Rhinestoned Album Release Campaign
Howdy friends and neighbors. Jason Ringenberg here,
I have now been a recording artist for 40 years; as a solo singer-songwriter, frontman for the country-rock band Jason & The Scorchers, and as the children's music character Farmer Jason. To mention a few high points; with Jason & The Scorchers I won an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award and with Farmer Jason I earned an Emmy Award for our PBS video program. Although I don't sell huge numbers, I like to think that I am a valid recording artist. I love making music, and I care about my fans.
I am here to ask for your help in releasing and promoting my brand new solo album Rhinestoned. I am enormously proud of this record, especially given that it was recorded in the middle of this terrible pandemic working under social distancing restrictions. It was cut in Nashville, Tennessee with a core team of myself, George Bradfute, Fats Kaplin, and Steve Ebe. I feel it is one of my strongest solo efforts to date. The song subjects range from the Lakota shaman warrior Crazy Horse to the 1962 civil rights Freedom Riders. Throughout the album, there also runs a Nashville thread. In fact, George Bradfute's studio is in the basement of 1950s country crooner Jim Reeves old house. There are some pretty serious Nashville ghosts in that old basement!
Your support will help me get this project produced, manufactured, distributed, and promoted. I much prefer using fan support to help release my projects, rather than signing complex recording contracts that usually come with serious strings attached, not the least being that the artist often loses much of his or her creative control. That is inevitable with broad-based record contracts, even on an indie level. Thanks to the help of you, my friends and fans, I am able to create my music and put it out in the world, whilst still retaining 100% control of my artistic destiny.
What I Need & What You Get
I am hoping to raise $30,000 USD to fund this project. That threshold will insure enough to cover my recording, manufacturing, artwork, mastering, distribution, imaging, perk mailing, Indiegogo fees, video, radio, press, and promotional expenses. Every penny generated will go into the record, no matter what the campaign brings in. The money will not be used for personal needs under any circumstances.
If you hop aboard this train, we are offering several super cool perks ranging from an autographed CD delivered in advance of the official street date at a discount price to your very own private Jason Ringenberg concert where YOU chose the setlist! One unique perk, first come first served, is the rhinestoned leather cowboy hat that I wore on stage from 2010 to 2018. You can't get any more unique than that! Another cool offering is the very first Jason & The Nashville Scorchers official tour poster from 1982, from my own personal collection. These offerings will only be available during this crowdfunding campaign. Once the campaign is over, so are most of these perks.
The Impact
Those of you who support Rhinestoned will be helping keep independent music alive. More and more, artists like myself rely on direct fan support to fund projects. This will be my fourth project entirely funded by you, my fans. It is a system that works.
Risks & Challenges
Getting a record properly released is a major challenge for anyone these days. In my case, I am not a gifted multi-instrumental producer who can record an entire record alone in my bedroom. I need to use real musicians in a real studio. When you add to that all the imaging, manufacturing, distribution, and promotional expense it takes a lot of money to competitively release a record on a worldwide scale. My commercial numbers are relatively small compared to most recording artists, so I rely on fans like you to keep my music coming. Without your support, I could not continue to record projects like this.
Thank you from my heart and soul,
- Jason Ringenberg.
Other Ways You Can Help
I realize that in the depths of this pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, many folks have higher financial priorities than buying perks to help fund an independent musician's latest recording project. I get that 100%. If you choose not to buy into my program, you can still help Rhinestoned and support my music by spreading the word on social media, streaming my music, and attending shows when touring resumes.
God bless you all!
Jason
