As you know, my Kickstarter.com fundraiser for my new album Long Before the Wheel was a complete success — 90 fans banded together to help me raise enough to record and release my newest creation. Thank you.

That said, I’m proud to say that the story is getting some media attention in the wake of a press release issued just a couple days ago.

This fundraiser was not an easy task in the least so I hope you’ll read this piece about the process and how I used it to fund my passion for songwriting and recording. Read the full article below or by clicking here.

Tyler Stenson on MusicBizCenter.com

THE ARTICLE IN ITS ENTIRETY:

Tyler Stenson – A Fan Funded Success Story
Ever get that feeling that you are the only person in the world who actually
believes in your music? Sometimes, when you get in that pinch at the end of the
month when you skipped work to go on tour or had to buy a new amp and your CD’s
aren’t selling, it seems like the music business may have been a bad career
decision. It’s okay. You can admit it. We all have those days.

While it may seem like giving up is the only option, there are always
alternatives and the success story I am about to share with you demonstrates
just how much the fans care about our music and why you need to keep pushing
long after you feel like giving up.

A few weeks back, I wrote a blog piece about Kickstarter.com, a website for
creative individuals like musicians to find funding for their projects. Since
that time, I’ve been watching the buzz around the Internet and the music world
for examples to show you of the site in action. This morning when I was checking
my email, I found just such a story and I want to share it with you now.

The story involves Tyler Stenson, a very prolific independent folk
singer/songwriter from Portland, Oregon who, like the rest of us, faced those
sharp moments where the cash flow wasn’t matching the time he needed in the
recording studio. He had a slew of great songs he wanted to record and deliver
to his fans but the money was hard to find. So he gave up?…. NO, I’m just
kidding. He didn’t give up. He got creative.

Tyler had heard of Kickstarter.com and their unique funding platform so he
got on board and created a project. Then he used social media and other online
networking techniques to help him advertise his project. His original goal for
the project was simple: Earn $3,500 in pledges in 60 days to fund the recording
and production of his eighth album, Long Before The Wheel.

Sixty days later, a group of 90 fans had signed on and pledged their support
to the project. What is even greater is the fact that these 90 fans exceeded the
goal of $3,500 and Tyler actually made almost $4,000 to fund the creation of his
album with the final count being $3,924. That means, on average, his fans
donated over $43 each.

How many fans do you have? Most bands have at least fifty fans. How far would
an extra $2,000 go towards helping your band be successful in releasing an
album? The amazing thing is five of Tyler Stenson’s fans donated at least $250
to the project. Does your music have that kind of effect on people? Does it
create such a powerful response that they believe in your music career enough to
put $250 of their own money down as an investment in your career? If not, why
not?

So, here’s what I want you to do. Take a look at Tyler Stenson’s “Long Before
the Wheel: Recording Tyler Stenson’s Next Folk Album” project on Kickstarter.com
(I included the link at the end of this post) and see how he set it up and the
awesome rewards he offered to his backers. Look at what worked well for him and
what things you could imitate. Then, decide if this is something you could do.

I believe that each and every one of the people reading this post, including
you, have the potential for this kind of success. I want to see how much you
believe in yourselves and how many of you are willing to put in the work to be a
success. Please leave your comments here and make sure to include the links to
your own Kickstarter.com projects so we can follow your success as well.

See the project here: http://kck.st/clPNkY

Fans Fund Recording Through Internet for Independent Folk Artist Tyler Stenson’s 8th Studio Album

Studio costs are expensive, so Tyler Stenson, an award winning singer/songwriter from Portland, OR utilized the Internet to raise funds for the recording of his eighth studio album. Through Kickstarter.com and promotion on social networks, Stenson has managed to create a fully fan-funded recording experience for “Long Before the Wheel” – a sparkling follow up to his internationally acclaimed “Bittersweet Parade” LP.

Nashville, TN – Writing songs and creating music is only half the battle of the independent artist; the other half is the financial war of funding the recordings and distributing the art. Tyler Stenson, a prolific folk singer/songwriter from Portland, OR knows the struggle all too well. Rather than wait to finance his next album through his concert proceeds, he utilized some new Internet tools to reach out to his fans. He set up a donation page through Kickstarter.com, promoted it through his social network pages and met his fundraising goal of $3,500, green lighting his 8th studio album Long Before the Wheel long before he thought would be possible through self-funding.

