News.
10.17.11 : Gypsy Life: Volume Two
I’ve always enjoyed riding the bus. There is something really romantic about it. Listening to music, looking out the window, watching the people get off and on, trying to guess what their lives are like, having the occasional interesting or awkward conversation with strangers, watching the city go by… It always plays out like a music video or my own personal scene from a movie.
Today, I was riding the bus with my dog, and I didn’t have my earbuds in like I usually do (to prevent those uncomfortable conversations that can come up — especially when you have a cute dog in your lap). And so, today I met Lloyd: a 70-something, semi-delusional, rambling old man who took a liking to my dog and wanted to tell me about where he was born, and how the city has changed, and all the places he had lived in his life, and all the jobs he’d had, all the while pointing out the window at random buildings and houses and claiming to know the people who worked and lived in them. He talked about how his “body’s been halfway around the world and back” and how he’s “got a lot of memories” and doesn’t just want to “sit around doin’ nothin’.” He also talked a lot about how he wondered what had happened to his friends in different parts of the world, and that he assumed they “were gone.” He said he’s survived so many illnesses and surgeries that he reckons “the man upstairs isn’t ready for” him yet. He said a lot of other things that I couldn’t quite make out, and I don’t think he even heard my “Oh really?”s and “Wow, that’s amazing”s. He got off the bus about fifteen stops before downtown Seattle, which is where he had claimed he was going, to “have coffee and visit the people who know” him. I watched him fumble for something in his pocket as the bus drove away.
Meeting Lloyd today, of all days, was very fitting, since today is the day I announce plans to put my stuff back into storage and head back out on the road for a few months (or more) of the gypsy life. Listening to Lloyd talk about his many adventures, jobs, and trips around the world (true or not) — and his current frustration with “sitting around doing nothing” — I was reminded of how precious youth is, and how easy it is to take it for granted until it’s too late and you can barely muster up the energy to get on the bus, or the cognizance to know where you’re trying to go. Even at my age, not quite old but no longer young, I still feel like I need to make up for lost time. Today, Lloyd reminded me that it ultimately doesn’t matter if you make a lot of money or buy a house or do any of the things we think we are supposed to do by a certain age. What matters is that, when you get to be Lloyd’s age, you feel like you made the most of the time you had on this planet, while you had the physical and mental energy to do so.
So, with that anecdote, I present to you THE GYPSY LIFE: VOLUME TWO.
Next month will be my last month in my Seattle apartment. I’ll be selling whatever I have left to sell, on eBay, Craigslist, and even a yard sale next month. I’ll be putting the rest into storage, and hitting the road with my dog and the incredibly talented Chris Staples for a two week tour that we have affectionately coined “The Migration Tour,” which will take us down the west coast and across the south, to a small beach town near Pensacola, Florida, which will serve as my winter retreat and home base between the following tours:
South Florida Weekend (Jan 12-15)
Gainesville, FL
Tampa, FL
Miami, FL
Orlando, FL
East Coast Tour (Jan 20 – Feb 4) with SPECIAL GUESTS TBA
Jacksonville, FL
Savannah, GA
Myrtle Beach, SC
Richmond, VA
Baltimore, MD
New York City, NY
Danbury, CT
Boston, MA
New York City, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Cleveland, OH
Chicago, IL
Indianapolis, IN
Louisville, KY
Nashville, TN
Marietta, GA
…and then? Who knows!
In NEW ALBUM news: we are in the mixing phase right now, while I sort out where and how to get the album mastered. If all goes as planned, I’ll have the final master copy in my hand sometime in mid-November, to send to the Kickstarter Backers who claimed the advance copy reward. I’m not sure how I’ll release it after that; it will take some time to get it into iTunes, but I think I’d like to put it out through my own site and/or Bandcamp, digitally, for free or donation first. I’ll be making some handmade copies of the album for my shows, until I can afford to press the album for real!
