Help Layla raise $10,000 by August 15!  Plus a free download of Layla's song “Secret” for a limited time.

Hey there!

Welcome to my Kickstarter page! I'm Layla, I've been a singer all my life and music is my passion. Last year, after touring in Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, and New Orleans, I began working on a four-part EP series based on the theme of Chocolate.  I finished my first indie-pop EP, Chocolate Ice Cream, in July 2010, then finished my second indie-rock EP, Spilt Chocolate Milk in October 2010.  Then I went on a more electronica direction with my last EP, Bittersweet Chocolate, which was released in March of 2011.  I was honored to have been featured as Amoeba Music's artist of the month in March, and you can actually find this EP at their store in Hollywood.

Now I am ready to take my music to the next level.  I am working on the last piece of my Chocolate series--a full-length album called Hot Chocolate.  This album is going to be an electronic music album with ten songs—the best songs that I’ve ever written to date.  We already have three of the songs, taken from my last EP, Bittersweet Chocolate.  Therefore, we need to finish seven more songs to make this album complete.  As some of you may already know, there are many costs that go into producing an excellent album. To finish my album, it will cost:

•    Production and recording costs (estimated $3,000)

•    Mixing and mastering fees (estimated $1,500)   

•    Pressing and packaging CDs (estimated $1,000)  

•    Promotional and marketing materials, including flyers, press kits, music videos, etc. (estimated $4,500)

The last piece (the promotion/marketing) actually plays a very vital role in the record making process.  After all, if I make an awesome album but no one knows about it, then all the work put into the album is in vain.  The music industry today is a challenging one, especially for indie artists like me, as record labels are not actively seeking us out.  That’s why I’m here on Kickstarter, to raise money for this album. 

The way that Kickstarter works is this:   

•    You pledge an amount that will go towards the $10,000 goal. 

•    You submit your credit card information through Amazon Payments.    

•    If we reach the $10,000 goal, your credit card is charged.  If we don't reach the goal, your credit card is not charged and the project is not funded. :(

It is important that I raise this amount because if I don't reach $10,000 by the deadline, I do not receive anything, and I will not be able to complete my album! We can also raise more than $10,000, which would allow us to have more opportunities to share my music with the world. 

Whatever you can contribute to this project will mean so much to me. In return for your contribution, you could receive a pre-order of my album, in either digital or CD format, and if you contribute more, I will give you more cool stuff!   I will also give updates on the recording process along the way.

Many of you have watched me grow throughout the years and I am so grateful for all the love and support I’ve received from you guys.  Thanks for coming to my shows, buying my CDs, giving me advice, and encouraging me to keep going! 

Thanks again for your support!!!

With Love and Gratitude,

Layla

add my music page on facebook for updates on this journey! www.facebook.com/laylakilolumusic