“As a starving artist, I have always been more prolific than my pocket book. The recording process is just as much a passion of mine as crafting the songs themselves but, when it comes to producing content, I’m often limited by finances,” Stenson says.

The fundraising goal of $3,500 was established and made public through Kickstarter.com on June 1, 2010, and just 60 days later, roughly 90 friends and fans banded together to help Stenson breach his goal to make the new recording a reality. Stenson used other Internet resources to get the word out about the fundraiser through his website and social networks on FaceBook, Twitter, etc. In the end, approximately $4,000 was raised for the project, allowing Stenson a little extra for promotion of the new album as well.

Stenson was grateful to his fans and a little overwhelmed by their response to his call.

“I’ve always felt a warm support from my fans but watching them rise to this occasion in such a tangible manner – knowing that my friends and fans have enough faith in me to blindly fund my creations – that is the most inspiring piece of the plot.”

Slated for release on October 2, 2010, Stenson’s Long Before the Wheel EP is well under way and already a special creation because of the shining efforts to make it possible – a true labor of love by the artist and the fans alike.

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Tyler Stenson is an award winning singer-songwriter from Portland, OR that is currently based in Nashville, TN. As the pioneer of his genre “elegant folk,” Stenson’s lyrical music is catching on internationally and attracting a train of followers that find a piece of themselves in the sincerity of his words.

Press Contact

Monique Roy
310-569-9401
mroy@regimeentertainment.com

This January during my Bittersweet Parade album release tour, I had the opportunity to sit down with the fellas at Acoustic Conversations and chat about my move to Nashville — I even got to play a couple songs! Curt and Peter are good guys and I always enjoy our little talks. I hope you do to.

LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION: HERE
SEE MORE PHOTOS: HERE
RE-VISIT THE FIRST CONVERSATION: HERE

photo by pete wright

GO TO iTUNES TO DOWNLOAD THESE EXCLUSIVE LIVE TRACKS:

1. Welcome the Change
2. Leave Oregon
3. Blush
4. That Moon
5. Roderigo (Cover, Seven Mary Three)

With only 3 weeks to go I have just barely breached the 50% mark of my fundraiser for my next album Long Before the Wheel. I’ve got all the confidence in the world that the goal will be met but I could still use everyone’s help in making it happen. The deadline is August 1st.

If you’re interested in donating toward my next album, please visit http://kck.st/clPNkY for details or simply send a personal check to:

Tyler Stenson
Attn: Kickstarter
740 Vernon Ave.
Nashville, TN 37209

Be sure to include your email address and other contact info so I can get a hold of you for your free copy!!

INCENTIVES:
$5 = 1 free download of the album.
$10 = 1 free signed copy of the album.
$100 = 5 signed copies to give to your friends and a beaming mention on my blog.
$250 = 10 signed copies and your name in the liner notes of the album.
$1,000 = 20 signed copies and the title of “executive producer” in the liner notes.

Thank you one and all for making this happen. The record would not happen without you; therefore, I appreciate each and every donation big or small. Here we go!!

Somewhere this Spring I lost most of my musical confidence and began to ask myself the question: What the hell am I doing? After much deliberation, sleepless nights and internal battles, I decided that the reason I’m grinding out this phantom dream is the fact that music is quite simply My Love that I couldn’t quit if I tried.

For all of those struggling musicians out there, I just wrote this song (and humbly recorded it at home) to remind us why we do what we do. Enjoy.

MY LOVE, MY LOVE
by tyler stenson © 2010

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Like a Rodeo Clown, the blood and bruise are part of the call.
But still, damn you music, you’ve got me up against a wall.
Some days I’m a Lion and some days my spirits crawl
Across the floor, to you who started it all:

My love.

It’s a head-game honey. It’s easy to believe
That I’m a foolish fish inside this starving sea
That might swallow me whole (or give me just what I need).
It’s all or nothing because nothing is in between.

My love, my love,
Don’t count me out just yet
Cause my day will come.

Oh, damn you music!
You crawled inside my bed
And if I walked away, you’d just do the same to my head,
And your pedal steel would haunt me like the ghost
Of a melody that a deaf man misses most.

My love, my love
Don’t count me out just yet
Cause my day will come.
This I know,
Because there’s a flower buried in my chest
That continues to grow.
My love, my love
Don’t count me out just yet
Cause my day will come.