THE MIGRATION TOUR will kick off in Seattle sometime in November (we are working on a date and venue), and I think I’m going to put together a band to play that show! We set up a separate Facebook Page just for the tour, where you can RSVP to your local show and get the latest info about the tour. If Chris and I do any touring together on the east coast this winter, we’ll be using that same Page. There is also talk of us teaming up on a few cover songs together! We made a Tiny URL for the Page at tinyurl.com/themigrationtour, so we don’t have to commit to a Facebook URL just yet.
Lastly, I just want to say thank you to my employers at Perfect Copy & Print in Seattle, who hired me in January and have supported me and my crazy schedule, from the EIY Tour to recording my album. They’ve always been understanding and encouraging about my music, even when I gave them the sad news that I would be leaving Seattle (and my job) for the foreseeable future. That awesome little print shop has been one of the few consistent things in my life this past year, and I’ll miss it — and my co-workers — dearly! ♥
Now, it’s time to start the engines…
Love,
Sarah
09.23.11 : Studio Updates!
I’ve been neglecting the news feed on my website, but luckily I think I’m connected with most of you through all those silly websites we all like to frequent (Twitter, Facebook, tumblr, etc) — and if you are a Kickstarter Backer, or if you have donated to the making of the second G,NA album through the Kickstarter Leftovers page I set up on the site — then you should be getting daily in-depth studio updates from me via email! But just to be sure nobody misses out:
Kickstarter Blog for my studio journal, photos, videos, album details: CLICK HERE (or donate here to claim a leftover reward from the fundraiser, and get the Kickstarter blog sent to your email)
tumblr Blog for photos, quotes, G,NA inspiration music, and baby animal pics: sarahsaturday.tumblr.com (I will follow you back!)
Facebook Page for photos, status updates, links, etc: facebook.com/gardeningnotarchitecture
Twitter Profiles (links and tweets): @GNAtweets (strictly G,NA-related, and I will follow you back!) and/or @sarahsaturday (my personal profile, general randomness)
So much has already unfolded in the first five days in the studio, and we only just started tracking today! I’m trying my best to keep everyone updated while also focusing on doing my job here, so please connect with me through one (or all) of those outlets! I don’t want you to miss anything!
Thank you to everyone who donated and continues to donate to the making of my second album. I am moved beyond words and so excited to deliver these songs to the world.
Love,
Sarah
09.01.11 : The Kickstarter ends in four hours, but the adventure continues!
I can’t believe it! Over $6,000 and counting in the final four-hour stretch to the end of the Kickstarter campaign!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THE SECOND G,NA ALBUM POSSIBLE!
Read the update I posted today on the Kickstarter blog (also on my personal blog) in celebration of reaching my Kickstarter goal!
I want to make sure you know that where the Kickstarter leaves off, my own DONATION PAGE will pick up tonight! There were a lot of unclaimed rewards that will be moved over to my own website, where you’ll be able to claim them for the same amount! This will be the physical merchandise only (limited editions shirts, posters, and CDs), along with pre-orders for the new album.
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so invested in G,NA. Please read my love letter in the Kickstarter blog, because it’s a gushy one!
♥ Sarah
08.05.11 : 10 Ways to Donate Without Spending $$$
About three weeks ago, I launched my first-ever (and perhaps last-ever) Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for recording my second full-length Gardening, Not Architecture album. The plan, if I reach my goal, is to head to SoCal in September and record the album with producer/musician Steve Choi (RxBandits) over the course of 2-3 weeks, in two different studios. The $5,000 budget will cover the cost and fees for recording and mixing, plus travel and mastering. Although I set that as my goal for the Kickstarter, the actual cost for me to take that time off from work, hire a dog-sitter, pay my bills for that month, and not have to pinch pennies and live off of PB&Js during the process, is closer to $7,500. If I want to put out the album on CD when it’s done and do any kind of touring this year to support the release, that number goes up to $10,000 or more.
