About this project
After a year riddled with automotive disaster, Chris and his band are in need of a touring vehicle to keep them on the road. They want to do it right. They want to tour green, and they need your help.
What we need:
A safe, large diesel vehicle
An extra tank for vegetable oil
A fuel line and filter system
An external pump to transfer vegetable oil into our tank
What we will do:
We will purchase a large diesel vehicle. We‘ll tune it up. We will install an extra vegetable oil tank, and a separate fuel line, filter system, and pump to convert it to run off vegetable oil. We will tour till the proverbial wheels fall off.
How much are you going to need to do that?
$10,000
What are the benefits of a Vegetable Oil fueled Vehicle?
Touring bands burn a lot of gas. Chris alone this year has needed over 700 gallons this year for touring. Waste vegetable oil powered vehicles still require a small amount of diesel to operate, but significantly less. Gas is Chris' biggest expense on the road. So decreasing the overhead for touring means a more reasonable wage for him and his band, a more sustainable career, and the ability to fund other projects like recording, creative packaging, and an overall higher quality of life on the road.
Environmentally speaking, using a waste vegetable oil powered vehicle has a significant impact. It decreases Chris and his band's dependency on foreign oil, it has fewer polluting emissions, and uses what was to be trash as fuel.
All of these factors play into a safe happy touring band with a softer impact on the environment. That’s our goal, but we need your help.
So take a look at some of the incentives we’ve listed below. Many items here are exclusive to this Kickstarter campaign, others are one of kind, all are offered with great appreciation. Thanks for reading, listening and helping us reach our fans in a sustainable way.
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
173
Backers
$12,736
pledged of $10,000 goal
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on August 19, 2011.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
You will receive a digital copy of the song "Iron Gate Purple Wood" featured in our Kickstarter video. This song is only available through this Kickstarter.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
You will receive a DIGITAL copy of "Oneiro EP". This EP is a collection of music written during Chris' time spent in Cyprus. He was there creating music for a production of A Mid Summer Night's Dream. You can read more about here: www.chrisbathgate.org.
Pledge $15 or more Pledge $15 or more
You will receive a PHYSICAL copy of "Oneiro EP" in addition to a digital download of "Iron Gate Purple Wood". This compact disc is hand block printed on recycled paperboard, signed and numbered by Chris. [International Backers Please Add $5]
Pledge $20 or more Pledge $20 or more
My friends Mostly Midwest have offered up a Mini-Movie of highlights and unseen footage of the Salt Tour. Filmed over a 10 show stint in Michigan, you'll see behind the scenes footage, as well as many of the songs off of 'Salt Year' performed live. In addition to this 30+ minute film backers will also receive the digital copy of 'Oneiro EP', as well as 'Iron Gate Purple Wood'.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
We will hand paint your portrait on the ceiling of our tour vehicle, Sistine Chapel style, so you'll always be with us. This is in addition to digital copies of both "Oneiro EP" and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". (Limit 20)
Pledge $40 or more Pledge $40 or more
You will receive a Chris Bathgate T-shirt, your choice of 3 designs. In addition to a digital copy of "Oneiro EP" and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". [International Backers Please Add $5]
Pledge $45 or more Pledge $45 or more
Both Chris Bathgate and Quite Scientific will listen to any demo or recording of you, or your friends music and provide you with one page (each) of hand written feedback. This is in addition to a digital copy of "Oneiro EP" and "Iron Gate Purple Wood".
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
You will receive a digital bundle of "Lost Songs". This is a collection of 30+ tracks including Chris' first record "Silence if for Suckers", "a detailed account of 3 dreams (ep)", and 20 songs originally released (9 copies) in a 6 minidisc box set as "all that you contain is all that will remain". This is in addition to a T-shirt, a digital "Oneiro EP", and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". [International Backers Please Add $10]
Pledge $65 or more Pledge $65 or more
You will receive one of the 10 original vinyl test pressings of "Salt Year", in addition to the "Lost Songs" bundle, "Oneiro EP", a T-shirt, and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". [International Backers Please Add $10]
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
You will receive a hand silk screened Chris Bathgate poster, in addition to the "Lost Songs" bundle, "Oneiro EP", a T-shirt, and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". [International Backers Please Add $10]
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
You will receive a hand bound copy of Orchard , a collection of Chris' poetry. You'll also receive the poster, the "Lost Songs" Bundle, a T-shirt, "Oneiro EP", and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". [International Backers Please Add $10]
Pledge $150 or more Pledge $150 or more
You'll get to pick out one of Chris' vintage pearl snap button shirts, you'll have a lot to choose from. You'll also receive the poster, the "Lost Songs" Bundle, a T-shirt, "Oneiro EP", and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". [International Backers Please Add $10]
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
You'll receive a lifetime subscription to Chris' music. That means you'll receive a digital download of every record/song Chris releases until either the end of his time, or your time. We'll even fill in your back catalog. This includes Orchard, the poster, Lost Songs, the T-shirt, "Oneiro EP", and "Iron Gate Purple Wood". [International Backers Please Add $10]
Pledge $225 or more Pledge $225 or more
You will receive the orginal Fostex MR- 8 track that Throatsleep was recorded on.