Today was the first official day of recording for my new EP Long Before the Wheel! Yes, I had already been in the studio to track a scratch guitar and vocal but that was all too casual. Today was the first legitimate day of professional players and grinding hours.

That said, it doesn’t feel like a grind when you’re watching a pro in action. I had the honor of working with Derek Mixon as my drummer for the record — he set a solid backbone of drums that has me beaming about this album’s potential. Nice work Derek, it was a pleasure working with you.

Call me nostalgic but I’ve decided to post a recording of my first song EVER — written and recorded in 2000, this is Her Song.

It’s funny, this is a song I no longer claim (because of the obvious departure from my current music); however, I’ve recently received a number of requests for it via email and I’m even receiving royalties here and there as a result of the old school recording. Who would have thought, a song I wrote 10 years ago, before I even knew the craft, would still be in demand?

That said, for sake of nostalgia, I dug up a copy of the original version and then re-recorded it today to show the difference between my vocals then and now. Below is a pair of recordings of Her Song — one is the original from 2000 and the other was humbly recorded live in my bedroom today in 2010.

I don’t take either one very seriously but I thought you’d like to hear the first song I ever wrote. My how time changes things. Enjoy Her Song.

HER SONG (original version circa 2000)

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HER SONG (new version, 2010 bedroom recording)

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You live your life day by day
People come and go
But no one stays by your side
Next to you
It’s so hard

Until that day;
You see that one
Standing there beautiful in the sun
Kissed by angels
Perfect She seems
The girl of my dreams

When we touch, I tremble
When She talks, I’m all ears
When She laughs, I smile
She calms my fears
With Her love and with Her words
I’m all Hers.

When she talks, the world is silent
No one exists.
And when we kiss,
Oh, I’m all Hers!
I’m Captivated by Her love,
By Her touch,
By Her glory,
By Her eyes,
By Her smile,
By Her laughter
And by Her.

When we touch, I tremble
When She talks, I’m all ears
When She laughs, I smile
She calms my fears
And wipes away my tears
With Her love and with Her words
All the sweet, sweet words that she says…

When She moves the earth sings
And I sing along…

In an attempt to raise funds for my upcoming EP Long Before the Wheel, I have teamed up with a fundraising website called KickStarter. Essentially I’ve set up an account, outlined my vision for the project, named a fundraising goal and now it’s up to me to see if I can reach it before August 1st. Pass it on: http://kck.st/clPNkY

My goal is $3,500 for covering the recording, mastering, replication and release of the new album. If you feel inclined to support the arts and to help in immortalizing this record with any dollar amount, visit my Kickstarter account for all of the details necessary to donate.

Truly, any amount helps and there are various incentives to be involved … think of it as pre-purchasing your copy of the record. Thank you for your support across the years and may this venture be one of success. Pass it on: http://kck.st/clPNkY

Here is the link for my fundraising home base … pass it on: http://kck.st/clPNkY

As of today, I have officially finished a brand new song called Clover. Though I schemed it roughly 18 months ago, independently of St Patrick’s Day, it is a lovely coincidence that I should finish it just in time for the holiday.

CLOVER
by tyler stenson © 2010

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I’m a man of chance; not much for fate
And my superstitions are hard to break.
But, if lucky see, then lucky do,
Then Clover I’ll be lucky to find you.

I’ve had a pocket-pair with an Ace up my sleeve
At an all-in table that boasted one King.
But my luck has been known to wear walking shoes,
So Clover I’ll be lucky to find you.

Clover I’ll be lucky
To ever find something like you.
Please, Clover make me lucky.

All the colors curl inside a rainbow
With a soft descent into the pot of gold
But those fortunes go just as quick as they grew
So, Clover I’ll be lucky to find you.

In all the world there’s a billion blades
In the grass on the ground that all look the same.
I’ve combed them over – I’ve sifted through
And Clover I’ll be lucky to find you.

Clover I’ll be lucky
To ever find something
So small and so lovely.
Yes, Clover I’ll be lucky if I ever find you.
Please, Clover make me lucky.

NOTE: This recording was done on my laptop with limited professional equipment, time and instrumental know-how on my part. All things considered, I’m pretty proud of it; however, it’s definitely just a “demo” until I get the chance to work with some professionals on my next studio album. Until then, I’m really excited about the song’s content and hope you enjoy.