Help Toadstool Records Grow

Hi everyone,

I started Toadstool Records about two years ago as a source of solace during a dark period in my life. In an effort to turn things around, I started renting a basement rehearsal space that I could bike to every day. I bought a drum kit and a keyboard and a microphone and speakers, and would invite small groups of friends over to jam and sing karaoke.

Two years later, Toadstool Records has blossomed into something much bigger. Today, Toadstool is a self-funded, self-maintained, and self-taught DIY record label for artists and friends committed to sharing resources and knowledge. I’m often tending to our massive “resources” page on our website: a collection of web pages, classifieds and e-mail lists I’ve collected that I’ve found inspiring and practical in the pursuit of living vocationally as an independent artist.

We’re looking for your support in allowing Toadstool Records to continue to flourish and empower emerging artists without the pressure of achieving “commercial success” or sacrificing artistic integrity, and instead focusing on music’s power to heal and facilitate human connection.

Specifically, we’d like to support our friend Jon Hom - known as Mystery Choir - in his upcoming album release, “Love Songs and Hallucinations.” My dear friend Michelle Borreggine and I have poured hours and hours into the release because we believe deeply in Jon’s artistic vision.

The album will be released on October 28. We recently released a wonderful music video for the lead single "Reveillark,” which perfectly captures the joy that creating together has brought us.

We would like to accompany the album with a physical release, but currently lack the funds to do so. Along with the annual costs required to run a business, we're unable to continue to self-fund Toadstool Records until we can sustain it as a viable business through merch sales and facilitating licensing deals. Now we’re asking for your help.

Please see below for a breakdown of how much it costs to keep Toadstool afloat:

Cassette and Poster Production for Mystery Choir: $500

50 Credits - Submithub: $45

Shipping Label Printer: $148

Shopify: $348.00/ year

Distrokid membership: $97.98/year

P.O. Box: $99/year

Bandcamp: $240/year

Website hosting: $100/year

Business maintenance (articles of incorporation, resident agent, accounting fees) : $2,100

Future cassette tapes and merch production: $3,000

Future vinyl production: $5,000

Marketing : $3,500

Total: 15,177.98

As we continue to grow, our commitment remains steadfast in nurturing a diverse array of artists with an emphasis on queer, POC and femme voices. We are equally dedicated to selecting merchandise and distribution methods that minimize our environmental footprint.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. :)

With gratitude,

Caroline/Ghost Crab