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You'll receive the lamp featured on the cover of Throatsleep.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
You will receive the original framed artwork from A Cork Tale Wake.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
You'll get to name the van, and we will play a benefit show in any town you wish (including our hometown), for a non profit of your choosing. [Within The US Only]
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
Chris and the crew will play a benefit show in any town you wish (including our hometown), for a non profit of your choosing. [Within The US Only]. In addition to this benefit show you will receive a basket of baked goods, including a selection of miniature pies. Chris is renowned among his friends for his baking, especially his pie. Feel free to savor this armada of treats for yourself, or auction this item off at your benefit concert.
Pledge $3,000 or more Pledge $3,000 or more
Chris Bathgate and crew will record, produce, and mix 4 songs of your band/project.
Pledge $5,000 or more Pledge $5,000 or more
You will receive a signed 2000 Saturn SW2 Station Wagon with 160,000 miles on it. This is Chris Bathgate's actual car. It comes with a hand made box set containing physical copies of everything Chris has released to date, including a one of a kind physical copy of "lost songs", and other goodies. [Within The US Only, Will Personally Drop-Off If Located Anywhere East Of The Mississippi & North Of The Mason-Dixon - Pick-Up Only For Those Beyond]
Pledge $10,000 or more Pledge $10,000 or more
We will construct a shrine containing your likeness, and it will be on stage with us for every show we play for the entire life of the vehicle.
Project By
Connected as Chris Bathgate (2908 friends)
“If you’re not from Ann Arbor, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard the name Chris Bathgate. That’s okay. There was a time when people outside of Louisiana hadn’t heard of Jeff Mangum. There was a time when people outside of Chicago hadn’t heard of Jeff Tweedy. There was a time when people outside of Louisville hadn’t heard of Will Oldham (aka Bonnie `Prince’ Billy). You get my point. Anonymity is fleeting when you have the goods, and Chris Bathgate definitely has the goods…Remember, there’s a time in every famous person’s life when they’re not famous. And even if Chris Bathgate doesn’t break out into superstardom like Damien Rice or David Gray, if you’re lucky enough to hear his music, you’ll know the difference.” – Treble Magazine, 2007
“A skilled purveyor of lovely gloom…If Bathgate has mastered one thing in his young and enormously promising career, it’s the art of distilling alienation into bruised-sounding beauty.”
- Stephen Thompson, NPR – January, 2008
Chris Bathgate is an American singer/songwriter originally born in rural Iowa, raised in rural Illinois, and currently residing in Pinckney, Michigan. He began drawing attention as a solo artist in 2005 upon the release of his first album, Silence is for Suckers, after a slew of self-produced EPs / Singles and a stint in the short-lived (but much loved) group The Descent of the Holy Ghost Church.
In 2006 he continued to aggressively write and record in a year that saw the release of another EP, A Detailed Account of Three Dreams, a folk ep called “the single road I long for”, and his second full-length LP, Throatsleep. Songs from the album such as “Buffalo Girl”, “Yes, I’m Cold” and “We Die” became standards for die-hard concertgoing fans as they caught the ears of many and helped him grow a very loyal following in Michigan and surrounding Midwestern locales.
In 2007 Chris signed with Quite Scientific Records for the release of A Cork Tale Wake, his 3rd proper album and the 1st to date he’d not produced on his own and self-released. Originally released in the summer of that year, A Cork Tale Wake would propel Chris’ music to much greater frontiers spurring overwhelming critical acclaim, several North American tours, two tours of Europe, and an eventual re-release of the album in Europe by One Little Indian Records (Bjork, Asobi Seksu, Land of Talk). “Serpentine”, the lead track from the album, went on to be Chris’ most recognized and successful song to date with an exceptionally strong reaction from The BBC and The Independent (UK) calling it “one of the most beautiful songs you’ll hear this year”.
On the heels of A Cork Tale Wake Bathgate released the six-song EP, Wait, Skeleton, in the fall of 2008 consisting partly of new material alongside reworks of previously released tracks. Originally meant as a short offering for fans as he began work on his 4th proper studio album, the EP turned out to be one of Bathgate’s most widely visible releases to date after Bathgate was selected as one of the first artists to be featured in Starbucks’ ‘Pick of the Week’ promotion (leading the popular chain to distribute more than 2 million free download cards of his rework of “Yes, I’m Cold”. The program has continued since 2008 and has gone on to feature such artists as The Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket, Spoon and many more).
Wait, Skeleton would turn out to be the final release from Bathgate for a considerable period of time as he entered a particularly difficult period following the success he saw in 2007-08. Personal hurdles, failed relationships, and an intense period of self-criticism would lead Bathgate to scrap the entire album multiple times during the recording process and cause more than 3 years to lapse between early demos and the completion of his forthcoming full-length, Salt Year.
Salt Year promises to be Chris Bathgate’s most mature and fully-rounded statement to date. An album he describes himself as being about “Love vs. Time” it instantly floods the listener with intense imagery and the many emotions surrounding the most personal relationships whether fleeting, failed or fulfilling. The biting angst of tracks such as “Eliza (Hue)” and “Borders”, the introspection and self-efficacy of “No Silver” and “In the City” alongside beautifully cathartic album closer “Everything” put the full range of Bathgate’s songwriting abilities on display for the duration of Salt Year’s 42 minutes.
After several years of struggle Bathgate has reemerged on the other side with a more realized version of his signature country-tinged gothic folk. It is perhaps that very struggle that makes Salt Year such a triumph.
