Kickstarter

All,

I am beyond excited at how well this has gone. With all donations included (there were mail-ins!), the total raised to date is $3355, making this project nearly 112% funded! Thank you to each and every one of you for making this possible. I thought I'd provide a more accurate cost breakdown, as I want you to know exactly where your money is going:

A GIANT MICHAEL JACKSON-THEMED MOONBOUNCE FOR THE BEST PARTY EVER. YOU ARE INVITED. FUNNEL CAKE AND COTTON CANDY FOR ALL!

Okay, not really. The breakdown is below:

CD/Sticker/Poster Manufacturing from Oasis
*4 Panel Wallets w/o Spine $890.00
*Sticker - Small - One Color $70.00 (they're CD/poster seals!)

*Posters $99.00
*UPC Code Oasis Supplied $20.00

*Sales Tax $58.20
*Shipping $85.00
Total CD/Sticker/Poster costs $1,222.20

Online Tunecore Distribution cost (per year): $50

T-Shirt Manufacturing
*High-quality Heather/Color Shirts from Blubus: $475 (before shipping/tax)

Mastering from Sage Audio: $209 (before tax)

Kickstarter/Credit Card Processing Fees: $325

Touring/Band Fund: $300

Recording/Arrangement Personnel: $300

This leaves about $491.80 for taxes not accounted for above, reward fulfillment (including mailing costs for rewards and postcards, travel for personal show, etc.), and maybe radio station press kits or a run of business cards and bumper stickers. It seems like a lot, but it doesn't stretch very far! The more people know about this effort, the farther I can take this.

With only 16 days left, I still need people to spread the good word about this project! I can raise even more and possibly keep money on reserve for reordering CDs or shirts, provide some kind of compensation to the musicians for their time...who knows? You might think that because I've reached my goal that I shouldn't need any more assistance but, as you can see by the numbers, that couldn't be further from the truth. There's always more that can be done!

Share this link and help make this the best project it can be! My newest goal is ten more backers in the next sixteen days. I might be able to do it with your help!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lolamullen/january-album-recording-and-release/

Thank you all for everything you have done. I can't possibly express how incredibly grateful I am to each and every one of you. As the scope of the project has expanded beyond an EP into a full-blown eleven song album, the recording process may take longer than initially anticipated. This means your rewards, even for downloads, may not be available until early February. However, this also means the quality, richness of sound in the recording, and overall value of the project for each of you will be greater in the long run. That's ultimately what I'd love to give back to all of you: A great album.

Thanks for the billionth time. I'll write again soon!

Love,
Lola Mullen

Wow.

I wasn't sure if this was something that could actually happen when I started it, but I figured, hey, if you don't try then nothing happens at all, right? 

Well, I tried, and we all succeeded. Every single person that forwarded or shared the link to this project, every person that backed this project, every friend and family member and stranger that decided to lend a hand somehow...everyone succeeded. This was-- and still is!-- a group effort. I created the Kickstarter page and the songs, but this isn't only my project and dream anymore. It's yours, too. You own this. You are a part of this. Everyone that has backed will be credited in the album as a small thank you (unless you don't want to be; just let me know). 

Forty backers have supported this project in the 20 days it has been active, and in those 20 days we raised an average of about $150 a day! This means everything, as of Christmas day when the backing ends, will be able to move forward. The art can be sent for shirts. The tracks, mixed down by someone with years of solid experience, can be sent for mastering, and then for pressing. Posters can be printed. However, though I've reached the full funding mark, I'm still trying for better quality shirts, a larger CD run, a small tour, press mailings and photographs, and whatever I can to further enrich and make this project even more than I had hoped it could be. Please, please continue to tell your friends, your family, people in your office, strangers on the street (if you're feeling adventurous), anyone and everyone about this project. I have 40 days left! One new backer a day for $10 could offset the fees from Amazon Payments and Kickstarter that come off of the top of the fundraising. Even that would be a huge help! $400 is mastering and posters, or another 200 CDs, or gas money for a short tour...the possibilities are endless.

In addition, you get the excellent rewards at the level of your pledge, if you decided to take the reward. At least one person is even getting a listening party and live show in or near their town (yes, we have a $1000 backer!) of Beaufort, South Carolina. How wild is that? As for reward delivery, I will do everything I can to get as close to the estimated dates as possible, but factoring in the time for sending the finished mix to mastering may take an extra week. I'll be using promo codes for redemption through my website, http://www.lolamullen.com. Once the finished mix is complete, downloads will be made available and codes sent out to all that requested this for a reward! I appreciate your patience while I get this show on the road...I'm doing my best! Additional bonus trinkets and treats will be included in your reward packages, too, so keep a sharp eye out!

Again, here's the spiel that can be posted and shared on the project. Help me garner broader interest and momentum...it all comes back to you in the end. As my backers, you reap the benefits of additional fundraising, too!

---

"Back this project and help music made by a community of Virginia musicians grow into a full-length album!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lolamullen/january-album-recording-and-release
Song sketches for the upcoming album (all instruments, vocals, and songs performed and written by Lola Mullen):
http://lolamullen.com/track/strange-blood-demo
http://lolamullen.com/track/matadero-demo
http://lolamullen.com/track/oh-lonesome-demo"

---

Thank you all again for making my goals real and attainable. To quote a favorite song of mine, "You are my joy."

If you're reading this and you haven't thrown down your dollar or shared this link, what are you waiting for? Join us!

Love,

lkm.