Hello world! My name is Nicole Berke, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Boston, Massachusetts.

I've been making music and performing for my whole life in all different places, from the east coast to the west coast, from Beijing to Hong Kong, from stages and festivals to houses, bars and weddings. All of these different experiences have taught me so much about the importance of sharing music with people and all of the joy it can bring into our lives!  They've also given me a lot of stories to put into song, especially in the last couple of years. This album is all about coming back to what I love most and I am so excited to share all of it with you. 

The material is ready and the musicians are waiting! This Indiegogo campaign is the final step toward creating my new professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with the amazing Boston-based producer, Mike Davidson, and engineer, Bryan Fennelly, at Plaid Dog Recording. Together, Mike, Bryan and I are digging into my original material with the support of some incredible musicians to bring these songs to life.

I’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Water For You, Metal,” and you can check it out below!

   

While I was able to fund the recording process for "Water For You, Metal" on my own, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio time costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Mike, Bryan and I will work on the arrangements for each of the songs that will go on the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and will talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music. It's where the songs become what you'll hear on this album! This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between the instruments, textures, and colors that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end, so the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

                            

                                       Photo by Amy Rollo (www.amyrollo.com)

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign. This includes a collaboration with the incredible local artist Dan Mayzee, who is creating a short graphic novel to accompany this album as we speak! 

You can check out Dan’s incredible artwork and just a few of the gifts below and can view a full list to the right.

                           

                                 Photo by Amy Rollo (www.amyrollo.com)

It's hard to express how much this project would change my life.

Music is unquestionably an essential form of connection in all of our lives. It's a universal language and a way to process the world around us. For me, it's been a constant outlet, passion, and extension of who I am, and it's not always easy to share such a big part of yourself. But for the first time in a few years, I'm feeling ready to give back and offer what I love in hopes that others will be able to relate to it too.

Although it's been awhile since I've created a record, I have been spending a lot of time immersing myself in music through teaching, practicing, writing and playing. This campaign and resulting album will give me the opportunity to rededicate myself to my own music as a performer, and pursue what makes me happiest. Having a new album to promote will open a lot of doors for me to play shows as well as to reconnect with and grow my audience.

For me, one of the most amazing things about music is its ability to bring people together, whether it's the phenomenal musicians I've been fortunate enough to play with, supporters who have come out to shows or family members and friends who have been encouraging me from day one. This project allows all of us involved to create a community around music, and when you think about it, how special is that!? My hope is that through all of this, I'll be able to bring new like-minded collaborators and music appreciators into my life and even connect with the old and great ones. So let's make this happen together!

                   Photo by Kenneth Watson (Watson Cinematics & Photography)

If you're ready to contribute, select your favorite perk or just click the pink "Back It" button on the top right of this page and write in any amount you'd like to donate! Every little bit counts, and I'm so grateful for all of your support.

If you've got some good people in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please help get the word out and make some noise! There are social media share buttons on this page, and please tell your friends how much I appreciate their involvement.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.