Help Alexia Avina Finish Her Next Albums

My name is Alexia Avina, I'm an ambient-experimental-pop-folk artist currently based in NYC. I'm sure most of you reading this know me already <3 I have resisted making a fundraiser for myself for years because honestly there are sooooo many more important causes out there to support than my creative practice, with the state of the world, life or death situations, health issues, climate change and systemic injustice, etc... I feel very เกรงใจ about this (sheepish, shy).

But a thought came into my head this morning that spurred me to just go ahead and make this, because I realized I actually don't know if making music is sustainable for me anymore.. I don't mean it in the sense that I will stop... because how could I. However, I have had a creative block for months now and have been avoiding approaching my instruments I think in part because of all the outstanding costs I already have associated with the albums I'm working on. It's hard to even think joyfully about creating or moving onto the next thing without finishing those up, and overwhelming to think about the costs associated with starting something new.

I record all my own material by myself and collaborate with friends who are already giving me a friendly rate below what I wish I could compensate them for. I try and keep costs as economical as possible and I aim to get better at mixing myself so that I can deepen my creative expression, knowledge, breadth, and minimize these costs. Some people have even been gracious enough to collaborate for free. As someone who is fortunate to be a pretty prolific writer, the prolific-ness also feels like a burden at times when it comes to this realm. I currently am releasing an album that is deeply entrenched in trauma for me, so it's been hard to rally myself behind pushing it or enthusing over it, as proud as I am of the material. I have been creating some of my best work over the last few years, with little financial or material gain in return. Ultimately all that matters is the expansion of the craft for me, but it's hard to deepen into that when you're just trying to get your basic needs met.

Since settling back to NYC in June I've been struggling to become financially stable and am basically working 3-4 jobs/gigs to meet my basic living costs while also trying to make a dent in the money that is currently owed. I keep losing money because work has been slow and I am called off. I am optimistic my finances are going to improve in the very near future, but it's been hard to navigate this on top of processing trauma, grief, and really coming to understand myself and my inner workings better.. Basically my efforts have been focused on just stabilizing myself.

Here's a run down of expenses, keeping estimates on the lowest end possible:

Albums fully recorded and currently being mixed:

Mercury Goes Direct (LP)

Mixing: $640 USD ($560 paid already)

Mastering: $500

Liminalism (LP)

Mixing: $1,000

Mastering: $600

Crush EP PR costs that I still have to pay my friend back for: $1760 ($640 paid). This is from last year!

Albums yet to be mixed:

Zen and Hot (EP) [fully recorded]

Mixing: $600

Mastering: $200

Stellium (LP) [need to finish some lyrics and vocal recordings]

Mixing: $1,650

Mastering: $600

This totals out to $7,550 and does not account for additional costs like album artwork, press photos, etc.

I have a vision for a live studio album I'd like to record with a band as well. I don't have super accurate estimates for this, I'm sure this is on the lower end but I'd imagine it would work out to something like this:

Recording: $1000-1,500

Mixing: $1250-1500

Mastering: $500-800

Paying Musicians: $1200

Total: $3950-5,000

I'm not going to include that in this fundraising goal but in the amazing instance that there are any additional funds, they would go towards that as well as album art. It would be the material that I've been playing live with my band, and it's very, very special stuff.

Being an artist in this day and age is literally so hard haha. It doesn't really make sense to pursue this life but it also doesn't really feel like a choice, it's just something we have to do... I don't have a label providing upfront funding for these costs yet. And even that is a loan at best. Sooo.. I am humbly asking for any financial support that people might be able to give towards finishing these records. If my music has had any kind of impact on you I would greatly appreciate it. I don't have that much to offer in return, but I will happily send a CD for the album of your choice with a thank you note for donations over $20 (shipping fees) if you'd like, as well as include names in album credits. I also would like to offer to mail the physical painting of the cover of my forthcoming album, In The Pantheon of Decay to the highest bidder. You can reach out to me directly about receiving these things. Other ways you can help would just be to buy my music /merch directly off of bandcamp, pre-order the vinyl, etc. <3 https://alexiaavina.bandcamp.com

Thank you for reading. I'm trying not to expect anything huge from this, while also staying positive. I just want to get my friends paid ASAP because they are also all struggling musicians, ha. (':