 original albums Signed ("Soul Tub!", and "Spreadin' Honey") + A Personalized live "Thank You" from the band on stage at a big home show in the Bay Area! ***($110 U.S. dollar minimum donation for shipping outside U.S.A.)***
Pledge $150 or more Pledge $150 or more
Personalized Voice Mail from The Honeydrops! The band will send you an Mp3 of a personalized greeting for your voicemail! + Signed Pre-Released copy of the new CD + digital download for a friend + Button or Sticker!
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
Benjamin makes you a signed, personalized Soul Tub! (5 gallon bucket bass) The star instrument from the band's debut album, you will have your very own custom built tub bass! + a signed copy of the new album! ***Must be able to pick up from Oakland, Ca, USA. NO DELIVERIES**
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
Live too far away to see our shows? We can still hang out...email us a photograph of you and we will blow it up and the whole band will take a picture with it on stage! Then we'll re-post it on our website & facebook for everyone to check out (if you want)! + signed copy of the new studio album!
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Tea Time with the Band! Allow us to take you and a friend out to a fine cafe in Oakland or Berkeley, CA. We can discuss music, philosophy, and you can see our good hygiene up close! + We hand you and your friend signed copies of the new CD and new T-shirts!
Pledge $1,100 or more Pledge $1,100 or more
We record a song of your choosing! It can even be your own song! It might not be a major production, but it will be alive!! Email us at cahoneydrops@gmail.com and we can talk about it!
Pledge $1,200 or more Pledge $1,200 or more
Special Performance for College Students Only! Pool up your resources and make one $1200 donation and we will rock your college party SO HARD your Sociology professor will write a book about it! ~We will also throw in some CD's and T-shirts to hand out at the party! ~ The location, date, and time of the party must coincide with the band's touring schedule, but we are pretty easy to work with. It might be possible to get the party in before Summer 2012, but most likely Fall 2012 or later. Please email Johnny Bones at honeydropsbooking@gmail.com before you make the donation. **If you are not current College Students we will not play for this special price***
Pledge $5,000 or more Pledge $5,000 or more
Your song! We will write and record a short song about a theme of your choice! We will make it a free download for our fans and give you credit for the inspiration! + a signed copy of our new studio album that you help fund! **We will accept ideas for the song style at first, but in the end it's whatever style we see fit, the song will not be for re-sale**
Pledge $10,000 or more Pledge $10,000 or more
Live, 2-3 set performance at your house in your town (U.S.A.) with 20 copies of our new studio album + 5 T-shirts to give to guests. The location, date, and time of the party must coincide with the band's touring schedule, but we are pretty easy to work with. Please email Johnny Bones at honeydropsbooking@gmail.com before your donation.
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Since their formation 4 years ago in the subway stations of Oakland, CA, The California Honeydrops have completed 6 European tours, spread honey on crowds throughout the US, and recorded 2 full length albums of original music, all without the help of a record label or major booking agency. Their secret? An irresistible sound that blends energy and intimacy, undeniable talent and musicianship, and the soul and fervor of a spiritual street parade.
See them perform once, and you won’t be surprised why they were voted the SF Bay Area’s “Best Soul/R&B Band”. Nominated for “Best New Artist” by the National Blues Foundation (2009), and recently receiving 5 East Bay Express Reader’s Poll awards (2011) including “Best Band”, “Best Album”, and “Best Musician”, with a highly anticipated live album due to release in late 2011 and an new studio album your donations will help produce, consider The California Honeydrops unstoppable!
