About this project
"There’s something about them that is brutally honest- it speaks to you but doesn’t get forced on your ears. They clearly put their music first and worry about the rest second…" - DysonSound.com..
We've done this before, and we need to do it again. 11 of the best songs we have ever written are just waiting for eager ears. So we did the research, talked with producers, recorded scratch after scratch and finally decided:
In order to create a great sounding record like those we've created before, we need your help!
By help of course I mean:
1. Studio Time - Despite getting great rates and free equipment rental, Casbah Studios needs to charge to stay in business. By our most conservative estimates we can track the album at around 70 hours, putting us at the grand total of $3,500 for studio time and tracking.
2. Mixing/Mastering - Regardless of who we go to, this will run about $150/per track. Seeing as we'll go through 13 tracks (a few are bound to be b-sides), this runs $2,000.
3. Artwork - We've worked with numerous graphical artists and few have been as dependable and tuned to The Shape of the Earth's style as Tom B at manAlive. He's ready to jump into the latest installment, but he has to make a living and charges us a fraction of what he charges his other clients (which include Radiohead, Target, and Columbia Records, to name a few). To design the record, CD jacket and other needs it comes to $500.
4. Press - Physical copies are on the way out, but we still get orders almost monthly for physical CDs not including press releases and venues that want old fashioned hard discs. At a conservative pressing of around 500 copies the best quotes put this at $650. (and that's cheap).
Countless other costs creep up throughout the process (food, gas, guitar strings, etc) but we take care of those so we won't even tally them.
This brings us to a grand total of $6,650 for the album if we stick to the absolute minimum. If we can get this we'll deliver the ultimate in TSOTE records in just a few short months.
We've been scrimping and saving but we too have to eat and pay rent so we are able to come up with 35%, and we're looking to raise the remaining $4,500 through Kickstarter. Of course, more money would mean more polishing, extra studio time and ultimately a better record, but the rational meets hopeful at the 6 grand mark.
In the past the one thing that's kept us going is support from you all, the listeners. Whether it's comments on our Facebook page, YouTube videos set to our songs, or emails from overseas- it never ceases to amaze us how well the music resonates with people, and so we keep coming back. In advance here's a big huge THANKS.
-Gavin, Kevin, Chris, Mark, Rich,
The Shape Of The Earth
FAQ
-
Kickstarter is simply the way we've chosen to fund the project. They handle the contributions and host the webpage, while we get funded.
-
That's fine, during the pledge process you'll have an opportunity to select which prizes you're interested in. If there are any you don't care for just simply don't click them. And of course, we'll still appreciate your contribution.
-
You guys make a pledge, however much you want, and if we reach our goal ($4,500) by the end date, we get the cash. If we don't get the money by the end of the project, the whole thing is cancelled and no one is charged.
-
Yup! All major cards are accepted.
-
Various prizes are offered for different amounts of contribution, all listed to the right.
-
No one is charged and we look for other ways to fund the project.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
66
Backers
$4,603
pledged of $4,500 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on September 8, 2011.
Pledge $2 or more Pledge $2 or more
You'll get a personalized thank you. And we'll mean it.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
You'll get a download code for a previously unreleased TSOTE song. This will be the only way to get this download EVER, and you'll get it as soon as the campaign closes.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
You'll get all of the above, plus a free digital copy of the record, available before its available in digital stores. This will be the only way to get access to the record other than waiting for it to show up on iTunes or the like, months later.
Pledge $20 or more Pledge $20 or more
All of the above, plus a physical copy of the record, as soon as its printed. This will be the only way to get a physical copy of the record before it's officially available for order, months later.
Pledge $30 or more Pledge $30 or more
Everyone pledging over $30 will get all of the above, except we'll dedicate and sign the CD to whomever you'd like.
Pledge $40 or more Pledge $40 or more
Everyone pledging $40 will get all of the above plus a digital download of our entire discography.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
The first five to put in $200 will get all of the above, plus a song written for them, by us, about anything the contributor wants. He/She can be as involved as much or as little as they'd like throughout the whole process, and when it's over the song is theirs, entirely. They own royalties to it, everything.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Anyone pledging over $500 will get all of the above, plus a standing backstage offer for any show we play, ever, for life. If we're ever near your town, or you're near us we'll either bring you backstage or take you to dinner if you can't make the show. For life.
Project By
Has not connected their Facebook account.
TSOTE does a masterful job of laying sincere, melodic musings on top of minimal instruments, with lyrics that conceal deep themes but don't scream pretentious. Following Bascom's thoughts from track to track carves a wide route anywhere from biting sarcasm to thoughtful reflection. Lay all that on top of endless hooks, jangley folk rock beats and infectious melodies sung in a unique yet sincere vocal style somewhere between Ryan Adams and Isaach Brock and you'll have something like The Shape Of The Earth.