When you donate to this fundraiser, you are getting something of actual value in return. There are several “rewards” to choose from, each with a different pricetag, and you can pick what you want to get in exchange for your donation! This is a lot like the fundraisers I have done on my own website in the past, but having the Kickstarter name behind it (and the platform for accepting donations) is (hopefully) lending it some extra credibility — although, if things go well this time around, I might just stick with my own DIY fundraisers in the future and keep that ~10% that Kickstarter ends up taking in the end.
To see the list of rewards, visit the page HERE!
At the bottom of that list of rewards is my Dream Amount of $10,000. If I can hit that amount, then every single person who donated to the Kickstarter — no matter the amount they donated — will get the new album on exclusive, limited to the Kickstarter Backers only, custom vinyl with their names in the liner notes and one-of-a-kind album artwork!
It’s only taken a little over three weeks to raise 81% of the $5,000, but there is still $940 left to raise, with less than 27 days left to go — and even more if I want to really go for it and try to hit that Dream Amount! I know that times are tough, and not everyone can donate money, so I came up with another way that friends and supporters can help me reach not only my set asking amount, but maybe even my Dream Amount (and get yourselves some one-of-a-kind vinyl in the process)! Here’s a list of ways you can get involved with the G,NA Kickstarter, and help raise funds even if you have already donated as much as you can, and even if you can’t pledge any amount of money yourself!
TEN WAYS TO DONATE TO THE G,NA KICKSTARTER WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY
1. Burn copies of the G,NA album and make your own sleeves/inserts about G,NA and the Kickstarter campaign, with the information and URLs, and give them out at a show or leave them at your local record store!
2. @Mention Kickstarter on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kickstarter) and tell them to feature the G,NA project on their home page!
3. Go to my Vimeo profile and grab the link or embed code for the Kickstarter video, then post the video on Facebook, tumblr, Twitter, your own blog, or anywhere else you can think to put it!
4. Send an email to your friends and family who might be into the music, and ask them to pledge on your behalf. People can pledge as little as $1 and they will get access to the Kickstarter blog, and their name will be permanently listed as an Official Sponsor on the G,NA website!
5. Create your own video testimonial and post it on your Facebook or tumblr, and email it to me (sarah at gardeningnotarchitecture dot com) so I can post it in the Kickstarter blog!
6. Click the Like, Tweet, or Embed links under the featured video on the campaign page, and copy the shortened page URL to repost it on your own profiles: http://kck.st/oR2Cxi
7. Email your favorite music blogs and ask them to check out G,NA and the Kickstarter campaign!
8. Make your own flyers with a photo of G,NA and the URL for the Kickstarter page, and personalize it with your own explanation for what the music is and what the fundraiser is for, and hand these out at a show or leave them at a record store, clothing store, book store, etc.
***9. Encourage people to buy the first G,NA album on iTunes and from my online store at http://www.gardeningnotarchitecture.com/shop! Getting the music out there and building the G,NA fanbase are just as important as raising funds for a Kickstarter campaign! Every past album that sells helps me pay for future albums to be made!
***10. Post the link to my own personal Donation page on the G,NA website (http://www.gardeningnotarchitecture.com/contact/donate)! I use Paypal, and you can donate any amount of money you want, and you’ll get listed as an Official Sponsor on my website. Some people (including you?) may prefer to donate through Paypal rather than set up an account on Kickstarter — and this way, I get to keep 100% of the donation instead of paying a percentage to Kickstarter and fees to Amazon at the end of the campaign! Furthermore, even after the Kickstarter has ended (in 27 days), I can still continue to accept donations through my website for recording and touring. So getting the word out about my Donation page is a HUGE help, now and for the future of G,NA!
Hopefully this list inspires people to get creative and help spread the word about Gardening, Not Architecture! All I need is 250 people to pledge $25 each and everyone will get exclusive vinyl!
♥ ♥ ♥
Sarah
P.S. In the time it took me to put this post together, someone donated another $50 to the Kickstarter! AMAZING!
