About this project

I've been a traveling musician all of my adult life. When I first heard about Kickstarter, I realized that here was a chance to complete a project that's been knockin' round in my head for some years; to take the band on the road for a summer tour and at the end of the road take the band into the studio to document the music as it has evolved over the course of playing that particular group of songs each night for weeks. To capture a musical snapshot or postcard that illustrates THESE players and THIS particular moment in time. I aim to make the process interactive- with video posts of rehearsals and song fragments, behind-the-scenes stuff and diary entries to bring together the whole experience from breakfast to the miles rolling by, from showtime to bedtime. We'll be playing selections from my usual songbook (some of these tunes exist on old records in a studio version) but I plan on about half of the set being brand new, with at least one song being written with the band and arranged on the road piece by piece, show by show. With these new songs I want to capture the good, the great and the downright strange; I want to talk with folks all over the country and capture their take on the way things are or aren't; to let these conversations write the songs and also to give listeners a window into our little world and what it does or doesn't mean to be a human being, an artist, hopeless romantic and troubadour in the digital age. The aim of this intense burst of work is to allow the songs track at the end of the road to be new, fresh and vital.
We'll be on the road for 2+ weeks, originating in Philadelphia and heading west to the setting sun; Chicago, Saint Louis, Indianapolis, Asheville, NC and many more places. The funding you so graciously provide will be used to keep the wheels turning, feed and pay the musicians (myself excluded) and give us a place to sleep those times when we might need a place to crash for the night. It goes without saying that touring and recording are expensive undertakings and the fact is that musicians make the same pay they have since the 70's; some nights we make enough to get us to point B, other nights there is less to go around. That said, for me it has never been about the money- I do this for the love of people and music and the connection that can be born in those moments when it all clicks between player and listener and the wall breaks down and maybe shows us both a new place. I do it because we have to, because music has been my constant companion through life and I can't imagine doing anything else. With your help, we'll be able to bring our sound to more folks than ever and put needle to groove and document this strange love affair.
We'll be recording the record in a day or two at the Black Lodge; a beautiful recording studio located in Eudora, KS. Back in the 90's, the Black Lodge played host to records by folks as diverse as William S. Burroughs and Curt Cobain. Engineering the session will be the super talented Ed Rose who has worked with indie rock artists such as the Get Up Kids. As a contributor to the cause, everyone who donates will get a copy of the album and your name in the liner notes. Please give a listen to what we do and thank you for helping us to realize this project and dream-

xo

Chris Schutz + Tourists

You can listen in online at

www.chrisschutz.com
www.myspace.com/touristsmusic