Singles: Roller Coaster, La Festa Italiana
Penny Park is a person. Peony was an amusement park. The former spent a great deal of time at the latter. This is an album about a girl.
Conception
More than a long gone amusement park, Peony has left an indelible mark on the city of Omaha, NE. Everyone over 25 has those 78th Cass St. memories.Musically capturing the parks’ history for our new album proved a daunting and somewhat unrealistic task. I narrowed in on the one time of year we all identify with Peony, summer. Honing the exact year to the era of my early childhood, I settled on 1989. Then, in my 8-year-old mind, teenagers seemingly lived on another planet. As a child that world certainly intrigued me, as an adult the allure of ‘89 has not lessened.With time and place secured, what was left was the story. While rock and roll has tackled numerous subjects, there’s one area where music has always been an expert: young love. There had to be a girl, there is always a girl, one with a name that brings it all back home, Penny Park.
Penny Park: Omaha, NE: Summer 1989.
With the 1990’s at their doorstep and young adult emotions running hot, one young woman, Penny Park, will not get out of their head. The teenagers of Omaha, NE are fighting, bleeding, screaming, begging to tell you all about her. Over two albums of music bearing little resemblance to my previous efforts, Penny Park: Omaha, NE: Summer 1989 transports the listener to a time when your only concern was summer, summer, summer. What history dealt those Cass St. gates is readily documented. How the romance ends for these young men and Penny is anyone’s guess and everyone’s story.
For the last twelve years I have been independently releasing music from my hometown of Omaha, NE. Be it solo or with my bands, The Movies, Anonymous Americanand The Whipkey Three, I have tried to maintain a relatively consistent schedule of releasing an album roughly every year and a half. The Whipkey Three’s last album, "Two Truths" was released in May 2012. "Penny..." was conceptualized in the summer of 2011 but really took off during the ridiculous heat wave this last summer. For better of worse, I have always been able to see an album to completion, it is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. While other records dealt with more personal themes, "Penny..." opened up a whole new world of writing and storytelling that fed off itself. The songs kept coming, one album quickly became two. The history and connection to Omaha has made this one of the most satisfying artistic experiences of my life. You always hear, “write what you now” for this lifelong Omaha native it proved all too true.
Between teaching private music lessons, writing, performing and recording, music is not only a passion it is my living. Honestly the thought of not working with music full time, makes me… well not want to think that thought. Needless to say the process is expensive but it is one we love and take very seriously.
Your collaboration
My initial skepticism for crowd funding has recently turned into pure enthusiasm. This is an exciting time for independent music, like a live performance there is now no barrier between artist and listener. Through Kickstarter, we remove the proverbial middleman who always holds things up. You and I are working together on this one, in concert. Quite frankly the idea of a double gatefold, 150 gram vinyl double concept album about a long gone Midwestern amusement park in 1989 would make many labels immediately stop communicating.
More than a contributor you are a collaborator. You now have the ability to make this seemingly crazy album a reality. Oh and it’s pink vinyl.
The Resume
The Movies- Anonymous American (2002)
Anonymous American- When the Drummer Counts to Four (2004)
Matt Whipkey – Anonymous American- Lonely Town (2005)
Matt Whipkey and Anonymous American – Don’t Be Late (2006)
The Whipkey Three – S/T- (2008)
Matt Whipkey- Instant Heart (2009)
The Whipkey Three- Two Truths (2012)
Penny Park: Omaha, NE: Summer 1989 (2013)
Risks and challenges
While we are aiming for a funding of $4,000, this is only a fraction of the overall costs. With Penny being a double vinyl album the 4k essentially covers the costs for duplication of the records themselves. Ideally anything over the initial $4,00 can be used to recoup my own expenses of studio time, promotional materials and mastering etc. The largest risk in this project is falling short of our goal. If our minimum is not reached we cannot ensure this album will see the light of day in the near future and certainly not on vinyl. However if our goals are reached, we promise to deliver you an album that will surely become your soundtrack to Summer 2013 and many more. Currently the album release party is set for June 22, we would hate to have to reschedule.
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Funding period
- (30 days)