Low Society Needs New Wheels
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Hi! We're Mandy Lemons & Sturgis Nikides of the band Low Society , from Memphis, Tn. We've had an amazing year, playing more than 100 shows since the Oct 2014 release of our latest album, "You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down". Unfortunately all of the traveling took it's toll on our hardworking beloved van, Bessie Smith. Her heart was in the right place, but Bessie's engine finally succumbed to age (and excessive mileage). She's been with us since the very beginning, in 2008, and it's with very heavy hearts we bid her farewell. Not only was she our sole transportation, but now more than ever we need to keep our traveling shoes on, so we have decided to come to YOU for help.
We've shared our music with fans regionally, here in the Mid-South, and nationally, including our triumphant return to NYC and our magical trip to Washington DC to visit our good friends at Sirius XM Bluesville where we recorded an exclusive live broadcast. Here at home, Mandy was presented with the 2015 Emissaries of Memphis Music Peoples Choice Award, and we also played the first Memphis blues festival in 45 years, The Bona Fide Blues Festival. And, we get to top it all off with a whirlwind trip to Europe, and the prestigious Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland where we will be performing on Nov 12. We will also be making a few select appearances in the Netherlands and Belgium!
As independent artists, having your continued support has been critical. There is simply NO way we'd be able to survive without fans like you. Throughout Low Society's existence, we've had to do things independently, and we've managed to come this far without support from a major record label or booking agency. This is no small feat by any stretch of the imagination, and it certainly illustrates how deeply we believe in our music. It also reflects the support we have received from our families and friends in NY, Houston, Memphis and beyond, through the years. We truly feel like you are ALL family! This Go Fund Me campaign is a way we can continue to remain independent, allow you to share in our dream and help us to get our music out into the world.
WHAT IS GoFundMe?
Based in San Diego and Menlo Park, GoFundMe was launched on May 10, 2010 and has quickly become the World’s #1 fundraising site for personal causes and life-events. Millions of people have raised over $1 Billion in the past 365 days. This website seemed like the easiest and fastest way for our fans to make an immediate impact on the outcome of our dream.
WHY ARE WE DOING A GoFundMe CAMPAIGN?
The truth of the matter is that it costs quite a bit of money to tour. The money that we've earned from touring has barely covered expenses this year and is totally not enough to finance a new vehicle. For a 4 piece band to tour in a 12 passenger van, it costs us about $300 per day, minimum, depending on the city. This simply doesn't leave a lot of extra for a completely unexpected situation like this. The financial goal we've set is the bare minimum to make this happen the right way. We're not trying to purchase a brand new vehicle, but just enough to find something pre-owned, comfortable and reliable. And, we really hope you will help in spreading the word too. We hope that you're here because you believe dreams CAN be realized, you LOVE our music and want to participate in our success. Consider being directly involved in our future and in return you'll be the first to receive our next album and/or get exclusive thank you gifts! We aren't asking for a handout, but rather for you to participate in our continued success, so that we can continue to travel and get up on stage every night and make the music we were born to play. Help us bring it to YOUR town!
Everything we've done so far has been with your help. Live performances matter. Good music still matters and it is still being made today. Help us show that to the world.
WHAT'S NEXT?
We are super excited about this campaign and we hope to connect with many new and existing fans! We've always been on a mission to prove that a band doesn't need big record executives to succeed, only the love and support of the folks who believe in them. We've gotten this far with only you and we know we can make a difference in the music world as long as we have your faith in us to continue and help us to the next level so that we can come to your town, and shake each and everyone of your hands personally! (Actually, we're huggers - hope that's okay too!) PLEASE help us reach our goal! Thanks so much everyone. WE LOVE YOU!