Help make Katankin's debut album a reality!

Dear friends and fans of my music,

It's time for some really uncomfortable vulnerability and an appeal for assistance.

I simply can't afford to make this album happen alone - I need your help.

I love making music so much. It gives my life purpose and meaning, with my greatest joy coming from the way it connects me to the hearts and souls of other human beings, and brings some beauty and joy into their lives.

I know all too well how tough things are financially for so many people at the moment, truly, but if you are in any way able to support the album, it will mean the world to me. No amount of support is too small, it will all make this dream a more achievable reality. Thank you so much, and please read on for more info about this project.

Background

Back in 2021 I recorded my debut EP alone in our home studio, after numerous attempts to record an album in the studio with a band were thwarted by lockdowns. Finally, in early 2022 I was able to record the album tracks, however at this stage my work on producing and releasing the EP was well underway, so the album recording was shelved for the time being. Almost everything I could do myself on the EP, I did do myself. Wherever I couldn't do it myself, I used donated time and labour, and all other unavoidable costs and expenses were paid for by my meagre savings and my small group of very kind and loyal Patreon supporters.

To date, this is how I have managed to complete a chunk of the work on the album, including the single I just released, however it is simply not feasible to continue. There are major costs I can't avoid and can no longer afford, and there are skills and equipment I just don't have. I want this album and all its singles to be as great as I can make them, and I want to get this music out to you this year, not in several years' time! I've got a lot more to say, lots of new things, and lots of old things said in new ways. Can you help me?

How I will use the funds

I want to be totally transparent about this and provide clear information about the process and what the costs are. However, I will not provide an itemised breakdown of costs in order to protect the privacy of the artists I collaborate with. Sadly, many/most artists are engaged at well below the rates that they deserve, and we all do this out of financial necessity, and generosity towards fellow struggling artists. What an artist is willing to work for is no measure of their worth.

To date, the album expenses have been:

Totalling $6,950 - this is what I've already spent

To complete the album, my remaining expenses are:

Totalling $12,340 - this is what I need to finish it!

Please note that as you may know, Philip my partner is a mix/master engineer, and has taken time out and the utmost care to do all of my releases to date, totally unpaid. However we as a family simply cannot afford for him to continue to do so, as he has continual paid work commitments that he must meet.

To be clear, I am not including any of the work I have completed and will complete myself over the coming months, unpaid. This comprises:

My commitment

On the 6th of April, it will be my birthday, and I will be doing a lovely outdoor gig at the beautiful park and playground Possum Hollow in Heidelberg. On that day, I'd so love to be able to announce that my album will be going ahead - this would be the most amazing, love-filled and meaningful birthday present to me.

If you are able to donate any amount towards this fund, know that it will make my heart skip and bounce ever more joyfully, and that you are truly helping, in a real-life, practical way, to ensure my music finds its way into the world.

In addition, if you are able to or wish to donate any of the following amounts, I would like to offer the following pledges/commitments:

*all donations over $25 will receive a wav format digital download and unlimited streaming of the full album as well the rewards listed in the table above

**If you are outside of metro Melbourne but are interested in a house concert, please get in touch with me!

Why am I not using Pozible or other "all-or-nothing" pledge-based funding platforms?

I chose Gofundme because it has the lowest fees that I could find (at about 2.2%), and because this platform allows you to keep whatever funding you raise, whether or not you meet your funding goal. Right now the level of stress in my life is such that I can't handle the prospect or pressure of this whole thing failing due to not meeting the target, or the associated rigmarole and marketing/publicity gymnastics that requires. I desperately want to and commit to making this album however I can, and if the funding falls short I will use anything I raise to release whatever I can, in whatever format I can afford.

As Gofundme is not set up for pledge-based fundraising, I will be managing all the donations admin and record-keeping myself, so that your CDs, vinyls and other rewards get to you. As such, please ensure that all your contact/postage details are correct when you make a donation, and please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions. ❤