One year ago, it was but a simple question spawned from a casual conversation between friends: can we coherently combine bluegrass and metal? Although the idea was a bit eccentric, it quickly became a compelling challenge.
During the past year we have amassed over a dozen inspired artists from the US & Germany and, through the powers of the internet, have united over great distances to meet this challenge. We are dead set on blending elements of bluegrass and metal music into a single story album. We are Blood & Banjos, and with your help, we will be able to record in the studio to achieve this goal.
The Album
So far we have the story of Abram Stone, an Appalachian family man who's been tricked by the Devil into a path of violence and tragedy. In Abram's poisoned mind, only he and his 5-string banjo can prevent the coming of the Anti-Christ and the resulting apocalypse, but the Town Mayor stands in his way...
The story is revealed via the music of of ten collaboratively developed tracks. We've self-produced three of these songs to demonstrate our abilities, and will showcase them during this campaign.
--Here is the first release, Sons of Darkness, in which Abram is confronted by the mob (lead by the Town Mayor) that wishes to bring him to justice.
--Here is the second release, Judge, Jury, and Executioner, in which the town discovers Abram's heinous deed, and decides to take action.
--Here is the final demo release, The Binding, in which Abram carries out his divine task of killing his beloved wife.
These tracks are not professionally recorded, mixed, or mastered, and therefore are not reaching their full potential. In fact, most of these tracks are recorded in bedrooms and basements! We wish to do bluegrass and metal justice by recording with proper microphones and in proper studio spaces. Professional mixing and mastering will also make a world of difference.
Of course, the cost of this recording and production adds up very quickly. All in all, the budget needed for completing this project is much more than we can afford, but that's where you come in!
What's in it for you?
As a thank you for helping fund our endeavor, we offer copies of the final album, t-shirts, posters, and customized experiences! Take a look at the reward levels on the right-hand side of the page. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!
- The t-shirts we offer feature the Blood & Banjos Stump Logo (as seen in the video) designed by artist Eric Priestley, and are available in sizes S through XXL.
- Below is the Execution by Banjo poster by artist Dave Kloc, available as an epic 18x24" screenprint on quality paper.
The Path Ahead
Once successfully funded, we will spend a few months re-budgeting and planning (if needed), and finalizing the music. Your generous contributions will then be used to fund studio time for each musician. Because we are all in different locations, each artist is responsible for recording at a studio near them. This may be costly, but it is cheaper than flying everyone to a common studio!
After everything is tracked, it's just a matter of mixing and mastering the final product! Here is a look at the remaining schedule, with our goal release date in March of 2014.
Stretch Goals
While the proposed budget will enable us to complete the album, additional funds would allow us to collaborate more in person. Plus, it doesn't hurt to dream!
- $15,000 - Brooklyn Sessions #2. We'll meet up in Brooklyn to work on material in person and document the sessions with video (ideally better than this.) We may add a reward level that will allow you to take part in this!
- $20,000 - One band, One Studio. With this amount of funding, we would be able to get everyone together in a single studio. This environment is the most favorable way to collaborate on an album as a band. We'll be able to video log this extensively, and we'll add rewards that will let you take part in some way. We will probably include a download of the finished video with every CD purchase!
Risks and challenges
Completing this album demands intense dedication, project management, and coordination, but Blood & Banjos already understands this. After a year of successful collaboration culminating in the release of the demo tracks, we are confident in our proposed budget and schedule for the remaining work.
However, poop does happen. Should we find that we have underestimated the budget, cuts will be made in studio time (except for drums and vocals.) The budget for mixing and mastering will not be touched, though, as we consider these to be critical elements for a high-quality final product.
Should we find that we cannot meet the schedule, we will promptly inform everyone. The project's progress has been, and will continue to be, openly chronicled on our blog. This means you can always be aware of our status.
While problems and delays are possible, we are wholly committed to completing this project. It will happen one way or another!
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Funding period
- (31 days)