Hello,
My name is Daniel Hales, and I’m the singer, guitarist, and songwriter for an oddly-named band called Daniel hales, and the frost heaves. from Franklin County, Massachusetts. My band-mates and I — James Lowe (bass, viola arrangements), Ivan Ussach (drums and percussion), and Anna Wetherby (viola) — want to encourage you to support the pre-sale campaign for our 3rd album: “Contrariwise: Songs from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass.” We launched our Indiegogo on May 4th: the day that Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland takes place on and the birthday of Alice Liddell. We promise that if you contribute to this campaign, you’ll have your copy of the completed CD within a week of November 4th: the day that Through the Looking-Glass takes place on.
We originally adapted some of Lewis Carroll’s poems for an eight-show production of Alice In Wonderland staged by the New Renaissance Players at The Shea Theater in Turners Falls, Mass., in February 2013. We loved the experience so much, we continued adapting more Carroll poems into songs even after the show was over, as well as further developing the songs we’d already written. And within a few weeks of the final performance, we’d already begun recording basic tracks for the album.
However, in order to cover the remaining costs of professionally recording, mixing, mastering, and duplicating a high-quality album worthy of Carroll’s words, we really need your help. Our goal is to raise $7,900 to cover these costs.
If you saw the show, you know how eclectic, adventurous, and in keeping with the books’ spirit of fun our adaptations are. What you may not know is how many new layers we’ve already begun adding in the studio. Our goal is to infuse these songs with all the energy of the live show, but also have the option to fill out some of the songs with fuller, richer arrangements and more varied instrumentation.
If you didn’t see the show, but are a fan of Lewis Carroll, our adaptations of all the best known poems in the Alice books will be on this album (as well as a few lesser known ones), including Jabberwocky, The Walrus and the Carpenter, “How doth the little crocodile...,” Father William, “Fury said to a mouse...,” Beautiful Soup, “Will you walk a little faster...,” ‘Tis the Voice of the Lobster, “They told me you had been to her...,” “Speak roughly to your little boy...,” The White Knight’s Song, Humpty Dumpty’s poem, “Boat beneath a sunny sky...,” and Queen Alice. We also supplemented Carroll’s poems with a few Alice-themed original songs, including the title track, “Contrariwise.”
Eighteen songs in all ... perhaps now you’re beginning to understand why we need an infusion of funds to complete this project.
Some of these songs rock. Some waltz. Some emerge slowly from a psychedelic haze. Others rush up to meet you. One thing this album will not be is one of those cloyingly cutesy collections of “kid’s songs” that make adults want to leave the room. Like the books themselves, these songs can be thoroughly enjoyed by children, but they have as much — if not more — to offer the “fully grown” listener.
Please check out the attached video for a preview. James has incorporated rough tracks from our first two recording sessions to give you a general sense of what a few of these songs sound like so far.
As you can see, in the “perks” column on the right, you can even learn how to play some of these songs yourself by contributing $200 and getting James’ hand-written sheet music for a few songs of your choice.
Or would you prefer to give a gift to your school? In addition to rocking with the Frost Heaves, I’ve been an English teacher for the past 20 years. I teach primarily junior high and high school age students, but I also taught at the college level for several years, and every summer I teach a three-week summer program for 8 to 12 year olds. For $500, I’ll come to the school, lecture hall, or venue of your choice, and give a fun lesson or lecture on Lewis Carroll and the Alice books, accompanied by a live performance of songs off “Contrariwise.”
Or if you were ever curious why so much to-do is made about tarts in Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, contribute $750 and Anna and I will play a house concert for you — and bring along a tray of Anna’s mind-blowingly delicious made-from-scratch tarts.
Of course at the more modest end of spectrum, $18 gets you a digital download of the whole album. Any amount you’re able to contribute helps us bring these songs back from Wonderland and the Looking-Glass world to you.
We thank you ninety times nine!
Best Wishes,
Daniel, on behalf of Daniel hales, and the frost heaves.
Projected expenses for “Contrariwise: Songs from Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass.”
$4,000: Additional studio time; tracking and mixing of the album
$1,000: Mastering of the album
$350: Graphic Design (digipack, liner notes, lyric booklets)
$250: Promotional video production and editing
$1,500: Duplication of cds, digipacks, and lyric booklets
$800: Indiegogo’s fee (Approximately 7% - 12%)
Total: $7,900
